FIFA Master Alumni - Where are they now? - Eric Amstein
Eric Amstein
Current Position: Co-Lead Marketing and Communication at Swiss Alpine Club SAC
Year of graduation: 2007 (7th Edition)
Nationality: Swiss
What does your current role involve?
As Co-Lead of Marketing and Communication at the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), my role encompasses full responsibility on the commercial business side. We are active in sponsorship, public and institutional fundraising. Amidst an organisational transition, I am also a member of the steering group leading the change of a traditional sports federation to a lean and action-driven organisation. Furthermore, we are developing and executing our marketing activities for two Olympic Sports (Sports Climbing and Ski Mountaineering), managing brand identity, overseeing communication channels, and fostering engagement across the SAC's broad and diverse membership base of 180,000 members.
The SAC is Switzerland's leading mountaineering and outdoor organisation, founded in 1863 and boasting over 180,000 members across more than 100 sections nationwide. As one of the most storied alpine institutions in the world, the SAC promotes mountain sports, environmental protection, and the preservation of alpine culture.
Before joining the SAC, a series of roles built a strong foundation across sports marketing, sponsorship, sports tech, event and athlete management and strategic communication — spanning organisations at both national and global level. I was also fortunate to work for or with winter and summer sports federations, agencies and brands, including Adidas, Infront Sports & Media, and Ochsner Sport. My experiences of contributing to twenty-four world championships, as well as my work with football clubs and professional athletes, have had the most profound effects.
In addition to my role at the SAC, I also have a private coaching practice which assists teams and individuals in the areas of leadership, personal and organisational development and career transition.
Which aspects of the FIFA Master course have helped you most in your career?
No traditional business or sport management degree can replace what the FIFA Master offers. It is a true comprehension of sport as a cultural and historical force with significant social value, rather than just as a business and commercial venture. That dual lens — industry and humanity — has proven invaluable throughout my career.
What advice would you give to future students?
The FIFA Master year is, quite simply, one of the most rewarding experiences you are ever likely to have. Everything is new. Everything is stimulating. Lean into that fully. Be genuinely curious about your fellow students — where they come from, what drives them, what they dream of. Those conversations, often held over a late dinner in Leicester, a coffee in Florence, or a walk along Lake Geneva, will shape you as much as any lecture or seminar.
Immerse yourself in the three host countries. Study hard, absolutely — but also explore. Discover what makes the United Kingdom, Italy, and Switzerland each so distinctive, so rich, and so worth understanding. These are not merely places you pass through. They are part of the education.
Finally, do not lose sleep over not having a perfectly mapped career plan upon graduation. The sports industry has grown dramatically and continues to evolve at pace, with technology and artificial intelligence opening entirely new frontiers. Trust the process, trust the network you are building, and trust that the FIFA Master has given you the tools to find your path — even if that path takes you, as it has for some alumni, from football pitches all the way to alpine peaks.
"CIES, 30 years of impacting how sport is managed worldwide" & "FIFA Master, 25 years of Excellence in Sport Business Education"
