In a move that would make any Australian proud, Paul Sanders has executed a perfect boomerang, returning to AlixPartners after a transformative stint in the world of sports technology and media.
Growing up in Melbourne, Australia, Paul Sanders was immersed in a culture where sport was not just a pastime, but an ethos. “Sport is a massive part of my life and always has been. It’s part of my DNA,” he says, reflecting on his lifelong passion—a passion that would later play a crucial role in shaping his career path.
After his post-undergrad consulting work in Australia, Paul's journey took an international turn when he set his sights on INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. “I always had a leaning towards all things French,” he explains. “I thought INSEAD would be a great platform to expand my horizons—that's what drove me to France.”
Knowing when to take a leap
After graduating from INSEAD, Paul headed to London, holding executive roles at Steelcase, a $3 billion workspace design and technology company, before joining AlixPartners.
Paul hit the ground running advising several of the firm’s marquee clients including high growth, PE-backed technology businesses and FTSE 100 leaders. His blend of consulting and industry experience as well as his collaborative style ultimately led to an opportunity with Sportradar, a cutting-edge sports technology and media business. The chance to combine his passion for sports with his professional expertise was too good to pass up.
“I wanted to pivot my career towards media, towards technology,” he says, and that’s exactly what he did. As Chief of Staff at Sportradar, Paul tackled challenges such as supporting the PE-backed business for a public listing, optimizing the interface between product and engineering, supporting the US expansion, setting up an enterprise risk management function, improving commercial effectiveness and operational efficiency, and “aligning the leadership team to execute upon the business’s growth strategy.”
After three years helping Sportradar scale its business, he was presented with an opportunity to do the same back at AlixPartners. In weighing his options at the time, which included a strategy and transformation leadership role in another PE-backed business, Paul opted for AlixPartners to seize the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the technology and media practice in EMEA.
The AlixPartners he returned to as Partner in the technology and media industry group is a much more established organization than the one he left, he says. His role now “is to advise technology and media companies on their strategy and transformation projects and help these businesses increase enterprise value” — a throughline of his professional trajectory. “If you go up 30,000 feet, my career has been a story of galvanizing leadership teams to deliver on their growth and transformation plans.”
Paul says this time around he’s more focused on the client liaison side than he was previously. “Delivering very strong client work is a constant, but now with the added expectation to really help grow the technology and media practice, because it is an exciting opportunity for the firm.”
A team player: on and off the field
Through his time at Sportradar, Paul, like so many AlixPartners alumni, stayed in close contact with his former colleagues. “That’s been a feature of my professional life,” he says. “I make a big effort to always maintain positive relationships.” He emphasizes that it wasn’t purely smart strategy that kept him in touch with AlixPartners. “I knew that I liked the people and the culture of the firm,” he says.
It’s that top-notch team that’s a highlight of his work now, he says. “I love being back in the consulting environment, helping clients deal with complex challenges and seize growth opportunities,” he enthuses. “I love that dynamic and the energy that you get from your team members. There are always ups and downs, but I like to help to keep a positive work environment in the team and make sure that everyone feels like they’re being listened to and that everyone has a voice.”
As Paul continues to shape his career at AlixPartners, his energy and passion is focused on building and contributing to the sports, media and technology communities within the firm, with a focus on PE-backed businesses.
Meanwhile, Paul’s personal love of sport remains undiminished. When asked about his dream events to attend, he mentions the US Open tennis tournament at Flushing Meadows — the only Grand Slam he hasn't yet experienced — and the Super Bowl. “I've never even been to an American football game,” he laughs. “I think that the atmosphere would be amazing!”