Lola Ogunbote has joined Chelsea Women as Head of Football Operations and Player Services, after almost five years at Burnley. Her path to senior women’s football took her through law and investment banking.
1 She was born in Nigeria. She moved to the UK as a baby and grew up in East London.
2 She trained as a lawyer. She qualified as a UK lawyer before following her passion for football.
3 She worked at Goldman Sachs. She spent time in investment banking before switching careers.
4 She began in football as an intern at Arsenal. In 2016 she left the corporate world and joined Arsenal’s coaching programme as an intern. She has since coached teams in China and the UK.
5 She made history at Burnley. In 2021, she became the club’s first-ever Head of Women’s Football.
6 She ran the women’s team’s day-to-day operations. She also helped shape and deliver Burnley’s Women’s Football Strategy, including recruitment, player development and performance structures. The strategy aimed to grow the women’s game in the North West of England.
7 Burnley won promotion in her final season. Burnley won the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division in April 2026 and were promoted to WSL 2. She left at the end of June, after nearly five years at the club.
8 She started at Chelsea over the summer. Her work there has included the pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand, the return of WSL home games to Stamford Bridge, and Champions League matchday logistics.
9 She champions girls’ football. She is an executive director of Goals for Girls, a US-based non-profit that uses football to build leadership and opportunities for girls.
10 She was named on the 2024 Football Black List. She was recognised in the administration category.
Born in Nigeria, raised in East London, and trained as a lawyer, Ogunbote has built a career across several worlds. Her move to Chelsea puts another Nigerian-born professional in a senior role in the English women’s game.