FIFA MASTER ALUMNI - WHERE ARE THEY NOW? - DIANA ENGETSCHWILER

Diana Engetschwiler

Current Position: Head of AI Business Strategy, Wellershoff & Partners

Year of Graduation: 2012 (12th Edition)

Nationality: Spanish/Swiss

What does your current role involve?

As Head of AI Business Strategy at Wellershoff & Partners, I develop strategies and practical approaches for integrating artificial intelligence into the wealth management sector. My focus is on identifying meaningful use cases and helping financial institutions like banks, asset managers, and family offices apply AI in a responsible and effective way.  

One of the biggest issues I see is that many financial institutions still have a lot of unstructured data. As long as this remains the case, it becomes difficult to generate valuable, high-quality AI output. Helping organizations structure and understand their data is an essential step before AI can truly support their decision-making. I also lead strategic initiatives within the Swiss AI Weeks, where we anchor AI through large-scale hackathons that solve real industry challenges.

Moving from the world of sports and FIFA to AI and finance, these are two new topics where I can learn a lot, and I love that it’s not entirely clear where the journey will lead. Both AI and finance have the potential to massively impact society - for better or worse. Finance has always been a fundamental part of how humans operate, and AI could become just as essential. My personal motivation is to better understand these systems and help shape them meaningfully.

I think AI will have an even greater impact than the internet. It could either help us solve global challenges, or completely shake up our current systems. The uncertainty is huge, and that’s both thrilling and a bit daunting.

I have always been someone who wants to understand a bit of everything, rather than diving too deep into just one area. I would love to find ways to combine my background in sports, my current work in AI and finance, and my personal values. That said, I also moved to the private sector because I found that many sports organizations, and especially federations, are not as forward-thinking or innovation-driven as I’d hoped. But would still be happy to support the sports world if there is a genuine desire for change at the leadership level.

How has the FIFA Master helped you in your career?

The FIFA Master opened the door to the sports world for me through an incredible network of people. Working at FIFA gave me unforgettable friendships, travel and football experiences. Even today, the FIFA Master network remains a strong, supportive community. I have made lifelong friends. One very concrete example is that before I even applied to FIFA, I had already met many people from the organization. So, when I went for the interview, I knew most of the interviewers. I can’t say whether that helped me get the job or not, but it definitely gave me more confidence and made the interview a lot more fun.

What advice would you give to future students?

Learn how to network. It is one of the most important skills. These days, great opportunities often come through 1:1 conversations and trust-based relationships, not just by applying for positions online. I am not saying it is ideal, but it’s how the world often works. People choose people they trust. Building those relationships early can make a huge difference. However, networking alone will not get you far in the long term. You need to know your stuff too!

FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked Europe's No.1 course a record 12 times by SportBusiness.

FIFA Master - 25 years of Excellence in Sport Business Education - organised by CIES in partnership with De Montfort University (UK), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland)