Rio Ferdinand is a legend at Manchester United football club, where he played from 2002 to 2014 and won six Premier League titles. He is also one of England's most decorated international players.
Since retiring from football in 2015, he has built a successful career as a TV commentator, while also getting involved in a number of start-ups. He is an investor in businesses including fintechs Sokin and Yonder, delivery platform DeliveryApp and social media site WeAre8.
That experience is part of the reason he was chosen as one of the judges at the CoCreate Pitch event in London, where we caught up with him for the My Business Leader Secret series. CoCreate is a major event organised by Alibaba.com, the global B2B marketplace for wholesale trade. Some 25,000 founders from around the world pitched to enter the competition.
Thirty finalists appeared on stage, each given just a few minutes to pitch and impress the a panel of judges in front of a live audience of hundreds. The overall winner walks away with a £200,000 cash prize, while the 10 runners-up receive £20,000 each, as well as support from Alibaba.com to grow their business.
Ferdinand's advice to those looking for investment is to go in with confidence and belief in your idea.
“It’s always a daunting task when going in and pitching your idea," says Ferdinand, "but you have to show confidence, you have to show spark. You have to show it means something to you, because you want it to mean something to them.”
“Go in there confident: shoulders out, chest puffed out,” says Ferdinand, “and punch them in the nose with your idea."
Related and recommended
After creating her own hair oil blends as a student, Lucie Macloud grew Hair Syrup into a multi-million pound business that she’s now expanding into Europe and the US
As generative AI use surges, organisations must manage copyright and data risks through clear policies, licensing and responsible content use
Thea Green, one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs in the beauty and self-care space, shares her advice
Nick Grey's story is a tale of grit, design obsession and the strategic choices behind sustainable success