Salli Richardson: SVG Europe's Outstanding Contribution to European Sports Broadcasting for overseeing the BBC's Wimbledon coverage
Salli Richardson, executive producer of Wimbledon and the Boat Race for BBC Sport and lead director for the Paris 2024 Olympics, will receive the Outstanding Contribution to European Sports Broadcasting award at SVG Europe's Sports Production Summit in September.
The award, which recognizes an individual who has changed the nature of sports content production and distribution within Europe, will be presented at the Sports Production Summit, taking place at De Hallen Studios in Amsterdam on Thursday 12th September.
Previous recipients include Olympic Broadcasting Service founding CEO Manolo Romero, EMG UK chairman and CTV founder Barry Johnston, HBS founder Francis Tellier, international sports coordinator Velička Nedyalkova and former IMG production managing director Graham Fry.
Paris 2024 will be Richardson's final Olympic Games as head director of BBC Sport, and the weeks leading up to it will see him prepare for his 25th and final Wimbledon Championships.
Alessandro Reitano, chair of SVG's European Advisory Board, said: “Sally has been at the heart of the BBC's coverage of the biggest and most important sporting events over the last few decades.
“Sally's leadership and commitment to excellence have shaped how British audiences experience some of the biggest sporting events over the past few decades, setting the standard in the UK and beyond for future generations.
“We look forward to hearing more about Sally's career and celebrating her achievements with others in the sports production and broadcasting community at SVG Europe's Sports Production Summit event in Amsterdam next month.”
Richardson began working for the BBC in 1985 as a facilities clerk in the local newsroom in Leeds. She moved to BBC Sport's former Manchester base in the early 1990s, which marked the start of a 33-year career with the department, where she began her career as a production assistant and finished as director and executive producer.
Her diverse list of events includes multiple Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, numerous Wimbledon Championships, domestic and international rugby league, Six Nations, golf and rowing.
Richardson prides himself on always promoting the highest standards of production and is a strong believer in bringing dedicated planning and fresh creative thinking to every production, regardless of size or budget.
Commenting on her award, she said: “When I started working in this industry almost 40 years ago I never imagined it would be so exciting and challenging, but it's a job I'm incredibly proud of and I'm extremely honoured to have been recognised by SVG Europe. It's particularly meaningful to be recognised by people within your own industry and I'm incredibly grateful for that.”
For more information and to register for SVG Europe's Sport Production Summit 2024, visit svgeurope.org/sport-production-summit-2024.
