Expose leadership illusions. Build businesses that survive reality
Cutting Through Illusions. Driving Real Results.
About GSA Ltd
Global Sports Advisory Ltd is the advisory vehicle of John B. Gearing. It supports CEOs, founders, and investors at moments that matter: growth, change, acquisition, or reset.
This is operator-led advice, grounded in execution, capital discipline, and lived experience. John brings over 25 years across global sports, consumer brands, and private equity-backed businesses, including senior roles at Adidas and VF Corporation, and as CEO of One Fit Holdings in the GCC.
GSA works selectively on advisory, transactional, and situation-specific engagements such as market entry, partnerships, leadership transitions, acquisitions, and operational correction.
No frameworks for show. No growth theatre. Just judgement, pressure-tested in the real world.
CEO & Executive Advisory
International Expansion & Partnerships
CEO & Executive Advisory
Direct support to CEOs and senior leaders on high-stakes decisions, transitions, and inflection points. Acting as an independent sounding board where clarity, judgement, and accountability matter more than consensus.
Board Roles & Governance
International Expansion & Partnerships
CEO & Executive Advisory
Board and advisory board roles for founders, investors, and shareholders. Focused on decision quality, execution, and real oversight — not governance theatre or box-ticking.
International Expansion & Partnerships
International Expansion & Partnerships
International Expansion & Partnerships
Hands-on support for international growth, including market entry, partner selection, deal structuring, and control. Designed to avoid the common failure modes of expansion: misaligned partners, weak economics, and loss of operational grip.
Deals & Strategic Transactions
International Expansion & Partnerships
International Expansion & Partnerships
Brokering and supporting partnerships, growth transactions, and acquisitions. From first conversation through to commercial terms, with emphasis on alignment, structure, and execution.