FIFA MASTER ALUMNI - WHERE ARE THEY NOW? - HENRIQUE PELOSI

Henrique Pelosi

Current Position: Partnership Sales Manager at SPORTFIVE

Year of graduation: 2013 (13th edition)

Nationalities: Brazilian / Italian

What does your current role involve?

I currently work at SPORTFIVE in Manchester, within the Global Sales Team. I am responsible for finding new partners/sponsors for a wide range of major rightsholders in traditional sports such as football (and football tournaments), NBA, NFL, F1 and Golf, for example. In addition, I also work for esports, including the newly rebranded EA FC. 

As a Sales Manager, I am involved in the full sales cycle of sponsorships, from finding new leads all the way through to contract signing, passing over creating and presenting decks, pitching it to C-Levels in companies of all sizes and in all corners of the globe. For that, I must have a wide knowledge of the sport sponsorship landscape, market trends and also a good amount of patience and resilience to survive all of the "NOs" I hear on a daily basis! 

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

The FIFA Master is certainly responsible for a significant part of my career, as I was hired by another FIFA Master Alumni (FMA) member - Andrés Cardenas - in my first job right after my graduation (at Octagon, in Brazil). Funnily enough, Andrés was also the person who told me about the Master seven years prior to hiring me, after we first randomly met during the Winter Olympics in Torino 2006. From Octagon I later went on to work for Juventus FC in Italy. My international background and network of connections was something they were particularly interested in on my CV.

Today, even though it has already been ten years since I graduated and the world has changed a lot since then, I'd say the FIFA Master is still very relevant due to the reach of our Alumni Network. I am just a couple of calls away from pretty much anyone within the sports industry and anywhere in the world thanks to the course.

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

Pay attention to your classes. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Talk to everyone. Be friends with everyone. Offer help and, if needed, ask for help too.
The Professors, guest speakers, and the people sitting next to you in class will be your work colleagues of tomorrow and friends for life.

Another piece of advice which I consider to be very relevant is for students to keep their minds open and to explore any opportunity which comes their way. Most of us apply to the FIFA Master with a specific career dream, but the world of sport is much, much more than just a narrow work option, with various exciting roles all over the world needing real and passionate professionals. Don’t be closed off to these exciting opportunities!

FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked  Europe's No.1 course a record 11 times by SportBusiness.

Organised by CIES in partnership with De Montfort University (UK), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland).