FIFA MASTER ALUMNI - WHERE ARE THEY NOW? - MEAD AL EMADI

Mead Al Emadi

Current Position: Project Director at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy – Qatar 2022

Year of Graduation: 2016 (16th edition)

Nationality: Qatari

What does your current role involve?

Being a Fan Festival Director is no easy task as you are responsible for people having a good time! It is like inviting people over to your house. However, for many of the delegates it will be the first time they have ever attended a FIFA World Cup so you have to ensure they have a good time. There are various key elements to my job, but the three most important would be research, planning and marketing. We focus on understanding fan expectations then reaching out to different stakeholders who can help us to achieve these expectations. An even bigger element involves making sure that our visitors know of the wide range of events which are occurring around them. 

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

The FIFA Master helped in establishing for me a strong foundation in terms of understanding the history, politics, humanities and law behind sports management. Each pillar of the course widened my knowledge in ways I could not have achieved by simply working in the industry. I learnt a lot about how sport has become such a key component of many business models. After seven years of working in the industry, I had the practical knowledge but a deeper understanding of the theory behind the sports industry added value to my skillsets. The industry speakers and various other people we had the opportunity to meet throughout this journey added even deeper insights. The course gave myself and the members of my class the confidence we needed to pursue our goals.

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

My advice would be to foster a growth mindset and always look for ways to learn as much as possible. Passion is a starting point, but the knowledge you gain from listening, observing and learning about different topics is indispensable. Also, the huge FIFA Master alumni network which will support this growth and experience is another great asset for when you enter the sports industry.

FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked No.1 Course in Europe 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 by the SportBusiness International global rankings.

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