FIFA Master Alumni - Where are they now? - Jo Robertson
Jo Robertson
Current Position: Football Agent and Co-Founder of The TAP Sports Group: a Global Sports Tech Company
Year of graduation: 2003 (3rd Edition)
Nationality: British
What does your current role involve?
After completing the FIFA Master, I enjoyed a career in governance, commercial partnerships, events and business development. These experiences gave me a broad understanding of the business and sporting landscape, and I had the opportunity to work with a wide range of organisations, helping me develop both professionally and personally. Throughout my career, I have always been passionate about creating opportunities for others and finding ways to make sport more accessible and impactful.
Today, I am a Football Agent and Co-Founder of a talent discovery platform designed to help young athletes gain visibility and connect then with clubs, academies and sporting organisations. The idea for TAP was born from my own experiences as the parent of a sports-mad son, navigating what feels like a fragmented youth sports system. As a founder, my role is incredibly varied and entrepreneurial. I am involved in every aspect of the business, from identifying the original need and applying for funding, through to product development, strategy, operations, partnerships and raising awareness. It has been an exciting opportunity to combine my professional experience with a personal passion, creating a platform that I hope will make the pathway into sport more accessible for the next generation of athletes and their families.
Which aspects of the FIFA Master course have helped you most in your career?
Without question, the aspect of the FIFA Master that has had the greatest impact on my life and career has been the alumni network. Although I graduated in 2003, I did not move into the sports industry until much later, so there was a significant gap between completing the programme and applying many of the connections and knowledge I had gained.
What has been truly remarkable is how enduring the FIFA Master community is. More than two decades later, the growing alumni network remains incredibly supportive, with people genuinely wanting to help one another succeed from making introductions and sharing opportunities, to offering advice and celebrating each other's achievements. There is a real sense of community that has stayed with me throughout my life, both personally and professionally.
What advice would you give to future students?
My advice would be simple: make the most of every opportunity! The FIFA Master is about so much more than earning a qualification. It is a unique chance to live in three different countries, learn from world-leading academics and industry professionals and to share the experience with classmates from all over the world. Be curious, step outside your comfort zone, and say yes to opportunities, even if they feel daunting.
Perhaps most importantly, though, invest in the relationships you build. The people you meet on the course will become an incredible global network of friends and colleagues, and those connections can last a lifetime. More than twenty years after graduating, I am still in touch with many of my classmates, and the support and encouragement within the FIFA Master community continues to be one of the programme's greatest strengths.
Enjoy every moment. The year goes by incredibly quickly, but the experiences, friendships and lessons you take away will stay with you throughout your life.
FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked Europe's No.1 course a record 14 times by SportBusiness and No.2 in the world.
Organised by CIES in cooperation with De Montfort University (UK), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland).
Applications for the next edition of the FIFA Master (September 2027 start) will open in early October 2026. Further information and the dedicated course application form is available at this link - https://www.cies.ch/education/fifa-master/apply-to-the-fifa-master
