Episode 2: Scott Allaway; Team GB Bobsleigh and new ventures

Mike James in conversation with Scott Allaway.

Scott is a former member of the TeamGB Bobsleigh Team and went on to become its Commercial Director between 2010 and 2014.  His work in this role took the team to the Winter Olympics in Sochi where their 4 man crew finished 5th - later upgraded to an Olympic Bronze Medal after the Russian doping scandal which disqualified the two Russian sleds which finished ahead of GB.

Throughout this time Scott has, and continues to be, a very successful businessman applying lessons from sport into business and visa versa in equal measure.  His enthusiasm, humour and ability to break through barriers (if he even sees them!) will no doubt inspire you as you listen to his story.

Highlights:

• 0.55     How Scott got into Bobsleigh and winning through a talent ID day at Bath University at the age of 35!
• 8.49     Selection for GB 'It's a stopwatch sport'
• 10.50   Scott becomes commercial director for British Bobsleigh in 2010 with the organisation was broke, had no sponsors, and was in disarray
• 15.50   Picking up the phone, selling the vision, using business experience to get the support required.  Scott raises over 350K!
• 18.00   A trip to the Sochi Olympics
• 20.43   The Russian doping scandal culminated 6 years later in the team getting the bronze medal - the cost & implications of this...
• 22.43   Scott's business career - did sport inform business or visa versa?  Becoming a director and then eventually buying and selling Zenith
• 30.35  Getting restless for a new challenge
• 32.30  That's 'been' so put it in the 'bin'
• 34.45  New venture - indoor sport structures (Halton Sport Structures* ) - 52 'live' projects
• 41.33  Scott's 3 keys to winning at life!

*Halton Sport Structures is an independent business to Halton Tennis Centre and is not a branch/offshoot

Notes and credits:
 This episode was recorded over Zoom during the February 2021 pandemic lockdown.
 Music: John Bartmann (CC BY-SA 4.0 Attribution-ShareAlike licence).