FIFA Master Alumni - Where are they now? - Charisse Bacchus
Charisse Bacchus
Current Position: Owner and Sport Business Consultant CB Management, Director Can Bou Play Foundation
Year of Graduation: 2014 (14th Edition)
Nationality: Trinidad and Tobago / Canada
What does your current role involve?
Over time, I have been fortunate to serve in roles that merge my passion for sport, leadership and social development. A great example of this is my work as an Independent Director with Canada Soccer, which was a tremendous opportunity to contribute to national-level governance and to help strengthen the systems that support the beautiful game across Canada.
In this capacity, I worked collaboratively with fellow board members to oversee strategic priorities, governance reforms, and the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion, accountability, and transparency within Canadian soccer. It was a privilege to be a part of an organization shaping the future of sport at all levels, from grassroots participation to the national teams that inspire us all.
Building on that experience, I have since transitioned into new and exciting chapters that align with my lifelong commitment to using sport as a vehicle for education, empowerment and social change.
As the Founder and Owner of a Sport Business Consultancy, I now work with sport organizations, non-profits, and educational institutions to design, implement and audit programmes, strategies, and partnerships that drive impact. My work focuses on areas such as sport for development, governance, organizational growth and social enterprise development, helping entities maximize their social and community value while remaining sustainable. For example, my work with Sport for Life, a national sport organisation that develops and implements programmes that focus on the development of immigrants, newcomers and underserved communities across Canada. I love the process of breaking something down to rebuild and transform it to its most efficient state, whether it be a programme, business or NGO and I welcome the opportunity to work with like-minded organizations to achieve this goal.
In addition to this, I proudly serve as a Director at the Can Bou Play Foundation, a youth-focused non-profit that uses sport and mentorship to empower young people in Trinidad and Tobago and across the Caribbean. Our programmes promote mental health awareness, leadership development, and life skills education through sport-based interventions, with a focus on equity-deserving communities. We are currently embarking on an exciting project with the FC Barcelona Foundation which will focus on mental health initiatives for youth.
These roles reflect a full-circle journey, from shaping national sport policy and governance to driving community-level impact and empowering the next generation of athletes and leaders. The mission remains the same: to ensure that sport continues to be a powerful tool for positive change, inclusion, and holistic development.
I’m excited for what lies ahead and look forward to continuing to collaborate with partners who share this vision for a more inclusive, impactful, and sustainable social ecosystem.
Which aspects of the FIFA Master course have helped you most in your career?
The diversity of the cohort, my classmates and professors were from every corner of the world. I was able to deepen my appreciation for cultural nuance and I valued our similarities and differences, both in and outside, of the classroom. In addition, the global network I gained from the FIFA Master has not only been a source of amazing lifelong friendships but also a professional community that continues to open doors for partnerships and innovations across continents.
But most importantly, the FIFA Master nurtured my belief that sport is more than competition. It is a catalyst for change, education, empowerment and social development. This ethos continues to guide my work today. In essence, the FIFA Master didn’t just equip me with academic knowledge, it shaped how I approach sport as both a business and a force for good.
What advice would you give to future students?
You are going to be fundamentally challenged to grow on a daily basis. Embrace it all!
Keep both an open heart and open mind, and most importantly, remain present. The connections you make during the FIFA Master will develop into lasting friendships that will remain with you throughout the test of time. Do not get consumed by grades, guest speakers and being impressive. It is the multifaceted people you have the honour of being in class with that will become your greatest asset.
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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).
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