THERE’S NEVER REALLY BEEN A PLAN.

But there has always been a pattern.

I connect people. I spot opportunities. I open doors. And when I see something that should exist, I have a habit of trying to build it.

For more than 25 years, that has taken me across countries, cultures, industries and businesses: from international sales and market development to technology, sport, community and entrepreneurship.

The job titles have changed. The countries have changed. The projects certainly have.

The thread running through all of it hasn’t.

Pat Tordeur in a traditional Japanese kimono smiling and holding a bottle of Asahi beer in one hand and a glass of beer in the other, sitting outdoors with greenery and a red paper lantern in the background.
A group of children and a woman sitting on a bench in a park with trees and buildings in the background from Belgium circa 1983

I GREW UP
BETWEEN COUNTRIES.

A sign for Westminster Station with an outdoor lamp above it, and a large Ferris wheel, likely the London Eye, in the background, under a partly cloudy sky.
A plate of creamy chicken Alfredo pasta topped with grated cheese, served with fried potato cubes and a fresh salad with cherry tomatoes and greens, on an outdoor restaurant table with a historic building in Belgium other diners in the background.

Born in the UK. Raised in Belgium. Educated in the UK and Spain.

Different countries, cultures and languages have been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

University took me between the UK and Spain. My career then took me much further: working across Europe, North Africa and beyond, building businesses and relationships across borders.

I learned early that being international isn't simply about speaking another language. It's about understanding people. Reading the room. Adapting. Listening. Building trust.

That became the foundation for everything that followed.

BRITISH · BELGIAN · 7 LANGUAGES · INTERNATIONAL BY NATURE

25+ YEARS.
20+ MARKETS.
ONE CONSTANT: PEOPLE.

I’ve built markets, distributor networks and commercial relationships across Europe, North Africa and beyond.

I’ve launched into new countries, negotiated across cultures and languages, grown territories and helped businesses find new routes to market.

One European territory grew from around £100K to more than £2.5M in annual revenue.

Different countries. Different industries. Same thing at the heart of it: people, relationships and opportunity.

Three men wearing white shirts sitting at a table in a restaurant with sushi, drinks, and condiments, smiling and giving thumbs-up gestures.
Two men taking a selfie and smiling at an event booth with a purple background displaying text about visiting Ohio and a purple sign indicating over 20,000 happy customers. The men are wearing event badges and one of them is giving a thumbs-up.
Nippon PIeces Services staff men and women in business attire standing together at an exhibition or conference, with displays and banners in the background.
Pat Tordeur sitting at a booth at an international automotive trade show with Celina Gil smiling for the camera. Behind them are banners with world maps and information about car spare parts, franchise opportunities, and international establishments.
Group of professionally dressed men and one woman posing together at an indoor event or trade show with display booths and banners in the background for NPS Nippon Pieces Services
Pat Tordeur and Stuart Weller smiling and giving thumbs up at a gathering. One man has dark hair and glasses on his head; the other has gray hair and glasses. The background shows a banner with text about therapy and a decorative horse figure.

20+ MARKETS · EUROPE · NORTH AFRICA · INTERNATIONAL GROWTH

Pat Tordeur riding a blue bicycle on a city street, wearing a bright green and black cycling outfit and helmet, pointing and gesturing animatedly.
Two smiling people taking a selfie outside against a brick wall with a framed group photo hanging on it. The woman on the left has blue eyes, a nose piercing, and sunglasses on her head, wearing a red top. The man on the right has a beard, colorful glasses, a white cap with
Pat Tordeur in wetsuit and pink swim cap, with tattoo on arm, walking outdoors near rocky terrain.
A man in a blue athletic shirt and black shorts appears exhausted after completing a race, standing outdoors on a gravel surface near a fence with a race bib numbered 217.
Indoor sports facility with a blue court enclosed by a black fence. In the foreground, there is an orange and black paddle, four yellow tennis balls, and a ball hopper. In the background, two people are playing tennis or pickleball, with one wearing a blue shirt. The ceiling has metal beams and lights.
A soccer team of 13 men posing in front of a goal on a grassy field. They are wearing red and white uniforms, with two individuals kneeling in front and the rest standing behind. The background shows trees and a clear sky.
Two children playing tennis on a court, with trees in the background. One child is about to hit the ball, while the other is holding a racket.

SPORT WAS ALWAYS THERE.


THEN IT BECAME PART OF THE WORK.

I’ve played sport for most of my life. Football for decades. Tennis, running, triathlon and, more recently, a willingness to have a go at almost anything that involves a ball, a racket or questionable decisions about my knees.

But for years, sport was something I did. It wasn’t where I worked.

That has changed.

Today I’m increasingly bringing more than 25 years of commercial experience into sport by building partnerships, audiences, communities, events and new ideas.

As CMO of The Non-League Network, I work around football, clubs, supporters, players, businesses and commercial partners.

With ClubsConnect, an idea became a company and then a live event — bringing sports, social and community clubs together with the businesses that can help them.

