Want to become a CEO in the world of sport? VSI have developed a pathway to take you there.
Visionary Sport Investment (VSI), founders of the ground-breaking, internationally recognised MSc in Sporting Directorship, are set to launch in September 2018, a pioneering first with an MBA level programme designed for elite leaders with aspirations to become a chief executive in the world of sport.
Managing eye-watering exponential financial growth, increasing corporate governance responsibilities and the demands of challenging club owners and chairmen has resulted in the skills of a CEO becoming more important than ever.
Recruitment agents are acutely aware that candidates for the role of CEO, in any sport, will operate under intense media scrutiny and must be able to hit the ground running with little time afforded to those from outside the industry who may need many months adapting to the fundamentals of the job.
VSI has responded to this market requirement by creating a unique MBA level program of study that promises to play a key role in developing a talent pool of highly qualified individuals with the skill set to deliver immediate, impactful leadership.
Company Chairman Andrew McIntyre, revealed: “Five years ago my colleague Tony Faulkner identified the market demand for a post graduate qualification that would equip individuals for the position of sporting director.
“It was clear clubs were belatedly recognising the importance of engaging experienced, highly qualified people to head up the sporting side of their operations.
“Cricket, football, rugby league and rugby union franchises had tried to operate with a sporting director but had enjoyed varying degrees of success. Tony’s research identified the major problem rested around recruitment.
“Talented athletes, coaches and managers lacked the formal leadership skills to operate successfully as part of a team of statutory directors, working with owners to shape the vision and philosophy of a club and lead the key sporting departments.
“VSI set about delivering the sort of education through its Masters Degree In Sporting Directorship that would satisfy the recruitment market’s demands.”
Four cohorts of elite athletes, coaches and managers have already studied on the VSI programmes which was taught initially in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University and subsequently with the Centre for Sport Business located at the heart of Manchester’s hi-tech Media City.
Leading academics including Professor Chris Brady and Professor Simon Chadwick, along with industry experts have helped catapult the programme’s status and secured industry wide recognition as a must have qualification for those seeking to secure key leadership positions around sporting operations.
Olympic stars, Beth Tweddle, Goldie Sayers, Kelly Sotherton, Ashes legend Mathew Hoggard, Glasgow Rangers director of football, Mark Allen, PFA Chairman Ben Purkiss, Bolton Wanderers left back, Andrew Taylor are to name but a few of the high profile individuals soon to secure their MSc Degree in Sport Direcorship.
The challenges faced by sporting directors are unique and differ significantly from those faced by the CEO. Tony Faulkner reaffirms this, stating: “Sport is now recognising the absolute need to adopt formal corporate structuring with talented, highly educated individuals in all the key leadership positions.
“The CEO is at the top of the tree and the market is demanding that this individual must have knowledge and skills bespoke to sport.
“VSI has been working over the last 12 months with leading academics and industry professionals to create this pioneering MBA for chief executives in sport. Our passion has always been to provide a pathway for current and former athletes into executive roles within sport. Marrying their experiences of competitive sport with an educational grounding in business is our purpose.”
“It is a practical, innovative programme that is in every respect vocational. Our sporting partners made it clear that this should not be an ivory tower programme but one that’s focused on the reality of a life as a chief executive in sport.
Professor Chris Brady who is the academic lead for the programme, adds: “During my years of interviewing CEOs from major corporations, SMEs, sporting organisations and even military leaders the one common lament was that “there’s no school for CEOs”. They realise that they are often thrust into a leadership position without any preparation for the role. They would probably have welcomed the existence of such a course.”
To learn more about the VSI CEO programme & MSc in Sporting Directorship contact:
tony@vsiee.com
0845 45 99 765
@MasterSportDir
