FIFA Master Alumni - Where are they now? - Silviya Hristova
Silviya Hristova
Current Position: Event Manager at WRC Promoter (Commercial rights holder of the FIA World Rally Championship)
Year of graduation: 2008 (8th Edition)
Nationality: Bulgarian
What does your current role involve?
In my role as an Event Manager at the FIA World Rally Championship, I’m the bridge between the WRC Promoter and the local rally organizers. My job is to help make sure each event meets championship standards while still allowing the local teams to run things in a way that works for them. I work closely with organizers, the FIA, teams and commercial partners to support the planning and delivery of each WRC round, making sure everything is operationally solid and presented at a high level with a consistent global feel.
A big part of what I do is taking the championship’s global requirements and turning them into practical, on‑site solutions - whether that’s in the service park, ceremonies, branding, fan zones, or media areas. It’s all about making the event come to life in a way that works both globally and locally.
Which aspects of the FIFA Master course have helped you most in your career?
The FIFA Master really helped me understand how the global sports industry actually works. It gave me a much clearer and bigger picture view, such as how decisions are made, how organizations function and how everything behind the scenes connects to what we see on the field. The mix of academic content, international exposure, and case studies made the whole experience incredibly valuable. And honestly, the field visits were some of my favourite parts of the course because they made everything which we studied in the classroom feel much more real.
On a personal level, the FIFA Master shaped me a lot. Being surrounded by classmates from so many different cultures, backgrounds and sports pushed me to think differently and helped me figure out my own path. It played a big role in helping me grow as a person and understand myself better. Overall, the course had a huge impact on both my career, and also my own personal development.
What advice would you give to future students?
If I had to give advice to future FIFA Master students, I would say really embrace the whole experience. Don’t limit yourself to just the academic side. Additional value comes from everything happening around the classroom too. The field visits, the group projects, the spontaneous conversations after class – that is where so much of your learning actually takes place. And the people you will meet are a massive part of the journey. Your classmates will come from completely different cultures, sports and backgrounds, and you can learn a lot just by paying attention to how they think and approach things. If you stay open, stay curious and really engage with the people around you, you will get far more out of the programme than you expect. It is a unique year so make the most of it.
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"
