International Centre for
Sports Studies

Avenue DuPeyrou 1
2000 Neuchâtel
Switzerland
Tel +41 32 718 39 00

News

Wed. 09 January 2019

FIFA MASTER ALUMNI – WHERE ARE THEY NOW? – TANYA HEIMLICH-NG YUEN

Picture (from left to right): Philip Lahm, 2014 FIFA World Cup winner, former Captain of the German National Team and FC Bayern Munich, Tanya Heimlich-Ng Yuen and Célia Sasic,  2013 UEFA Women's Euro winner and former German national Team player

Tanya Heimlich-Ng Yuen

Current Position: Director & Partner at Burson-Cohen-Wolfe Sport

Year of graduation: 2009 (9th Edition)

Nationality: Canadian/Swiss

What does your current role involve?

As a Director at BCW Sport, I work with a broad range of international clients helping them to develop and implement sport strategies, communication & PR plans. In particular, I work with local and national governments as well as international sport federations, advising on bidding and hosting strategies as well as public relations and communications initiatives.

I have had the opportunity to lead several bid teams to success including, among others, Germany 2024 UEFA European Championship, Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games, Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships, Lima 2019 Pan-American Games and China 2019 FIBA Basketball World Championships. I also advise several leaders of international sport federations with their international relations, communications and public relations strategies.

Furthermore, in my role, while responsible for my clients and projects, I am also responsible for the expansion of the BCW Sport brand, new business prospects and the Women in Leadership initiatives.

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

There are two key aspects of the FIFA Master that are more unique than any other sport masters course.  Firstly, the opportunity to not only integrate with individuals from a variety of different backgrounds, cultures and countries on a full time basis – but also be able to do so within the structured learning environment focused solely on sport management. Being able to discuss particular subjects about sport and how sports systems work in other countries offers an incredible opportunity to experience a truly international sporting landscape first-hand. That is incredibly useful once you get into the real world.  Secondly, the global network. As graduates of the FIFA Master (FIFA Master Alumni) we have access to an incredible network of sports professionals. Being able to reach out to Alumni who are working in a number of different sports organizations around the world is a huge advantage. As they say - it is all about who you know - and the FIFA Master Alumni know a lot of knowledgeable and influential sports leaders!

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

Be engaged and enjoy the journey!

The bonds you make with the people in your class will last a lifetime. Indeed, more often than not, you will see your former classmates in your future career within sport. So enjoy the experience, make sure to network and, above all, be engaged in class.

You only have one time to make a good first impression – so if you are interested in a subject, event or speaker come prepared (read up on the subject, dress appropriately), be engaged (ask questions, pay attention) and follow up after (make sure to get a business card). You never know if that class or event is where you will meet your future employer!

The FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked No.1 Course in Europe 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 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).

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

This website uses cookies – limited to technical and analytical cookies – in order to allow your browsing and enhance your experience.

For more information, please see our cookie policy and our privacy notice.

I understand