Heroes of VIP Hospitality: Zarah Al-Kudcy

Zarah Al-Kudcy is the head of Commercial Partnership Development at Formula 1, leading new business development including the sport’s recent partnership with Zoom which, during lockdown, will deliver virtual Grand Prix Hospitality. She also chairs the F1 Diversity & Inclusion steering group and in December last year became a trustee of the Women’s Sport Trust. With a strong ‘marcom’ background, her previous roles have included the Organising Committees for Rugby World Cup 2015, ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 and ICC Champions Trophy 2017, as well as Sky Sports and sports marketing agency Fast Track, and Athletics Australia, that country’s governing body.

What was the first Live Event Hospitality programme that you attended, and what particular impressions did it make on you?

It was actually a Chelsea match, which is a sin given I’m an Arsenal fan! But we were working with Adidas at the time and they kindly invited me along to Chelsea v Bolton. I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying hospitality at Stamford Bridge a few times since and I have to say they are top class; the staff are all brilliant, the food is excellent and there’s something to be said about hospitality in some of the older stadiums (that’s not an Arsenal dig!).

Other than your own, what is your favourite Live Event that you would encourage everyone to book when it goes on sale, and what makes it so special?

Such a tough question, because I’m a sports nut and have had the good fortune to attend a lot of live sport over the years, both through work and on a personal level. I think there’s something really special about major sports events such as the Olympics, World Cups and even Super Bowls. With television coverage taking us closer to sport than ever before, for me the live experience is about the atmosphere and the occasion itself – those ‘where were you?’ moments. I could literally write a thesis answering this question! But I do believe that everyone should experience a major event away from home, once in their lifetime.

Who do you consider to be your business mentor or mentors, and what particular examples did they imprint on your business values?

There have been a few along the way, some I’ve worked directly for and some I’m known and received guidance from. Michelle Dite – now Director of Operations at Wimbledon – has known me the longest and seen me grow from my first role at Fast Track. Her warm and positive nature in any situation is genuinely a lesson to us all, but so too is her ability to navigate politics and leave everyone feel like they’re winning.

Most recently I would say Murray Barnett, pictured, a great example of a man championing and supporting women in the sports industry; his honesty and self-awareness are tremendous assets. Ian Watmore has also been a wonderfully objective pair of eyes since I got to know him at England 2015 and his moral compass is what initially drew me to his company.

What was the most significant ‘Sliding Doors’ moment in your career, and how did this impact you?

Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006. I was working for a press agency at the time, aspiring to be the next Amy Lawrence or Anna Kessel, but when I returned to London I struggled to find a full-time role at a media outlet. Fast Track (the sports agency, now part of CSM) reached out to the press agency I was working for to ask if they knew anyone who knew athletics that could do a four-month communications role. Little did I know that the Account Director of the team had been at the Melbourne Games as well, seen me work and was therefore supportive of me joining them. Four months turned into four years, in a role I’d never considered, essentially the other side of the mixed zone. I haven’t looked back since!

If you had the option to experience/live in one music video which would it be and why?

I mean I probably shouldn’t admit this, as it shows my terrible taste in pop music, but probably Britney Spears – Toxic!

What was your favourite televised live sport event or moment that you remember from childhood, why did it make such a lasting impression on you?

Atlanta 1996 Olympics and the Great Britain women’s hockey team. Hockey was my sport as a child and I remember being dazzled by Jane Sixsmith running around and just the speed of hockey on show. In hindsight, my first example of ‘you’ve got to see it, to be it’.

Who was playing at the first concert you attended, where and when, and what do you remember of the experience?

My first live music experience was Connor Reeves – bit of a one-hit wonder and at the time total school girl crush! Shepherd’s Bush Empire was rammed and being such an intimate venue which just added to the experience.

What do you remember — across all genres — as the most emotional moment in television or film or a sporting event that has brought tears to your eyes?

A memorable one is definitely Redgrave and Pinsent winning gold at the Sydney Olympics because I remember having the alarm set and then waking in the early hours to watch it as a family. I look back and cherish those sporting moments we enjoyed as a family. I think it’s as much about the people you experience that moment with as the event itself.

What was your first paying job and what impact, if any, did it have on you?

I mean if I was a pop star it would be a Smash Hits magazine cliché because my first paying job was on the till at McDonald’s (I wasn’t there long enough to get my personality star!). I’m not sure it had an impact on anything other than my waist and at the time, the hope that it would lead to a pop career because it appeared to be a must-have background experience. I probably should add, I can’t sing.

How has your upbringing and family experiences shaped who you are today?

My parents encouraged my sister and I to play team sport from a young age and it’s had a huge impact on the person I’ve become from my social skills, network and self-motivation. My dad was also strict when it came to education. At the time it didn’t seem particularly fun when all my friends were out playing or at Disney while we were at Shakespeare’s house, but I’m eternally grateful for the thirst for knowledge it’s given me. They both gave me the belief that nothing was out of the realms of possibility.

What tough experience or time did you have to endure that taught you the value of money?

Another skill my parents instilled in me from a young age, when we had to either earn money or earn something we really wanted. That and playing monopoly with my sister taught me the benefits of saving money!!

If your 17-year-old self could see you now, what would he think and what advice would you pass back to your younger self?

She’d think I was old and past it!! Advice to my younger self; time is longer than you think, be patient and enjoy the ride.