Anouk Mertens is the Managing Director of NEO Studios, a production company specialising in the creation of original sport and lifestyle programming. As well as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Eleven Sports, a global sports and media network that has become an award-winning platform that delivers thousands of hours of live premium sports content to fans around the world.

Anouk began her career in broadcast media as a producer on the 2002 World Cup with Broodkast in Belgium before going on to hold leadership roles with cable operator Telenet and media company Sanoma in Belgium. In 2005, Anouk launched Eleven Sports Belgium and is currently Eleven Sports’ COO, overseeing much of the group’s operations across Europe and Asia. Two years ago, Anouk founded NEO Studios with Aser Ventures chairman Andrea Radrizzani. She is responsible for commissioning new projects and was Executive Producer on the Leeds United documentary Take us Home.

Anouk’s love for her home country and football have led her to become an ambassador of the Belgium women’s national football team.

In this episode of In Her Corner we talk to Anouk about the demands of juggling two high powered roles in fast growing businesses, setting big stretch goals that push you out of your comfort zone in life and your career as well as her experience of working with lifelong Leeds United fan and Hollywood star Russell Crowe on the Amazon original series Take us Home.

You can listen to the trailer for Anouk’s episode using the player below

Anouk’s full episode will be released at 1pm GMT on Thursday 10 December and will be available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other major streaming platforms.

Podcast theme track by Wayne Urquhart  and Mix Engineering by Nick Murphy.