Ben Ryan Inside Brentford FC’s Data-Centric Performance Approach

Ben Ryan is one of the most distinctive performance leaders in elite sport. Now Performance Director at Brentford Football Club, Ben is helping shape one of the Premier League’s most progressive, data-driven environments, where alignment, culture and marginal gains matter as much as talent. In this conversation with Georgie Ainslie, Ben explains how Brentford’s performance model works in practice: from decision-making rooted in data, to creating psychological safety in a ruthless industry, to managing player availability, recovery and long-term development in a congested football calendar. He shares how Brentford balance innovation with consistency, and why being “boringly sensible” can be a competitive advantage. Ben’s thinking, however, is forged well beyond football. He reflects on his extraordinary journey in rugby, including his time as head coach of Fiji Sevens, where he led the team to their first ever Olympic gold medal. That experience, built on cultural understanding, autonomy and belief, continues to shape his approach to leadership today. This is a wide-ranging discussion about performance under pressure, learning from failure, and building environments where people can do the best work of their careers, whatever the sport. This episode of Performance People is brought to you by J.P. Morgan Private Bank. ________________________________ The Performance People podcast, in partnership with J.P. Morgan Private Bank, talks to high-performers in the world of sport and beyond, to bring defining moments, hard-earned insights and expert advice to everyday performance. New episodes every Tuesday. ________________________________ ainslie + ainslie NIGHT POWDER, winner of Best Sleep Supplement in the GQ Sleep Awards 2025. We love performance, which is why we’ve launched ainslie + ainslie – the first supplement brand to be developed inside elite sport. Now available for everyone. Find out more at ________________________________ Connect with Performance People Hit

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Ben Ryan Inside Brentford FC’s Data-Centric Performance Approach is an episode from Performance People by Georgie Ainslie.

This episode is 56:15 long.

This episode was published on Dec 23, 2025.

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