Interview of Tim Goethals, FIFA Master Alumni Association President

1.   Can you first tell us about yourself and your career path?

Originally from Belgium, I’m 37 years old. I’m living in Neuchatel with my wife Agnès and 2 children (Auriane (5) and Romain (11)).

I studied Business and Economics and started working in Finance at Ernst & Young Consulting in Brussels, where I worked a few years on different financial projects in different industries.  Always wanting to work in sports, I decided to stop my career in finance and applied for the FIFA Masters in 2005 (fifth edition).

When I graduated I started working for FIFA just before the world cup in 2006, working on ticketing and IT solutions (as part of what became later MATCH). When I came back from Berlin, I traded the “football family” to join the Olympic Movement working for ASOIF (the Association of Summer Olympic Sports Federations) and later also at SportAccord Convention (job share) where I ended up heading the Operations team.

End 2011, I returned full time at ASOIF, quitting the operations at SportAccord Convention, where I’m now Head of Projects. Seven years later after having graduated from the FIFA Masters, I can wholeheartedly say that the master paid off as I am now working in a central role within the Olympic Movement.

2.   What links do you have with the sport world?

I have been playing tennis since I was 9 years old, and I have always been very active in my club as a committee member. I always enjoyed the mix of being “on” the court as well as “off” the court and get involved on the organization side.

I have also been captain of my interclub team.  Funnily enough, since I’m working in sports I have less time to play – I am now always turning down requests to play - although I have some nice colleagues within the Sports Movement who are not (yet!) giving up asking me to play from time to time.

3.   Can you give us some key examples of your daily business?

Working as Head of Projects, I ‘m managing a team of 3. With the team we are managing different projects and activities such as, for example, games coordination where we track different issues that federations have with the organisation of the Olympic Games. As a result we are working very closely with the IOC Sports Department who we have an excellent partnership with.

ASOIF also have different Advisory groups that act as expert groups advising the international federations that need to be managed. Maintaining good relations with our different stakeholders is also crucial in my position as our role and job is to coordinate the common interest of our different Member Federations. 

4.   Who is your favorite sportsman and why?

Justine Henin.  1- because she is Belgian 2- because she is a tennis player and 3- most importantly because she is a fighter and never gave up a match, a set or a point; she won 43 titles in singles (from which 7 grand slam if I’m not mistaken), and a gold medal at the Athens Olympics. Too bad I wasn’t there to watch that! The funny anecdote about Justine is that now she of off the circuit she created her own tennis club and bought as part of her new project my former club!              

5.   What brings you into the presidency of the FIFA Master Alumni Association?

The FIFA Masters has brought me a lot and I felt it was time to give something in return. Volunteering in sport is crucial and the same goes for our Association. We need people to run the Association and it is important that we give up time to make the Association work. It is not something easy as we are all busy with our own life and jobs but it is definitely worth it. I’m very pleased and honored to be President of our Association and to be able to contribute, together with an excellent and very dedicated Committee, to the future of our Association.

6.  In your view, what are the long term aims of the FIFA Master Alumni Association?

I think we are really at a corner stone of our Association. We have reached a certain size in terms of Alumni and we benefit from a strong reputation in the industry through our different Alumni who are doing well in the sports marketplace.

We have built a strong basis and the time is now right to look more at the future. We are actually working on a strategic plan that will be outlining our vision and the FMA long term aims. This has been done based on consulting with our Alumni and stakeholders. In my opinion the mission of the FMA is to unite, promote and support the FMA Alumni Members, while co-ordinating their common interests and goals.

Our objectives are to represent the interest of our Alumni Members and maintain the link with and between our Alumni Members. We need to continue promoting the FIFA Master and working together with CIES and its Board. Our long term aim is to become stronger, better organized and more independent, and at the same time consolidate our position as a key networking force in the industry and maintaining strong partnership with our stakeholders (CIES and FIFA).

It is always a struggle for resources and time but I feel that our Alumni Members are getting more involved now. Something we encourage. We are also trying to improve communication on what the FMA does so that we can engage with more Alumni as at the end of the day they are the ones that are making up the FMA.

7.   How does CIES and the FIFA Master concretely impact the sports industry?

Very simply – by forming top professionals who will become the sports industry leaders of tomorrow.