- Status: Alumni
- Current country: France
I did a Bachelor in Management at TBS in Barcelona for three years, from 2013 to 2016. I studied in Barcelona for the first and third year and did my second year on an exchange program in Singapore.
I am currently working as Performance Operations Lead for a British professional cycling team: INEOS Grenadiers (previously Team Sky). My role is to ensure the coordination between all performance departments within the team, with a focus on performance operations. We are a cycling team, and we are racing and training all year long (approx. 70 races in the year and around ten training camps) and all “events” need planning and coordination to ensure we provide the highest level of performance. Within my department, we mostly take care of the performance operations, logistics, and coordination to ensure a smooth and efficient planning process.
Another aspect of my job is also going on the ground, whether that is a race or training camp, to manage the day to day planning and activities of the team. That involves organization skills as well as management skills to coordinate all staff and riders and avoid issues. Our job is a lot about solving problems and finding the most efficient ways of organizing our movements and people. We need to always be adaptable and ready for last-minute changes, even more nowadays with the pandemic, which creates many issues and pushes us to make quick changes at the last moment.
I initially decided to study for a Bachelor in Management to learn about business and management within a company. My wish was to study abroad, and TBS gave me this opportunity. The language aspects also played an important role in the decision to study there. Being able to study everything in English, Spanish, and (trying) to learn Chinese was a big plus. Finally, the opportunity to do an exchange during the second year was a key point for me, and I took advantage of it going to Singapore for a year. I think the diversity in students that TBS offered was key to the quality of studies. Being able to study and work with people from all over the world – with different languages and cultures – is essential in today’s world.
I had always wanted to work in sports and the business of sports. With TBS I had the opportunity to do three internships, which helped me to get experience and build a complete profile. In the end, I am working in professional sports, and more on the performance aspect, but the organizational skills acquired in TBS are of good use. It then allowed me to pursue a Masters’s at ESCP Europe and then enter the working world with two great diplomas and a good working experience.
Internships are the opportunity to work and discover something you like, and it is what shapes our profiles, little by little. It is also the best way of finding out what you like and don’t like in a company and the type of worker you are (more office or more outside, team player or individual worker, entrepreneur or company-driven, etc.). It is important to choose something relevant for your future and an experience that can help you fulfill your dreams and work in what you love.
I think students tend to be picky on the internship they want and conscious about the money they will get, but I think this isn’t at all the priority. It is a great way to acquire experience and discover new fields, which should help them decide what they want or not want to do in the future. I would recommend getting out of your comfort zone, keep your head down and do what’s needed to prove that you are capable. In the end, internships are like a trial period where you need to show your best abilities and demonstrate that you could be a good fit for the company if you want to have the opportunity to stay in the future. Internships were always hard to get, and I am pretty sure they still are (maybe even more now!), but you need to keep on pushing and try your best to find something you are passionate about or a field you want to discover. Then making sure to learn as much as possible and use it as a building experience, and sometimes that involves doing things you don’t like doing!
In ten years I would like to see myself with a high managerial position within professional sports or a sporting goods company. I am ambitious and have been working hard to get where I am today. I wish to continue like this in the future. I want to keep on discovering new fields, perform new tasks and get the experience that will be relevant for my career. The management of people and projects is really interesting, and my goal is to grow within the team. I am working, for now, to get as high as possible, which will include taking on more and more responsibilities and working closer to the senior management. There are great opportunities in professional sports nowadays, and I want to fulfill my dream and aim high. I have the chance to work in something that is my passion (cycling and sports), and this is one of the best things you can have in your life. I want to ensure I do my best to keep learning and grow as a professional within this sector. Maybe one day I will be managing my team, who knows! At least it would be a dream.
