AFC Bournemouth managers Andoni Iraola and Helen Bleazard were guests of honour at the first Vice-Chancellor’s Leadership Lecture, hosted by Bournemouth University.
The men’s and women’s managers visited BU’s Talbot Campus on Thursday 26 February 2026 for the lecture and answered questions and shared their own leadership journeys during the discussion on leadership in sport. The event was the first in a series of Leadership Lectures hosted by Bournemouth University Vice-Chancellor Professor Alison Honour.
The Lecture Series will look at leadership through the lens of a variety of different sectors and leaders and create an environment of leadership learning at BU.
The audience, full of BU students, staff, and members of the public, heard from Andoni Iraola and Helen Bleazard as they shared lessons from their careers to date, from their playing career to their steps into management. They spoke about the need to adapt as leaders, the need to support players on and off the pitch, and how their own leadership style has changed as they have learned in their own leadership.
Audience members then had the opportunity to ask leadership-related questions to the pair. Andoni Iraola joined AFC Bournemouth as manager in June 2023, following management stints in both Cyprus and Spain. He spoke about the English culture and needing to adapt to the environment he is now in. Helen Bleazard began managing AFC Bournemouth’s women’s team at the start of the 2025-26 season, and talked about balancing management alongside her other responsibilities, and how she helped her players to do the same.
Professor Honour said, “We want to create a culture of continuous leadership learning for our students, our staff, and for all who attend these lectures. I am so grateful to Andoni and Helen for taking the time to share their own leadership journeys and experiences with us. I know I am not alone in saying that we learned a lot from their honest answers, especially as they lead in high-pressured environments, and I was impressed by their own self-reflection and adaptability in their roles.”
Rob Mitchell, Commercial Director at AFC Bournemouth, said, “It was great to have such a fantastic event at Bournemouth University, whereby Andoni and Helen could share insights into their careers to date. They spoke on leadership, dealing with pressure and their ambition to win, and I know how much it would’ve been enjoyed by those in attendance. Thank you to BU for their continued support and for arranging such an excellent event.”
Bournemouth University is the official higher education partner of AFC Bournemouth, and the principal partner of the women’s and girls’ teams, with the managers appearing as a part of the partnership to benefit staff, students and the community through joint working.
The next leadership lecture is due in Summer 2026.
