Football in Jamaica is often perceived as being male-dominated but Avery Campbell’s influence has helped the local product make remarkable progress in a short space of time.

As the only woman on the Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) executive, the 24-year-old has served as the sponsorship and execution manager since 2022.

With a degree in entertainment and culture enterprise management but no experience in the sport, Campbell was hesitant when Chairman Chris Williams recruited her to help improve the Jamaica Premier League.

“I didn’t have any background in football but I think he was looking for that, so it was almost intentional to get someone who was youthful and creative but not necessarily niched in football. I was very nervous, I actually doubted his decision to bring me on in such a role that requires a lot of effort and experience,” she told the
Jamaica Observer.

But the decision has paid dividends as Campbell has been pivotal in acquiring multimillion-dollar sponsorships for the country’s top flight including title sponsors Wray & Nephew Jamaica. She’s also developed a strong relationship among the clubs, PFJL and sponsors.

“To be very honest, I think I outdid myself. I’d think I’m an inspiration to my younger self, I didn’t think I could do this and I’m now doing more than what I started. I’m dabbling more into execution, heavily into creating an experience and taking things from paper to bringing to life. It’s almost like I was meant to be here. It sounds cheesy but it sounds like I was meant to be here,” Campbell said.

She’s referred to herself as a “play dough” due her ability to acclimatise to any situation she’s placed in. Campbell, though, has faced obstacles in navigating her way with the majority of the stakeholders in the sport being men. However, she hasn’t been deterred from her mission.

“Thankfully, I’m very accustomed to a male-dominated environment because our country is filled with spaces that are male-dominated so no matter where I go, I think I would have this to face. How I deal with it though is I sponge things up. It’s not all bad, I’m not also trying to take a man’s space. I’m creating my own space, my own position that other women can come in and feel the confidence to come in with their input, so that motivates me internally,” she said.

She believes her work along with her strong support system speak for itself.

“I’m not intimidated by any man in this space because of what I know to be true and what I have also done to prove that I’m capable of helping this space and I’m valuable,” Campbell said. “My team keeps me aligned and when I’m steering away from what they know best, they do help to keep me in check and they do protect me in the space. I don’t think I’m out on my own in the football space but I’m inspired every day.”

During a recent presentation, PFJL CEO Owen Hill said Campbell is one of the most important figures in the growth of local football. He told the Jamaica Observer that her contributions to the league are irreplaceable.

“Avery is actually invaluable as the only female member of the largely dominated industry. She’s tenacious, her wit and her ability to capture the essence of information and transform that into outcomes is unmatched and I think she has significantly grown the products leaps and bounds. I actually am fully appreciative of the opportunity to shape her future through the leadership of the organisation and to be a part of that is a really proud moment,” said Hill.

“Her future is very bright, she doesn’t back from a challenge and gets it done. She’s a doer. For most young women out there looking on, they would definitely appreciate the work that is being done and knowing that her youthful but pragmatic brain has allowed for her to consistently raise the bar,” he added.

Though facing what she calls “imposter syndrome”, Campbell’s impact on the league has been evident. She’s hoping that more young women can get the chance to do the same.

“They don’t know the pockets and areas they can fit in so I would say to them disrupt the space. You don’t see a pocket? Make a pocket. There are several opportunities in football and it’s not just being a player or being part of a team’s management. There are opportunities at the JFF, PFJL, etc,” she said.

“Just like any business, you find the problem then you create something to solve the problem. Understand what the space is right now and find how can you disrupt the space and add something to it because change comes with disruption,” Campbell said.