Patrick Michael Mansfield | Head of Marketing and Public Relations at Kyzen Sports

Patrick’s early career ambitions were to be a solicitor; however, he was given an opportunity to work in elite sport and seized the opportunity. Now, Patrick is an experienced marketing and public relations manager and plays a key role in shaping Kyzen Sports’ brand and client engagement initiatives. Read on to find out more about his career journey.

My ambition from an early age was to become a solicitor, with a particular interest in commercial law. Alongside that, I always had a strong interest in football and originally imagined combining those interests by eventually becoming an FA and FIFA-registered intermediary.

During my studies however, an opportunity developed that changed the direction of my career. Kyzen Sports, a business founded by my brother George and his business partner Jack Mackreth (a former professional footballer), began to grow significantly while I was studying at The University of Law.

At that point, I had a genuine decision to make. Continue down the traditional solicitor pathway or take the opportunity to help build a business operating directly within elite sport. I chose the latter.

Today, I work with professional athletes, primarily footballers, and my legal education still plays a huge role in how I operate commercially and strategically. My ambitions evolved from wanting to advise businesses to helping build one.

Officially, my role is Head of Marketing and Public Relations at Kyzen Sports, but in reality, my role is far broader than the title suggests. I oversee marketing strategy and brand positioning, develop partnerships, support recruitment, contribute to HR processes, manage areas of compliance including GDPR and work across the wider commercial growth of the business.

Internally, my colleagues often describe me as the “James Milner of the business” – an excellent utility footballer for those who don’t get the reference – someone who is happy to do whatever is needed to help the team succeed. Working in a growing business means wearing a lot of hats, and I enjoy the variety and challenge that comes with that. Rather than focusing on one specific achievement, I’m proud of what we’ve built and continue to build every day.

We’ve created a culture centred around continuous improvement, accountability and supporting people to develop professionally. I’m particularly proud of the team around us and seeing colleagues grow in their own careers while contributing to the growth of the business.

I probably don’t reflect on achievements as much as I should. I naturally focus on what can be improved next, but looking back, helping play a significant role in building a growing business in a competitive industry is something I’m very proud of.

A law degree felt like a natural choice because I was always interested in how decisions, negotiations and businesses operated behind the scenes. Ironically, sharing a surname with Michael Mansfield KC made me aware from an early age of the impact legal professionals can have. Seeing the significance of legal work in major public cases helped me appreciate law as a career built around influence, advocacy and problem-solving.

At the same time, because I was never quite good enough to make it as a footballer myself, I became fascinated by the commercial side of football, particularly transfers, negotiations and how the industry operates structurally. That interest led me to write my undergraduate dissertation around the Bosman ruling and the transformational impact it had on football and player movement.

I chose The University of Law because of its strong reputation for employability and its practical approach to legal education. I wanted somewhere that focused not just on theory but on developing skills that transfer directly into the workplace.

A law degree gives you far more than legal knowledge. The biggest transferable skills for me were commercial awareness, analytical thinking, communication and problem-solving. At Kyzen Sports, those skills apply every day whether reviewing contracts, understanding data protection and GDPR responsibilities, managing disputes, negotiating partnerships or making commercial decisions. The commercial law elements of the course were particularly useful because they taught me to think critically about how businesses operate and manage risk.

One of the University’s strengths is that it encourages students to think beyond simply obtaining a degree. The University creates opportunities to build experience, develop employability skills and engage with industry. The practical focus helps students understand what employers actually value. Success at university isn’t just attending lectures and collecting a qualification, it’s taking advantage of everything available around you, and The University of Law gives students plenty of opportunities to do that.

Three people stand out as inspiring me. My brother, my mum and Jack Mackreth. Sorry Dad.

My brother inspired me because I saw first-hand what it looked like to build something from the ground up. Watching him take risks, commit fully to an idea and continue pushing the business forward gave me confidence to make my own career decision rather than follow the path I originally planned.

My mum inspired me through consistency and support. University can be challenging at times and having someone who backs you regardless of outcomes gives you confidence to keep moving forward and trust your decisions.

Jack also had a big influence. Having played professional football and then transitioning into helping build the business alongside my brother, I saw how difficult it can be to redefine yourself after reaching a level in one career and choosing to start again elsewhere. Transitioning out of professional sport isn’t easy, and seeing Jack adapt, build new skills and apply the same work ethic to business showed me that careers aren’t linear and success can take different forms.

Together, they reinforced something that’s stayed with me. Success doesn’t always come from following the original plan. Sometimes it comes from recognising opportunities and being willing to back yourself.

At Kyzen Sports, flexibility is important, but so is performance and trust. Personally, I prefer working in the office. I enjoy the structure, collaboration and being able to separate work and personal time where possible. I’ve always liked the idea discussed by Robert R. Updegraff around allowing your unconscious mind time to process problems and often stepping away from work can lead to better ideas than forcing productivity.

That said, I’d be lying if I said I switch off perfectly. Working in sport means networking becomes part of everyday life and sometimes opportunities come outside standard hours.

Kyzen Sports look for people whose CV demonstrates progression, initiative and willingness to work. Academic performance has its place, but people develop at different stages in life. Someone’s grades at 16, 18 or even 22 don’t define who they become professionally. We value attitude, self-awareness and evidence that someone has actively looked for opportunities to develop.

Our recruitment process is relatively straightforward and usually consists of two stages. The first stage is conversational. We want to understand who you are as a person and whether you’d fit within the culture. The second stage is more technical and focused on your thinking and preparation. By that point candidates have had the chance to understand the business and demonstrate their research and motivation.

Anyone interested in opportunities at Kyzen Sports or even looking for advice about breaking into the industry is welcome to get in touch.

What qualities and skills do you need to be successful at Kyzen Sports? Adaptability, communication and resilience. No two days are the same, so being able to switch between strategy, relationships, operations and problem-solving is important. You also need commercial awareness, emotional intelligence and the ability to stay calm under pressure.

My career path has been quite unconventional, so I wouldn’t necessarily suggest trying to copy it. What I would say is this: Make the most of university. Go beyond lectures. Build your CV, attend events, meet people and say yes to opportunities. The University of Law in particular offers students access to experiences that can genuinely separate them from others.

My three tips for networking would be:

• Be visible – particularly on social media.
• Be direct and authentic – don’t network for the sake of networking.
• Be different – everyone wants to work in sport, so think about what makes you memorable.

My advice: Don’t be afraid to pivot. At 18, it’s easy to think every decision is permanent, but careers rarely follow a straight line. Be willing to take calculated risks when opportunities arise. Say “no” more often. People-pleasing can only take you so far, eventually you need to make decisions based on where you want to go, not on trying to satisfy everyone else. Finally, accept that experience only comes with time. You can’t put an old head on young shoulders.

Be yourself and work hard. Good grades matter, but attitude, curiosity and consistency stand out more over time. People remember individuals who bring energy, solve problems and genuinely want to improve. Not what grade you got on your History A-Level.

Originally published September 2026.

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