"FIFA Master" Alumni – Where are they now? – Anya Alderslade

Anya Alderslade

Current Position: Commercial & Marketing Executive at EPCR (European Professional Club Rugby)

Year of graduation: 2015 (15th Edition)

Nationality: New Zealand / British

My current position in sport

I joined the Commercial & Marketing team at EPCR based in Neuchâtel after graduating from the "FIFA Master" in 2015. At EPCR, we are responsible for organizing the two flagship club rugby tournaments in Europe – the premier Champions Cup and the second tier Challenge Cup, each involving top clubs from UK, Ireland, France and Italy. To enhance the footprint and development of club rugby in Europe, we are also currently developing a new competition for emerging rugby nations (including Russia, Spain, Portugal and Germany, to name a few).

My role at EPCR is varied, this being one of the advantages I have found working in a smaller organisation (we have about 20 staff) and I am learning every day and getting involved in a range of different projects. We set and implement the commercial strategy, manage relationships with our tournament partners, strengthen our digital offering and strive to develop and grow the brand. In what is quite a unique situation, EPCR inherited the much loved ‘Heineken Cup’ (a 20-year-old sporting product) which effectively rebranded and is now the Champions Cup. One of our main goals is to now grow the awareness and goodwill of the new brands that have a prestigious history embedded in European rugby.

With a legal and marketing background, and previous work experience in the Auckland City major events team, a key project I have been tasked with is managing the Bidding Process for our annual tournament finals. This has involved reforming the process to be more professional, structured and transparent and we have been rewarded with some world class candidates, including interest from non-traditional rugby nations. We are currently gearing up for the Edinburgh finals in May 2017 and are soon to announce our successful 2018 host city…so stay tuned!...    

Which aspects of the "FIFA Master" course have helped you most in your career?

The "FIFA Master" for me was the perfect bridge into the sporting world. With a double degree in Law and Business, work experience in a law firm and a lifelong passion for sports, the Master gave me the perfect platform to enter the industry. It is difficult to pinpoint a particular aspect of the course that has helped me more than any other, each of the three complementary modules gave me a fantastic overview of the sporting sphere and insight into its numerous interconnected parts. The Master pulls together people from all corners of the world, the relations with your peers and the cultural depth that is offered is something that I think is really unique and special.

What advice would you give to future students on the course?

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, think outside the box and take on the challenges presented. In addition to the knowledge gained, use the enriching cultural diversity of the course to develop your personal skills. Enhance your network and don’t be shy to reach out, this is a small industry and the "FIFA Master" family is continually growing!

 

The “FIFA Master" - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport is organized by the CIES in partnership with De Montfort University (Leicester, UK), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan, Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel. In 2017 the “FIFA Master” was ranked as the No.1 course in Europe for the fifth time by the SportBusiness International global rankings.

Discover more examples of inspiring "FIFA Master" alumni career paths by clicking here.