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The Quarterly Interview #26:Caroline Anderson

The Canadian Caroline Anderson is another accomplished sports professional graduated from the renowned FIFA Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport. Currently at FIFA’s Internal Communications, she’s been working in sports for over 15 year – even before doing the masters in 2004-05. “Before the masters, I worked in event management for ski resorts, in New Zealand and in the USA, and in communications for professional hockey teams in the UK”, she recalls. Caroline then realised that she thrived working in the area of communications and strategy and enjoyed working internationally, and so “I decided to further my education in the area of international sports management and joined the FIFA Master”, she explains. Following her graduation, in 2005, her career developed in ways she would have never imagined. Says Caroline: “the programme opened up amazing opportunities and a tremendous network”.

Directly after graduation from the FIFA Master, Caroline joined TSE Consulting (now Burson Marsteller Sport) as an intern, and there she climbed positions all the way to the top. “During my time there, I went from intern to Director/ Partner in the firm. I was part of a team that grew a business on an international scale and made a truly positive impact on the world of international sport”. Caroline believes that becoming a partner in the firm and ultimately having the company acquired by one of the major media groups in the industry was perhaps her biggest professional accomplishment thus far. “I am extremely proud of what I, and the entire team, accomplished, for ourselves, for the company and for each and every one of our clients”, she says.

At FIFA, since 2016, she gets to combine her passion for communication and strategy with her passion for helping people grow and succeed. “One of the biggest challenges for any organisation going through tremendous change is to bring its people along for the journey. It is not an easy task and every day is filled with challenges, trying to influence and make change across all levels of the organisation. It is this challenge and the fact that I am part of building a new and stronger organisation for the people that work here that makes me thrive”, says Caroline.

Read more about Caroline Anderson’s views on the FIFA Master and career in general.

FMA Quarterly: How important was the FIFA Master for your career?

Caroline Anderson: It was extremely important as it provided the understanding of how the entire industry works together and the support needed to develop and grow within the industry. The FIFA Master is more than a programme, it is a network of colleagues and mentors that can support you throughout your entire career. It also presented a job opportunity to be that I would have never would have had otherwise.

FMAQ: Are you still in touch with classmates or other alumni? How important is that network for you?

CA: The network is part of my daily life – some of my closest friends are from the course and on a daily basis, for over ten years now, I have interacted with members of the alumni for professional reasons.

FMAQ: What are your fondest memories of the FIFA Master?

CA: What I remember the most is what happened outside of the classroom: the discussions about the industry, the cultural exchanges, the laughs and personal growth experiences that came from the people with whom I shared the journey.

FMAQ: Sport has traditionally been a “men’s world”. Is that changing? How so?

CA: People always say that it was a men’s world, but what I noticed more when I entered the industry was that it was an ‘old’ world. The age of the people that were driving sport at the international level had much more of an impact on me then their gender. Now, the industry is changing, becoming more professional and more gender balanced, and I believe this is because younger people are starting to step in to lead and transform the industry. I see the role of women in sport administration exactly the same as the role of men. Sports administrators are here to protect the integrity of sport and develop it in the best way possible for the welfare of athletes: men, women, boys and girls. Men and women sports administrators play the exact same role in doing that.

 

SHORT PROFILE

Caroline Anderson, Canadian

Internal Communication, Executive Office of the Secretary General of FIFA

FIFA MAster Class: 2005

Favourite sport: Rugby to watch, skiing to do

Favourite team: Belfast Giants

Favourite sport's personality: Nancy Greene Raine

Favourite Sport's moment: Living the entire Vancouver 2010 Olympics experience