Manu Leroy, OLY

Operating at the intersection of sports and business | Co-founder The Missing Link | Co-founder Iconic League Agency

Borsbeek, Flemish Region, Belgium

About

Sports has shaped my career at the intersection of performance, media and business. I spent 17 years as a professional hockey goalkeeper, earning 90 international caps, winning three national titles and representing Belgium at the London 2012 Olympic Games. That experience gave me a deep understanding of sports from the inside. During my playing career, I moved into the business of sport. I started in sports production, gained experience on the agency side, and then joined Telenet where I was responsible for sports channels, marketing and sponsorship. Later, I became Marketing & Communication Director and acting CEO at the Royal Belgian Football Association, working at the heart of a national rights holder. Having operated across every side of the ecosystem (athlete, media, agency, brand and rights holder) I have seen what makes sponsorship work, and why it so often underperforms. That perspective led me to co-found The Missing Link, a strategic, data-driven sponsorship advisory, to bring more professionalism, measurement and strategic thinking to sponsorship. We want to help brands evolve from trial and error, gut feeling and guesswork to building smarter partnerships through strategy, data and expertise. Our approach is built on a simple premise: sponsorship is one of the most powerful tools in modern marketing, when it's approached strategically and measured properly.

Experience

  • Co-Founder at The Missing Link
    Jan 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    We founded The Missing Link to bring more professionalism, measurement and strategic thinking to sponsorship. We want to help brands evolve from trial and error, gut feeling and guesswork to building smarter partnerships through strategy, data and expertise. Our approach is built on a simple premise: sponsorship is one of the most powerful tools in modern marketing, when it's approached strategically and measured properly. We are the Missing Link between brands and rightsholders.

  • Co-Founder at Iconic League Agency
    Jan 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    Co-Founder at Iconic League Agency. I help premium brands choose the right partners in sport and culture with clarity and confidence. Most sponsorship and ambassador decisions still rely on reach metrics and guesswork. We change that. Powered by our proprietary Iconic Matching Engine, we match brands with elite athletes, clubs and global platforms based on shared values and audience insight. The output is a clear priority list of partnership options ranked by strategic fit and mapped to priority markets and audience segments so budgets and attention go to what drives growth, preference and premium positioning. Whether you’re building cultural relevance or already operating with iconic status, we help you build, protect and elevate it. www.iconicleague.agency

  • Parttime Lecturer at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences
    Jan 2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

    Lecturing a course in “Fan engagement and community building” at the Thomas More Hogeschool to students in Sports Marketing.

  • Royal Belgian Football Association (Full-time · 6 yrs 4 mos)
    • Director Marketing & communications
      Jan 2019 - Apr 2025 · 6 yrs 4 mos

      - Developed and led a multidisciplinary marketing team (content, communications, commercial, press, and women's football). - Achieved double-digit revenue growth through strategic marketing initiatives and commercial partnerships. - Launched award-winning campaigns, including the impactful "Come Together" anti-discrimination initiative. - Drove women's football participation from 37k to over 55k through targeted outreach and engagement. - Spearheaded the RBFA rebranding, visual identity overhaul, and the successful RBFA app launch. As Interim CEO: - Steered the organization through a challenging transition period following CEO dismissal. - Led strategic planning and financial restructuring to ensure stability and growth. - Successfully aligned management and staff to maintain operational excellence.

    • Acting CEO
      Apr 2023 - Jan 2024 · 10 mos

  • Telenet (8 yrs 6 mos)
    • Director Sports Product, Sponsorship & G2Market
      Oct 2016 - Dec 2018 · 2 yrs 3 mos

      My previous role has been extended to sponsorship and go-to-market of the Sports product.

    • Senior Product Manager Sport
      Jun 2014 - Oct 2016 · 2 yrs 5 mos

      Acquisition and strategy of sports rights, editorial responsibility of Play Sports channels, product manager Play Sports

    • Business Manager Sport Channels
      Jul 2010 - Jun 2014 · 4 yrs

      Acquisition of sports rights, editorial responsibility, product management