Meet the Team
Yuri Matischen
Managing Director
Yuri Matischen
Managing Director
Having graduated from Loughborough University, Yuri became the youngest General Secretary of British University Sport which launched a career in sports and leisure consultancy and event management.
Having assisted the British Federation to be awarded the 1991 World University Games, Yuri moved to Sheffield to help plan an deliver one of the country's largest mullti-sport events against a backdrop of the century's largest domestic sports facility build in any single City.
Helping establish Montgomery Leisure Services with founder Gerry Montgomery, Yuri became a senior consultant in the sports sector whilst maintaining a record of event delivery.
He founded and built the highly successful professional basketball franchise, the Sheffield Sharks, and is passionate about ensuring that the sports sector is fit for purpose ahead of 2012.
Yuri's skills include delivering feasibility studies, strategic development and reviews, facility business development and business support advice to community sports organisations.
He has presented in Australia, China and Europe on different sporting agendas, whilst domestically, he is a founder board member and Regional Chairman of the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure, the Regional Champion for Sport England and has been elected as President of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce (2010/11).
John Timms
Director, Events and Project Management
John Timms
Director, Events and Project Management
John holds a Masters in Leisure Management and has over 20 years experience in the sports and leisure sector.
John joined MLS following successful placements that included work on the European Swimming Championships and UK Special Olympics. Also assisting with the marketing and sponsorship for both events. He was also involved in the Manchester Olympic Bid where he assisted the organisers of the Youth Games Opening Ceremony.
John became a full-time employee in 1994 and is now a Director for the Company having successfully co-ordinated a range of events including live television to mass participation. (e.g. Prince Naseem Boxing, NBA Mad Skillz Tours, Basketball Cup Finals, Active Sports Talent Camps, County Youth Games and Children's Fund Activities).
John manages MLS' delivery in the Community including links with local schools though the Sheffield Sharks Bounce Back Programme and the 'Class of Champions', a DfES funded 'Playing For Success' linking professional sporting clubs with education support services in the community.
Most recently, John was the Event Director for The IPC Shooting Event 2010 and is the Event Director for The European Fencing Championships 2011, Sheffield.
Sarah Backovic
Director
Sarah joined from a sales and marketing background, including time served with the region's biggest newspaper.
Later in 1997, Sarah was installed as Company Secretary and a Director of MLS. Sarah is the Managing Director of the MLS acquired Sheffield Sharks men's professional basketball franchise playing in the British Basketball League.
Sue Catton
Senior Consultant & Director
Sue Catton
Senior Consultant & Director
Sue joined MLS in 1996, but has been known to MLS since she was an Assistant Director of Sport for the 1991 World Student Games, where she worked alongside Yuri Matischen and the Director, Gerry Montgomery.
In her time between the 1991 Games and joining MLS, Sue's roles have included Operations Manager to the 1993 UK Summery Special Olympics, Organiser of the AEWHA's Centenary Festival, Operations Manager to the 1995 World Corporate Games in Milton Keynes, and the Operations Manager to the 1996 World Masters Swimming Championships. She is presently a Director of England Hockey and Chairperson of the Sheffield Abbeydale Hockey Club.
With a huge experience of project and event management and sport in general, MLS placed Sue as the Director of the BI. This £15 million national network scheme was literally unique and involved the setting up of numerous new procedures and processes requiring extensive liaison with Sport England, Local Authority departments (planning and leisure), and several other partner groups throughout the country.
The scheme has honed Sue's overall project management skills and she has a vast capability to plan, schedule, absorb and prioritise issues to ensure project delivery to time, on budget and within the Lottery criteria and procedural structures.
Subsequently, MLS now operate a nationally-networked, £6m lottery funded programme known as the Inclusive Fitness Initiative(IFI). Sue is project Directort and has developed MLS into a "cutting-edge" consultancy in the field of disability and fitness provision.
Having spent nearly ten years with the OBI and IFI projects with a combine worth of £20 million, Sue has naturally developed a deep understanding of Lottery procedures including the need for accountability and subsequent audit, the need for monitoring and evaluation and the design of such bespoke systems which can monitor desired outcomes of the project.
Sue is currently working for LOCOG as Competition Manager for Hockey and Wheelchair Rugby.
Event Managers
Alison Bridge
Event Manager
Alison joined MLS from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2004 having being drafted to assist with major events, became a key member of the operations logistics team. Having gained a broad range of experience Alison went on to become an account manager and has led and developed national and International programmes including multi sports and sport specific events.
Throughout her employment with MLS, Alison formed part of MLS' events delivery team and recently worked on the Skandia Sail for Gold in Weymouth and the Kent Schools Games.
Playing at a high level of basketball Alison's thorough understanding of the game saw an increased involvement with the Sheffield Sharks. Initially, working with team operations, ensuring the day-to-day management of team affairs. Becoming part of the senior management team Alison now has the responsibility of Head of Operations with key responsibility for Community and Education.
Alison developed a range of opportunities for the club to become actively involved with the educational and skills needs of the communities in the sub-region. These skills have been acknowledged as a programme of good practise and Alison acts as an advisor to a number of professional sports clubs in community development as well as some key education partners.
She also has extensive experience in hands-on delivery of her programmes in schools and organisations and with hard-to-reach groups and disengaged young people.
At a relatively young age, she has become a pivotal person in the growing development and delivery of community projects in which sport acts as a major stimulus and engagement tool advising other sporting clubs on their potential.
Alison is currently the Project Manager on Skandia Sail for Gold 2011.
Sue Bullivant
Project Manager - Community & Event
Sue Bullivant
Project Manager - Community & Event
Sue graduated in 2010 with a degree in Drama (BA) Hons from the University of Lincoln, Lincoln School of Performing Arts. Throughout her time at University, Sue was a Community Volunteer working with a wide range of community groups and charitable organisations.
Sue has vast experience working with a wide range of artists and performance groups and is experienced in working with and selecting appropriate entertainment to sit alongside any budget and situation. Sue is a keen actress and enjoys directing.
Since graduating, Sue has worked on events in a professional capacity. These have included; The Kent School Games, Oxfam Music Festival and has most recently worked as Event Manager on the Ashfield Christmas Lighting Events.
Sue is currently working on the The Ashfield Show 2011 as the Event Manager. Sue is also supporting the coordination of The European Fencing Championships Opening Ceremony and creating a link with culture and fencing within Sheffield.
Events Administration
Christie Gray
Events Administrator
Christie Gray
Events Administrator
Information about Christie to follow.
Associate Consultants
Andrew Matthews
With over 25 years event management experience and 15 years of specialist event IT infrastructure & systems experience Andrew is a highly competent and effective manager. With experience of managing event and IT projects and responsibility for the full project life cycle from requirements capture through to implementation. A well organised individual with excellent interpersonal skills who sets high personal standards and works well as part of, or leading, a team.
Providing consultancy and implementation services to a portfolio of primarily sports event and governing body clients relating to project management, IT infrastructure, business process management, and communications systems. Associated with this work has been the development and implementation of a range of business process management systems including the Project Management of the IT Modernisation Programme of GB Swimming, installation and support of the IT infrastructure for Montgomery Leisure Services Ltd and the development of numerous Information Management Systems for British Swimming and other clients.




