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The Swiss Pierre Ducrey, 40, graduated from the FIFA Master in 2003 and since then has built a remarkable career in sports – having been recently appointed IOC’s Olympic Games Associate Director.

His sports management career started right after the masters, when he went to work as an intern for the Office of the Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General for promotion of development and peace through sport. “A pretty long title for a very exciting environment and mission”, he says. His role, however, was quite limited, so he decided to apply for another internship – now at the International Olympic Committee. “There I would have more opportunities to acquire the experience I was looking for”, he remembers. He was recruited by the Sports Department, where he remained until 2010, occupying different positions and being ultimately in charge of Sport Operations and IF relations for the Summer Games. In 2010, Pierre moved to the Olympic Games Department, where he still works today.

Pierre was one of the founding members of the FIFA Master Alumni, back in 2003.  “Back then, the master was still very new and we felt that a key pillar of its future growth would be its alumni”, he recalls. “What better asset could there be for a programme intended to train the sport administrators of tomorrow than being able to rely on a strong network of professionals already established in leading sporting associations? I was glad to contribute to the first steps in establishing the association and even more so to see it develop so well over the following years”.

FMA Quarterly: How did you decide you wanted to work with sports, and how did you find out about the FIFA Master?

Pierre Ducrey: Following a master degree in international relations, I was considering doing a PhD which was four-year commitment. The possibility of being stuck in a library and in class rooms for that long made me reflect long and hard on what I truly wanted to do. I decided there were three things I wanted to ideally combine in my career: working in an international environment, sport and management. I started looking for a career path that could do that and heard about the FIFA Master during a discussion with former FIFA Secretary General, Michel Zen-Ruffinen. He thought the programme fit what I was looking for. I agreed!

FMAQ: You have just been promoted to Olympic Games Associate Director. Can you tell us what is your main role and what do you see as the biggest challenges?

PD: As Olympic Games Associate Director, I am in charge of managing the IOC day to day operations for the Olympic Games. My team and I are working closely with all IOC departments to ensure that each organising committee is following the agreed plan to deliver the Games. We work very closely with the organising committees and travel regularly to the host cities to assess progress, identify issues and risks and propose corresponding mitigation measures. The biggest challenge we are facing is to ensure we continue to deliver a fantastic event which meets the expectations of stakeholders and general public whilst containing cost and complexity. This is one of the core objectives of the Agenda 2020 process promoted by our President and our everyday concern.

FMAQ: As a founding member of the FMA, in your opinion, what should be the main concern for our association?

PD: The role of the association is to ensure graduates remain committed to the programme at the end of the course. It must therefore create opportunities for former students to come together on a regular basis, remain active in the network and contribute to its developments as ambassadors, speakers, recruiters and any other capacity that can benefit the association but also interest them. It has to be a two way street.

FMAQ: How important was the FIFA Master in your career?

PD: Doing the master proved to be a key step in my career. It allowed me to meet fantastic individuals who became close friends, meet with key people in the industry and confirm that this is the career I wanted to pursue. It also allowed me to access internship opportunities which opened doors in the sport industry.

FMAQ: What is your fondest memory of the FIFA Master?

PD: There are so many… I wouldn’t know where to start. Let’s say it is one fantastic experience overall. One that cannot be forgotten!

FMAQ: Many of people who take the FIFA Master dream about working for the IOC. What advice could you give to them on that?

PD: More so than the organisation, the role should be the key aspect to consider. I was really happy to work for the UN at the beginning of my career but quickly realised that I was not going to learn much from the role I was in. I decided to move on and never regretted it. If the IOC offers the right opportunity for you, then go for it but there might be other opportunities which will be more rewarding for you at the start of your career. The key is to know exactly what role you are looking for and put all your energy behind that objective.

Short profile:

Pierre Ducrey, 40, Swiss

Olympic Games Associate Director at IOC

City of Birth: Vouvry

Marital status: Married

Favourite sport’s personality: Stefan Edberg and, of course, Roger Federer.

Favourite sport: Tennis.

Favourite team: Servette (Geneva) 

Most memorable sporting moment: I would say watching Federer and Wawrinka win gold in Beijing. There was really something special between them that day which could be felt all the way into the stands.