Employee spotlight:
Embracing the athlete's mindset

There is no shortage of athletically-inclined individuals at TEAM. And, not surprisingly, there are also an impressive number of colleagues who have played sport at a national, or even semi-professional level. But what may surprise you, is just how diverse those various sports are and, the scope of unique skills acquired. Read on for a glimpse at just a few of the many amazing athletes at TEAM.

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Thyra Taune, Legal Counsel Marketing Rights

Thyra has won several Swedish national championships in tennis and has been ranked in the top five of her age category since the age of 12.

She competed for the highest elite tennis series in Sweden and was recruited to play for the University of San Francisco’s women’s NCAA-Division 1 tennis team. Despite her successful junior career, she never considered playing tennis professionally as she was also very focused on her education — majoring in Business Administration, and then returning to Stockholm to complete her law degree.

Transferrable skills

  • Discipline: With tennis, and many sports, even if you don’t feel like practicing or playing, you still always show up and do your best. Because Thyra attended a regular (not sports-orientated) high school, her windows for practicing tennis were restricted to either very early or very late in the day. It was essential to be incredibly disciplined with her time and with her routine. Cultivating the ability to juggle many things successfully as a student athlete now serves her well.
  • Focus under pressure: On the court, you need to be focused on every individual point of the match, while also being aware of your opponent and making fast decisions. As an individual sport, getting distracted or losing focus is not an option. As part of the legal department, that same ability to stay focussed under pressure gets frequent use – often by the time something reaches their desks, it’s already very time sensitive and needed ASAP. When reading and reviewing contracts (which are notoriously lengthy and complex), she needs to stay focused at all times to ensure proper comprehension and accuracy, while still meeting deadlines.
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Marc Scülfort, Senior Marketing Partnerships Executive

For eight years, Marc actively competed in Athletics, excelling in 400m hurdles, winning Silver for 4x400m relay at the U20 Swiss Nationals and Bronze for the 400m hurdles at the U23 Swiss Nationals.

Running hurdles requires the athlete to be all-in (training for 2 hours, 5-6 times a week) and pay close attention to nutrition and lifestyle for peak performance. The 400m distance is particularly challenging, requiring a high level of speed endurance in addition to technique.

Transferrable skills

  • Dedication to continuous improvement: While some sports or disciplines require a specific body type or outstanding natural ability, 400m hurdles is a discipline where a lot can be achieved through pure hard work. Marc was able to improve his performance by identifying key focus areas (stride technique, rhythm, race strategy, speed, stamina, weights, nutrition, recovery) and optimising each individually. By knowing where to focus and setting clear goals for each season, he could continue to improve.
  • Incorporation of constructive criticism: To continually improve his technique, Marc relied on the detailed feedback from his coach. It’s important to have a healthy attitude toward personal development and recognise that success comes easier with guidance from those around us. In the corporate world, feedback may come from commercial partners, colleagues or line managers and is just as beneficial for professional growth.
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Beatrice Mazzucchelli, Insights Executive

Beatrice practiced rhythmic gymnastics at a competitive level for 10 years, beginning at age 5.

While she admits to never really enjoying competitions, she loved practicing and honing her skills, which often required 3-4 hours every day. When she stopped competing at age 16, she began coaching girls at a national-level to compete in the Gold and Silver leagues.

Transferrable skills:

  • Attention to detail and excellence: Compared to many sports, rhythmic gymnastics requires an incredible attention to detail. When performing a 1.5-2 minute routine, every single move counts, and you must perform as close to perfect as possible under the critical eyes of a panel of judges.
  • Unity with your team: When competing as a team in rhythmic gymnastics, you have 5 gymnasts on the carpet who must be completely in sync, moving as one. It’s not a team sport where one person can have a bad day – everyone must be committed and aligned, taking responsibility for their actions.
  • Ability to adapt: You have to be aware of the things you cannot control. Maybe during a competition, there is strong air conditioning or bright lighting in the gym, which makes the apparatus (hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon or rope) perform differently than anticipated. In the workplace, there are also last-minute things that cannot be controlled (especially when working onsite), but you adapt quickly.

Are you interested in experiencing TEAM’s unique opportunities first-hand? Check out our Careers page to learn more about Life at TEAM and our open roles.

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