Rasmus Ankersen

Rasmus Ankersen is a Danish author, entrepreneur, and football executive known for his work in sports management, talent development, and performance analytics. Ankersen began his career as a professional football player with Midtjylland in Denmark, but a serious knee injury in his first senior game ended his playing career. He transitioned to coaching, analysis, and leadership, earning the UEFA A Licence and working as an assistant coach at the youth level, where he developed expertise in player development and performance culture.

Ankersen traveled globally, immersing himself in high-performance athletic environments, including training with Jamaican sprinters, Brazilian footballers, and African long-distance runners. This research informed his writing career. He is the author of the international bestseller "The Gold Mine Effect," which examines why world-class talent emerges from specific locations and how organizations can foster environments where talent thrives. In "Hunger in Paradise," Ankersen explores the risks of complacency and resistance to change in successful organizations, offering insights for leaders on maintaining adaptability and long-term relevance. His other works include "A Winner's DNA," "Mid-level DNA," and "Education of a Winner."

Ankersen co-founded the Twenty First Group, a sports intelligence service focused on unlocking commercial value and driving sporting success through data analytics and strategic insights. He served as chairman of FC Midtjylland, where the club secured multiple Danish Superliga titles by leveraging data-driven talent development strategies. As co-director of football at Brentford FC in England, Ankersen contributed to the club's promotion to the Premier League, implementing a recruitment and squad-building model based on advanced analytics, performance metrics, and sustainable value creation. Brentford's approach emphasized identifying undervalued players, developing them within a strong performance culture, and reinvesting profits.

Ankersen co-founded Sport Republic with Henrik Kraft and serves as CEO. The organization acquires and develops football clubs using shared knowledge, analytics, and performance principles, and is the majority shareholder of Southampton and Göztepe, expanding Ankersen's influence across multiple football leagues and cultures. Beyond his executive roles, Ankersen has delivered a TED Talk titled "How to Outthink Your Competition," and is engaged by global organizations such as Google, Meta, LEGO, Microsoft, Boston Consulting Group, Coca-Cola, AstraZeneca, Roche, Cisco, SAP, Volvo, and Novo Nordisk, sharing insights on leadership, high performance, and organizational culture.