I want this to be a norm – Vanja Cernivec hopes more women get leadership roles

New London Lions women’s team general manager Vanja Cernivec hopes the next generation of females aspiring to sports leadership roles will be seen as very much the norm rather than trying to break fresh ground.

Slovenian-born Cernivec took up her role 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.

Research commissioned by the Lions revealed 44 per cent of females are not made aware of the career opportunities in sport outside of playing.

Part of the study, which was conducted across a nationally representative cohort of 2,090 respondents, also showed a further 41 per cent said there are not enough role models in sport management for them to look up to.

Following England’s success at Euro 2022, the profile of women’s sport is now very much front and centre.

It is a position which Cernivec feels can only help show there is a clear pathway for anyone to take on leading roles within a sporting organisation, regardless of their gender.

“I want this to be a norm. I don’t want to have this conversation every time I speak to journalists. I want to move away from that conversation and let’s start talking about the GM role, what it takes for a team to be successful,” Cernivec told the PA news agency.

“I understand that I have to be vocal on this part as well and support women to push this agenda forward, but on the other hand I am a GM – and if you would be talking to a men’s GM, we probably wouldn’t have that conversation, right?

“I would