Gender equality and career paths at TEAM

Questions:

What did your career path look like?

• Amy: Having studied Spanish and Business studies in the UK, I wanted to work for an international company. I joined a graduate scheme at a global energy company and quickly found a passion for marketing, specifically sponsorship and events. During my time there I became part of the bid team for the London 2012 Olympics and realised that combining a passion for sport with marketing could be a really good career. When I transitioned to another energy company, I joined the sponsorship team working on The FA Cup. It really energised me to contribute to big sports events, which led me to the English Premier League, spending a couple of years in the Partnerships team. When I heard of an opportunity to work at TEAM in Switzerland, I jumped on it and have been here since 2013, working in the Partnerships Management department.
• Mirjam: When I started my career I was looking for a role in marketing, but at an international company, where I could use my languages. I started at TEAM in 1997 with a dual role as a Marketing Coordinator in the Sponsorship department and as a Venue Coordinator. I loved the mix of having an office job, as well as, travelling, meeting and working with so many different people. For the past 25 years, I’ve worked across various roles in many departments. I’ve loved the cross-departmental exchange onsite and the opportunities to collaborate with so many talented individuals.
• Ruth: As an introvert, I never thought of myself as a sales person, but I really enjoy the relationship-building aspect of the job. I joined TEAM in 2005 as a Coordinator in TV sales, helping with back-office research for sales presentations and and selling archive and radio rights. I slowly worked up to selling media rights in Latin America. I loved that I was able to work with clients all over the world. Seventeen years later, I’m Head of Media Sales and responsible for selling media rights in the Americas, Spain, Nordics, Sub-Saharan Africa and Malta.
• Susanne: After getting my degree in Economics here in Lucerne, I was looking for my first work experience. I anticipated finding a job for 1-2 years, then moving on. When I started at TEAM in 2010, it was in the media department, supporting the broadcaster sponsorship project. Every time I thought I was ready to find a new role, a new exciting challenge arose at TEAM. I only intended to stay a few years, but 12 years later, I’m part of the Media Partnerships team and still love what I do.
• Tanja: My first job as a law graduate was based in Caracas, Venezuela with one of the biggest law firms, Baker McKenzie, which was very exciting at the time. However, it also became clear to me that I didn’t want to spend my whole career working for a law firm. I came back to Europe to complete my MBA and decided then to move in-house as a lawyer. I was offered a job at Red Bull, where I worked on various corporate projects and then with the Red Bull F1 team for over five years. I realised how much I enjoyed working as an in-house lawyer in the sports industry with a commercial hat on. In 2016, when I was ready for a change, I joined TEAM, which was and still is a perfect fit.

What does your role at TEAM entail?

• Amy: I think my strength is seeing the big picture. As Head of Partnerships Development, I take a strategic look at what we’re doing, what we could be doing differently and then make the connections to move things forward.
• Mirjam: For the past two years, I’ve led the Central Event Services team, which oversees ticketing, all accommodation services and provides support and expertise on the management of various workshops and Season kick-off events, from planning phase to onsite implementation.
• Tanja: As Head of Legal for Sponsorship and Marketing, my team works closely with both the Sponsorship Sales team and the Sponsor Partnerships Management team. We offer advice on going to market, we draft the contracts once a deal has been agreed and then we continue providing ongoing support once partners begin exercising their rights.

In any industry it is often difficult for women to rise to the top, do you find it even more challenging in the sports industry?

• Amy: As I’ve moved to more senior roles, the lack of women certainly becomes more noticeable. Luckily I’ve always felt supported, and offer my support to other women, to help break down barriers that may still exist. As women, we do need to push harder for our voices to be heard and to be integrated into strategic decisions.
• Mirjam: At the beginning it was tough and I really felt I had to fight for recognition and trust, especially with external stakeholders. But I think things are approached differently now, and soft skills, such as relationship-building and empathy, are given more value.

What made you choose the sports industry?

• Ruth: While studying Political Science at the University of Lausanne, I took a course in sports management, which led to an internship with a company that consulted cities on bidding to host large sports events. After moving back to Lucerne, I wanted to stay in the sports industry, but also work for an international company where I could use my languages. TEAM offered everything I was looking for.
• Tanja: Working at Red Bull was really the gateway. It exposed me to so many different sports. When I came to Switzerland and was offered a position at TEAM, it allowed me to stay in the sports industry and to apply my knowledge and experience gained in F1 to my new role in European club competition football. I love being part of a team of lawyers, working toward a common goal with other departments (in particular, with the sales and delivery teams) and feeling like I’m contributing to something big.

How has TEAM supported your career growth?

• Ruth: I’ve been lucky to have great bosses at TEAM. I was very ambitious when I started, and while it’s taken me awhile to get to this level, I never felt that my opportunities were limited. And when my children were younger, flexibility for family life was always given.
• Susanne: The culture and the people here really have made the difference. I’ve been able to increase my responsibilities and tackle new challenges every few years. It’s a very collaborative leadership approach and I love that. I can easily approach the CEO or Leadership Team with new ideas and projects outside my scope of work — they are receptive, drive action and create the structures to move forward.
• Tanja: TEAM has always been supportive and I feel like my promotions were a natural progression based on the work I was doing. I was actually promoted to Head of Legal during my maternity leave following the birth of my youngest daughter. TEAM has allowed me the flexibility to enable me to have both: a family and a career.

How do you find work/life balance?

• Amy: The culture at TEAM is brilliant for connecting with others through sport and I also love to spend time with my partner and friends enjoying the wonderful outdoors in Switzerland.
• Ruth: I come from a large family and they all still live in the area. Spending time with them helps me feel grounded, especially if I’ve been travelling and entertaining clients all over the world for work. Spending weekends “on the farm” with them is a very important balance.
• Susanne: I wasn’t sporty until I joined TEAM, but now I spend a lot of my free time outside doing sports or hiking. It’s a great way to connect with people. But above all, I love connecting with those closest to me by hosting dinner parties with my partner and friends; for me, that’s my way to recharge.

How does TEAM build a culture of inclusion?

• Mirjam: I do believe TEAM sees the value in diverse personalities and skillsets. For me, building and being part of a diverse team is the most important. With the right team in place, you can achieve almost anything.
• Susanne: I don’t feel my gender or orientation has ever limited me at work. While I still see a lot of potential to live and breathe more diversity within the company, I feel TEAM recognises these areas we need to improve and is taking action to make the culture more inclusive for everyone. It’s great that the company is more proactive in celebrating things like Pride or Black History, and I look forward to seeing this more ingrained in the corporate culture going forward.

How do you advocate for equality in the company?

• Amy: I lead TEAM’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programme and gender equality is one of the key pillars. I have a naturally strong voice and I’m not scared to have difficult conversations if that means I can help improve things for women and minorities in the future.
• Tanja: In addition to being a mentor for female colleagues in the company, I always make myself available for those who have just become new mothers and may need advice or have questions. And within my team, I always try to pass along the same flexibility for working parents that I experienced.

What advice do you have for others looking to advance to senior and leadership positions?

• Amy: Know your strengths and how they can help your company. It’s also important to take control of your own career and understand what being successful looks like for you.
• Mirjam: Don’t be afraid to express your opinions and stand up for yourself. If you have something to say and want to be heard, you need to have a voice.
• Ruth: Stay true to yourself; what works for someone else, won’t necessarily work for you. Be authentic, but don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.
• Susanne: Be bold with your ideas. Go outside your comfort zone and bring them to the right people.
• Tanja: Before trying to advance, make sure you’re doing what you love. When your career gives you joy, you have a reason to thrive and push for it.