Sports & Athletics — Max Lewinsohn

Tennis

From Junior Champion
to Lifetime Commitment

Max was captain of the British Junior tennis team in the 1960s, a distinction that reflected years of dedicated competitive play. He reached the semi-finals at Junior Wimbledon and the prestigious Covered Court Championships at Queen's Club—some of his matches were televised, capturing an era of British tennis excellence.

The natural trajectory was further strengthened when he was offered a sports scholarship at UCLA. However, his father's death meant Max had to decline, redirecting his life path. Yet his passion for tennis never waned. He toured South Africa with the International Club of GB and returned to competitive play at 45, representing Queen's Club in senior events.

Later, he represented Great Britain at the European Finals in Berlin. Beyond his own play, Max's mark on British tennis became institutional. He instigated a corporate sponsorship scheme for young British players with Roger Taylor as Head Coach—a programme that backed Sara Gomer, a former British number one. This is genuine sporting pedigree and a legacy that extended well beyond his own racquet.

Snowboarding & Skiing

A Lifetime of Alpine
Vertical Adventures

Max learned to ski as a child in the Alps, an early introduction to snow sports that proved foundational. At 11, he broke a leg in a ski race on the Jungfrau—a setback that only delayed, not deterred, his passion for skiing.

As an adult, his skiing ranged extensively: the French Alps, Park City, Jackson Hole. He pursued heli-skiing across Canada, Chile, and New Zealand, ascending some of the world's most pristine backcountry terrain. In the 1980s, he learned to snowboard with his family, adding a new dimension to his mountain pursuits.

Max holds a distinction rarely claimed: he is the first patron of CMH Canada to have heli-skied a million vertical feet on skis and a million vertical feet on a snowboard — two million vertical feet in total. Whether on two skis or a board, depending on the day and the company, he approaches the mountain with the same dedication that defined his tennis career.

Football

Chelsea Through Three
Decades of Glory

Max was taken to Craven Cottage and Stamford Bridge as a boy by his father, early exposure that planted a lifelong love for football. He played as a youngster before tennis became his primary focus. But his heart remained true to Chelsea, where he became a lifelong supporter.

Through the 1990s, as Chelsea underwent institutional transformation, Max helped with the club's Stock Exchange float through Seymour Pierce, becoming both a shareholder and 'Senator' at the club. He was at the Champions League final in Munich 2012, celebrating with his sons as Chelsea claimed continental glory.

Beyond Chelsea, Max served as a former shareholder and director of References SA, a Swiss sports management company headed by Michel Zen-Ruffinen, the former General Secretary of FIFA—a connection that positioned him at the intersection of sport and international business governance.