FIFA MASTER ALUMNI - WHERE ARE THEY NOW? - RATU TISHA DESTRIA

Ratu Tisha Destria

Current Position: Vice President of PSSI (Football Association of Indonesia)

Year of graduation: 2014 (14th edition)

Nationality: Indonesian

What does your current role involve?

I am currently serving as the Vice President of PSSI (Football Association of Indonesia) together with PSSI President, Erick Thohir, for the office term of 2023-2027. I am also an enterpreneur in the Football Industry.

Under Erick Thohir’s vision, he wants to transform us into a world-class organisation. I have been given responsibility on technical football development matters, which includes the development of coaches, players and referees to build the strategy, to create and regulate the policy. My role as part of the Executive Committee is also to serve our members. This includes creating an enjoyable and fairplay environment for PSSI members to grow and play football and building collaboration opportunities between various stakeholder at national and international level. And, as an enterpreneur in the Football Industry, I am contributing to football education and development by focusing on children.

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

PSSI members consist of 1,105 clubs and 38 provincial associations. Our football ecosystem is very unusual in that it operates in an archipelago, with over 17,000 islands and where the distance from west to east is 5,245 km. It makes the management of competitions and football development quite challenging. Indeed, it needs to find its own unique system and always be ready for innovation. So, the aspects of the FIFA Master course which continue to help me in developing the specific nature of Indonesian Football is the in-depth knowledge you acquire while on the course of football as a cultural phenomenon and the various industry regulations needed to manage the global game. The FIFA Master alumni network assists us along the way and not forgetting the colorful way of thinking provided by my beloved classmates from the 14th edition.

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

During the FIFA Master, listening to the thoughts and ideas of your surroundings is key. Whether it is your classmates, lectures, guest speakers or alumni. I was once inspired by one female leader during our field visit to Vero Volley. After that, I made a promise to match her, or even be better than her achievements, over the next 10 years period. You might not realize the exact moment you become inspired by your surroundings, but always be open to how far they can take you. Secondly, bring all of your books and lecture notes back home with you after graduation, even if they are heavy to carry! One way or another they will help you and you never know when you might need them. Lastly, keep a young and hungry mindset - especially with your edition classmates - and enjoy the beautiful world of football, and make sure you continue to help each other.

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).