And OneMoreGame grew from something I genuinely believe: getting older doesn’t mean you stop playing.

Sport hasn’t replaced my commercial career.
It’s become one of the places where everything I’ve learned comes together.

FOOTBALL · TENNIS · CLUBS · PARTNERSHIPS · COMMUNITY · COMMERCIAL GROWTH

THERE'S MORE TO ME

THAN THE WORK.

Work matters to me. Building things matters. But neither tells you the whole story.

I'm curious. I like learning things, trying things and occasionally throwing myself into things I'm spectacularly unqualified to do.

I've taught languages. Taken photographs all over the world. Tried improv. Played guitar. Sung. Played sport for decades. Completed a triathlon. Started learning new sports at 50. And I'm still looking for the next thing I've never done before.

I also have ADHD. It explains some of the speed, curiosity, ideas, connections and occasional chaos, but it doesn't define me.

I don't really believe in becoming less curious as you get older.

If anything, I'm getting worse.

Close-up of a middle-aged man with a beard and mustache, wearing a green shirt with a Red plaid patterned strap over his shoulder. The shirt has the logo 'PENSTOCK WE TRAIN' on the right side. He has a surprised or goofy expression, with wide eyes and raised eyebrows, in a room with a wooden ceiling and a black curtain in the background.
A man with short hair and a beard, wearing a light blue button-up shirt, is standing and speaking in a room, gesturing with his hands. Seated in front of him is a woman with glasses and shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a black and white patterned top. Behind them is a wooden door and a bulletin board with posters on a cream-colored wall.
A nighttime scene in a park with leafless trees illuminated by orange streetlights. Four people, including a person with a dog, walk along a paved path, with their shadows cast on the ground.
Silhouetted flowers or plants against a colorful sunset or sunrise with a dark sky.
Collage of various men making funny faces, some wearing colorful accessories and costumes.
Two men smiling and singing in a cozy, decorated room with string lights and wooden walls.
Black and white photo of a dog peering over a concrete barrier by the water, with an overcast sky in the background.
Assorted sashimi including shrimp, eel, and fish, served on a green leaf on a blue plate.

PHOTOGRAPHY · LANGUAGES · MUSIC · IMPROV · SPORT · CURIOSITY · STILL LEARNING

Two smiling men taking a selfie at an indoor event with colorful walls and signs, including one for toilets in the background, while other people are visible in the background.
Colorful logo with a speech bubble containing a person icon and the text #PatChat Ambassador, with the phrase "I'm here. You can talk to me." underneath.
Four people smiling at a conference, wearing conference badges and lanyards, with banners and a crowd in the background.
A man smiling and holding a dog with a purple harness at an indoor event, with other people talking and artwork on the walls in the background.
Four smiling people taking a selfie at a busy trade show or conference, with booths and other attendees in the background.

SOME THINGS

MATTER FOR

DIFFERENT REASONS.

Not everything I want to build is about business.

I've spent much of my life walking into rooms, starting conversations, introducing people and making connections.

But I've become increasingly aware that for some people, simply walking into that room can be the hardest part.

Busy exhibitions, networking events and trade shows can be overwhelming. Noise. Crowds. Not knowing anybody. Not knowing how to enter a conversation. Knowing exactly who you want to meet, but not being able to make that first move.

That's why I'm developing #PatChat.

The idea is to create a network of trained, clearly identifiable #PatChat Ambassadors at events, people somebody can approach when they need a friendly human being to help.

That might mean making an introduction. Walking around the venue together. Finding somewhere quieter. Helping someone join a conversation. Or sometimes simply being there.

It's not therapy. It's not medical support.

It's human support, at the moment somebody needs it.

Because nobody should miss an opportunity simply because walking into the room was harder for them than it was for everybody else.

#PATCHAT · HUMAN CONNECTION · INCLUSION · OPPORTUNITY · BELONGING

I'M 50.

I'M NOWHERE NEAR FINISHED.

If this were a conventional career story, this might be the bit where everything starts to settle down.

Mine seems to be going in the opposite direction.

I'm building businesses. Developing new ideas. Working in sport. Creating partnerships. Meeting people. Learning things. Trying things. And still wondering what else might be possible.

Some of what comes next will be mine.

Some of it will be built with other people.

And some of it probably hasn't occurred to me yet.

That's part of the attraction.

I've spent more than 25 years opening doors. I'm still very interested in what's behind the next one.

A smiling man with a beard and short, tousled hair taking a selfie outdoors during sunset or dusk, with dark clouds in the sky and a silhouette of trees in the background.

WHAT I'VE DONE · WHAT I'M BUILDING · WHAT'S NEXT

WANT THE LONGER VERSION?

I sat down with the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast to talk about the bits that don’t fit neatly onto a website.

ADHD. Loss. Death. Career changes. Reinvention. And working out what actually matters.

WHAT COULD WE

BUILD TOGETHER?

A commercial opportunity. A partnership. A project. An event. A speaking engagement. Or something neither of us has thought of yet.

If you think there's a reason we should talk, get in touch.