Leadership Team

Born in Barcelona, Ferran has more than 20 years of business experience in ten countries, in the consumer goods, telecommunications, aviation and football industries.

He served at Futbol Club Barcelona as Vice-Chairman and CEO from 2003–2008 and is credited with playing a major role in the transformation of the club. FC Barcelona started a period that would bring the best results in its history and became one of the most successful football teams globally, doubling revenues in three years and moving from loss-making to a profit-making position.

Ferran negotiated deals with some of the sport’s most high profile players, including football superstars like Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, and led on some of the most significant TV and merchandising deals in the industry, including a ground-breaking non-profit making shirt deal with UNICEF.

Author of a book published in more than ten countries and languages, ‘Goal: The Ball Doesn’t Go In By Chance’, Ferran is married with two daughters and lives in Manchester.

Roel is Group Chief Operating Officer at City Football Group and is responsible for the leadership and coordination of club business operations for all ten clubs at City Football Group.

He was born and educated in the Netherlands and prior to joining CFG, has worked in various global executive positions over the last 25 years. His career at Nissan Motor Corporation has taken him and his family from Amsterdam to Johannesburg to Tokyo and Paris.

He managed the commercial businesses in South Africa and in Europe, looked after vehicle development projects and spent 10 years as the global Chief Marketing Officer, based in Japan. In this position he was responsible for all marketing activities worldwide and he was credited with significant brand value increase.

During his period as CMO Roel initiated and implemented strategic investments in the world of sport. He concluded partnerships with the UEFA Champions league, the Rio Olympics, the International Cricket Board (ICC), City Football group, the NBA in China as well as various individual sport stars, most notably a partnership with Usain Bolt.

Simon is General Counsel of City Football Group, overseeing the organisation’s legal, company secretarial, safeguarding and compliance functions. He is also a trustee of City in the Community, Manchester.

Prior to this he was a corporate finance lawyer in the City of London, working on international mergers, acquisitions and equity capital markets transactions. He was part of the legal team that represented Abu Dhabi United Group on its acquisition of Manchester City FC in 2008 and was then asked to join the club on secondment from his law firm, making the permanent move to Manchester in early 2009.

Greg Swimer is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of City Football Group, overseeing the organisation’s technology investment and operations globally.  His career in Information Technology has now spanned more than 20 years, both in the UK and overseas.  During this time, he has held senior IT roles in the Consumer Goods industry, as CTO for Unilever Plc, and the world of Media & Advertising, as CTO for WPP Hogarth Worldwide, the world’s largest advertising production company.  Greg joined CFG in June 2017 to help CFG achieve its ambition of being the most technologically advanced football group in the world.

Greg was born and bred in Manchester and is a life-long City fan, following the Blues passionately since 1977-8.  He now lives in London with his wife, two teenage daughters and a 4-year-old son.  He is a keen long-distance runner, racing regularly as well as being the founder and organiser of the annual East Finchley and Muswell Hill 10k.  Greg graduated from Oxford University in 1994 with a first-class degree in Engineering, Economics and Management.

Nuria is Chief Marketing Officer and joined the City Football Group in November 2015. Her role encompasses Retail, Fan Relationship Management (FRM), Brand and Research. Nuria joined CFG after 19 years of experience in the telecommunications, aviation and tourism and leisure industries. Her previous position was as CEO of the biggest ski resort in the Pyrenees, Grandvalira.

Carolyn Macnab joined City Football Group in September 2017 as Group HR Director.

Over the past 20 years, Carolyn has held a number of international leadership roles focussed mainly on Human Resources, Marketing, Digital and Programme and Transformational Change Management within innovative, high performance, growth oriented global organisations across a variety of sectors, namely FMCG with Reckitt Benckiser and SSL/Durex, Travel and Tourism with Tui Travel and LateRooms, High Performance Polymers with Victrex and Retail and Distribution with GUS and Reality Group.

She has a degree in Business Studies and Marketing and a Masters in Strategic Human Resource Management, and is certified FCIPD (Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development).

Aitor ‘Txiki’ Begiristain joined Manchester City as Director of Football in October 2012.

