FIFA Master Alumni - Where are they now? - Carolin Rickers
Carolin Rickers
Current Position: International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Membership Programmes, Senior Manager
Year of graduation: 2007 (7th Edition)
Nationality: German
What does your current role involve?
A few months after completing the FIFA Master, I started at the German Football Association (DFB) in international relations and coach education. However, after a while I began missing working in a more international context and looked for different opportunities. Remembering Matthias Berg’s session on the Paralympics and my previous work experience in adapted sports, such as with Right To Play in Sierra Leone and during the Leipzig 2012 bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, I was excited to apply for the position of National Paralympic Committees (NPC) Development Manager at IPC in Bonn, Germany, and I started there in 2009.
Over the years my roles changed, as did organisational priorities and approaches, and the size of the organisation from thirty-five to approximately one hundred and fifty employees. Currently, I lead the Games’ functional area ‘Education’ and on the IPC’s global education toolkit I’mPOSSIBLE that enables teachers to engage young people for an inclusive world through Para sport. In addition, in my role as Membership Programmes Senior Manager, I work with various teams to implement a range of projects in support of IPC members with the overall aim to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence. With the organisation having grown significantly and aiming to advance as a diverse and inclusive high-performance organisation, in 2025 employees formed the IPC Works Council which I am a member of. This formal legal body represents employees at the company level by safeguarding their rights, ensuring compliance with labour laws, and participating in decisions on working conditions.
Which aspects of the FIFA Master course have helped you most in your career?
There are several occasions where I have seen real benefits of the FIFA Master. Firsthand insight from an alumni who already works at a place where you apply for a job is so valuable. The alumni network is a key aspect of the course. Also, during several job interviews, the FIFA Master was a topic of discussion and the comprehensive understanding of the sports industry gained through the course is a strong asset. Through classmates from so many different countries and regions, I further developed my intercultural understanding and make use of it every day.
What advice would you give to future students?
Dear future students, enjoy this time to the fullest! Use the FIFA Master to find your professional path in sports. Collaborate and be open to learn from each other. Also, take advantage of the alumni network.
On your professional journey, actively seek out individuals with whom you can build deep, authentic and trustful connections, and who can challenge and inspire you as mentors. At the same time, be one yourself and embrace the opportunity to empower others to grow and succeed.
And to all women on the FIFA Master, let’s connect and support each other more!
FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked Europe's No.1 course a record 13 times by SportBusiness.
Organised by CIES in cooperation with De Montfort University (UK), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland).
"CIES, 30 years of impacting how sport is managed worldwide" & "FIFA Master, 25 years of Excellence in Sport Business Education"
