Sam Little

Sam Little is Head of Sport Services at CMP Solutions, working across the professional sport sector to deliver a range of conflict management services such as mediation and investigations. In this role, Sam’s passion is to deliver L&D opportunity that supports sport organisations and their individuals (athletes and staff) to develop psychological safety where conflict is regarded as an opportunity to learn and develop. She advises on how to build frameworks, including with the use of app-based technology, that allow individuals to speak up when concerns do arise whilst also supporting individuals to feel more competent on facing conflict providing techniques to resolve concerns effectively at the lowest level.

Previously, Sam was Head of Athlete Support at the British Elite Athletes Association responsible for the team who provide confidential support and advice to world class programme athletes from across 40 plus Olympic and Paralympic NGBs on a range of issues that impacted upon athlete welfare and performance. Highlights in this role included leading the immediate support to the individuals who suffered abuse and mistreatment in the sport of gymnastics and working in collaboration with UK Sport and UK Sport Institute to support athletes through the covid pandemic and delayed Tokyo Olympic games.

Sam also served for 25 years as an officer in the British Army holding a range of leadership posts including several overseas operational roles in support of combat operations. Sam was one of the Army’s most experienced mediators, a skill that she has continued to use, with success and positive outcomes, in her work in sport. In the later stages of her military career, Sam was a senior lead in the Army’s Grievance and Complaints team and worked closely with the external Ombudsman with governance oversight of the military complaint process.