City Women board update.

Thank you, Lisa: Bristol City Women pays tribute to Lisa Knights as board welcomes Charlie Boss and Kerstin Lutz

After more than a decade at the heart of the women’s game in Bristol, Lisa Knights has stepped down from the Bristol City Women board. She leaves as the one constant through every chapter of the club’s modern history. The board now welcomes two new directors: Charlie Boss, who takes Lisa’s seat and Mercury13 CEO Kerstin Lutz.

Lisa’s involvement with the women’s team began in 2014, in her first role within Bristol Sport. Since then, she has been part of every stage of the club’s journey. She was on the transition team that took the side from Bristol Academy to Bristol City, representing Steve Lansdown CBE. She joined the City Women board from the Academy board in 2018, when that transition took full effect. Most recently, since Mercury13 took over majority ownership, Lisa has served as Steve’s representative on the board, due to Steve’s minority stake in the club.

“It has been an amazing journey, and I’m proud to have played a part in the club’s history across three iterations, as it moved fully into the professional era,” Lisa reflected. “From Bristol Academy and the move from SGS to Ashton Gate, to getting promoted to the topflight as Bristol City, and now under Mercury13 ownership. There has been enormous growth, not just in the club, but for women’s football and women’s sport more widely.”

That part has been significant. At board level, she pushed for many of the changes that have shaped the club supporters know today. She played a significant role in championing the commercial growth and visibility of the women’s team; from helping secure group-wide sponsorship spanning all teams in 2022, to the inclusion of the club in the most recent series of the hit TV show “Ted Lasso” and supporting the Mercury13 commercial team to secure Guinness as its new principal partner. She also argued for better facilities, a push that ultimately led to the team’s move to the Robins High Performance Centre.

Her seat on the Ashton Gate board allowed her to advocate for women’s matches at the stadium. That work helped establish both women’s football and women’s rugby at Ashton Gate, making it the first stadium to do so across both sports.

“I’m really proud that we got both teams playing at the stadium,” she said. “Being part of driving the professionalisation of the women’s game and helping push for parity and awareness of women’s football in the city and beyond, has meant a lot.”

Lisa’s influence has reached beyond Bristol. Over the years she has sat on several FA and WSL committees and steering groups. For the last 18 months on the WSL’s broadcast sub-committee, supporting the league’s commercial broadcast strategy.

Lisa also represented the Lansdown family throughout the sale of its shareholding in the club to Mercury13, retaining her board seat for a further 13 months to provide continuity and ensure the interests of both the Mercury13 and Lansdown families were protected throughout the ownership transition.

While stepping down from the Bristol City Women board, Lisa continues to play an important role across the wider Bristol Sport group. She remains CEO of both Bristol Flyers and Bristol Sport Foundation, where she continues to focus on the development of the basketball club, its new arena and the foundation’s work in the community.

Lisa leaves the board with the women’s game in a very different place from where she found it in 2014, and she will be watching what comes next.

“It’s been great working with the club and the wider M13 team but now is the right time to pass the baton and I look forward to watching the club go from strength to strength.” she said.

Board update

Charlie Boss, CEO of Bristol City and Ashton Gate, will succeed Lisa on the board as Steve Lansdown CBE’s representative. Charlie recently served on the CEO Working Group that helped form WSL Football, the company now running WSL and WSL2.

“Lisa has set an incredibly high bar,” said Charlie. “She has been a driving force behind so much of what this club has become, and I’m grateful to be able to build on that. I’m looking forward to working with the board, Mercury13 and everyone at the club as we continue to grow Bristol City Women.”

The board is also joined by Kerstin Lutz, who was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Mercury13 in September. Kerstin brings more than two decades of leadership experience in international sport. Her previous roles include CEO of the Billie Jean King Cup and board member of Juventus Football Club.

“Bristol City Women is a club with real heritage and a clear identity, and I’m delighted to be joining its board,” said Kerstin. “On behalf of everyone at Mercury13, I want to thank Lisa for everything she has given to this club, and for the continuity and care she provided through our ownership transition. We are committed to building on those foundations and helping the club reach its full potential.”

Charlie and Kerstin join existing directors Lauren Holiday, Brian Lasky and Mario Malavé on the Bristol City Women board.

Everyone at Bristol City Women thanks Lisa for her dedication, vision and support over more than a decade, and wishes her every success for the future.