As a player, he played for Real Sociedad, Barcelona, Deportivo la Coruña and Urawa Red Diamonds before retiring in 1999. During his years at Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona, his team won eight major titles, including four La Liga championships and the 1992 European Cup.  Begiristain also represented the Spain national team in one World Cup in 1994. After retiring as a player, he became the Director of Football at his former club Barcelona in 2003.

Born in Seaham, County Durham, Brian began his career as a footballer. He scored more than 100 goals in 430 appearances for Hull City, Sheffield Wednesday, Arsenal and the England national team. From 1990–1993 Brian held the position of Chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) before taking up a full-time role at the PFA looking after the commercial affairs of players. In 1998 Brian took up the position of Football Sports Marketing Manager for Nike UK. Brian moved from Nike to Manchester City FC in 2009 to be Director of Football. Brian currently holds the post of Managing Director of Global Football, and led the process of the research and design of City Football Academy, which has become a benchmark for 'best-in-class' football facilities in world football. The Global Football business unit supports City Football Group’s global ambition by delivering the City Football methodology in Football Performance, Human Performance and Talent Management to the Group’s global football franchises.

Brad Sims joined New York City FC as Chief Executive Officer in January 2019 ahead of the 2019 MLS season. In this role, Sims is responsible for all aspects of the organization on a day-to-day basis, will lead the front office staff and continue to build on the Club’s successful first four seasons.  

Sims joins the Club after six years with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers where he served as Executive Vice President of Franchise Operations & Chief Revenue Officer. In this role, he was responsible for managing all primary areas of revenue for the Cavaliers including ticket sales, premium seating and hospitality, corporate partnerships and database marketing and analytics. Additionally, he managed all business operations for Cavs Operating Company franchise properties. Sims joined the Cavaliers in 2012, helping grow revenues by double-digits for two straight years prior to a run of four consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 2015-2018 where the Cavs ranked at or near the top of the NBA in every revenue category.

A former New Yorker, Sims spent four years at the NBA League Office in New York City serving as Vice President of Team Business Development, Team Marketing & Business Operations. In this role, Sims worked closely with NBA, WNBA and NBA G-League teams to provide strategic direction. Known within the industry for his creativity, Sims has 22 years of sports industry experience and is a 2015 Sports Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, as well as a Leaders Global Under 40 Award Winner.

Sims has been an avid soccer fan from a young age and was part of the 69,000 strong crowd at the Rose Bowl during the opening weekend of Major League Soccer’s inaugural season in 1996. He has been following the League’s growth as well and international soccer ever since.

Brad Rowse has been a central figure in Melbourne City FC’s leadership since the Club was founded as Melbourne Heart in 2010.

Brad joined the Club in 2009 as Director of Commercial and Operations and has played an integral role in transforming the Club from a start-up business into a successful and sustainable organisation and anchor club of City Football Group (CFG).

In his time as Director of Commercial and Operations, Brad has built an enviable sponsorship portfolio with some of the world’s most recognisable brands including Etihad, Nissan and McDonald’s, as well as some of Australia’s favourite brands such as Don Smallgoods, Big M and Hostplus.

Before joining Melbourne City in 2009, Brad held senior Commercial and Marketing roles in the Australian Football League (AFL) with both Geelong and Melbourne Football Clubs. Brad also held senior management roles with Hyatt International in Australia and overseas.

David manages CFG's China business, focusing on commercial partnership, marketing and fan development, football education, and also including operating the local professional football club, Sichuan Jiuniu FC.

Born and raised in China, David left China to Canada in 1995 for his Graduate Business School study at University of Toronto, then he spent 10 years overseas in multiple countries for studies and professional work. David had over 20 years working experience in sports industry. Started in 2003 as Marketing Officer with Asian Football Confederation in Malaysia, then David returned to China in 2005 and joined Nike China as Sports Marketing Senior Manager. In Nike China, David had been worked in multiple positions, such as Football Brand Director, Football Sales Director, and eventually he became Nike China's  Football General Manager in 2014. 

David joined CFG in March 2016 as the first CFG employee in China. He established CFG's China office, built up the local team, and developed the local commercial operation. David left CFG China in July 2022, and worked with adidas Greater China as the Head of Sports and Culture Marketing for a year. David returned to CFG and re-joined in August 2023 as the CFG China CEO.