Rowena Samarasinhe (Samara-seen-hu) is a commercial lawyer with many years of dedicated experience in the sports industry. Her experience ranges from working on some of the largest global sports properties, to negotiating major endorsement deals with some of the most prolific athletes in the world.
She is a solicitor of the Courts of England & Wales (2006) with an MBA in International Sports Management (Loughborough University).
Her impressive roles currently include: Council Member, National Sports Council of Sri Lanka; Director, Professional Squash Association; Trustee, CIMSPA; Advisor & Coach, Equiida (board effectiveness, coaching and search company with a focus on diversity & inclusion)
She is currently leading CIMSPA’s initiative addressing diversity and inclusion in the UK sporting workforce in collaboration with Sport England.
In 2018, Legal 500 included Rowena in their "General Counsel Powerlist" recognizing the most influential and innovative in-house lawyers around the world and subsequently, while now in private practice, she has been named one of Legal 500’s Next Generation Partners in Sport for 2020 and 2021.
She is also a woman. Born in the UK to Sri Lankan parents in the 1970s. A divorcee. A woman of colour in a predominantly white male industry. A woman whose lifestyle makes it easy to assume she “has it easy”.
In this episode, Ro opens up about a number of highs and lows. From working with Usain Bolt and being at three Olympic games, thanks to her very impressive career, to her passion for improving diversity and inclusion within sport in the UK and in general, to dealing with a “reset” following her divorce, a career-threatening moment and being blown up in a speedboat accident.
We talk about the importance of sport for children, especially for girls and how mums can have a huge impact on their sporting future. We discuss driving diversity and the challenges she faced in her early life and career to overcome barriers due to prejudice.
The impact of Covid on her new business and her personal well-being, including facing the fact she may never have children, something she struggles to come to terms with, and how society views a childless “career woman”.
We finish with some thoughts on processing, healing, being kind to yourself and living more in the moment and a quick chat about the Tokyo Olympics and the pride she feels at being able to give back to sport in Sri Lanka by being on their national sports council.
Settle in for a brilliantly honest and inspiring talk to a truly driven, positive and very human woman.
Ro’s company is www.gen-sport.com