Vanja Cernivec Aims to Encourage Women to Assume More Leadership Roles in Sports

Vanja Cernivec, the new general manager of the New London Lions women’s team, hopes that the next generation of females aspiring to sports leadership roles will not have to break fresh ground. She took up her new position last month, which also includes becoming global director of London Lions Academy, and is the first female general manager at a Women’s British Basketball League side. Cernivec’s appointment follows a successful spell as international scout for the Chicago Bulls, where she became the first female in the NBA’s history to fulfil the position. However, research commissioned by the Lions revealed that 44 percent of females are not made aware of opportunities in sport outside of playing, with a further 41 percent saying there are not enough role models in sport management for them to look up to.