Debbie Hewitt MBE with Wigan Athletic's Brenda Spencer and Sarah Guilfoyle
FA Chair Debbie Hewitt MBE made a recent visit to Wigan Athletic FC, where she met with fellow chair Brenda Spencer and the club’s new managing director Sarah Guilfoyle.
With the Latics in action in the Emirates FA Cup fourth round proper against Fulham, Debbie was a guest at the JJB Stadium for the tie which saw the Premier League team progress after a 2-1 win.
And she spent time speaking to Guilfoyle, who is one of the youngest MDs in the professional game and started her new role at the Lancashire club in January having previously been the Latics’ head of football administration and has been identified by the EFL as a leading talent and part of its Women in Football Leadership cohort.
With International Women’s Day on Saturday 8 March 2025, this week also saw Debbie welcomed to the London Business School as a special guest for their Women in Business club event.
The EQUALL 2025 Conference in London was based around this year’s International Women’s Day theme of #InspireInclusion and the UN’s focus on #InvestInWomen, bringing together current and aspiring leaders who are dedicated to building a world in which women are empowered, equipped, and able to have influence in every area of their lives.
There were important conversations on women’s health, the female funding gap, sustainability and allyship, while also offering practical workshops to equip women with skills such as achieving financial freedom and assuming board leadership.
Speaking about her visits, Debbie said: “It’s been a really interesting few weeks as we approach International Women’s Day, which is such an important date in the calendar.
“To meet and see how it’s been working for Sarah in her new role at Wigan, alongside Brenda was insightful and inspiring.
"Brenda is an experienced and knowledgeable legend of the club. It was great to see Sarah in action in her new role, especially her engagement with fans. It is fantastic to see her get such a well-deserved promotion - she’s a real credit to herself and the club.
“And it was an honour to be asked to speak at the London Business Awards this week at an event which both celebrated the achievements of women in business as well as inspire the next generation.”