Before my time in Liverpool, I worked for KPMG in Bristol, where I qualified as a chartered accountant after completing their audit graduate training programme. Prior to that I studied at the University of Bath, where I obtained a BSc(hons) in Economics. I also undertook a placement year at Amazon.co.uk headquarters as a finance intern.
Why did you choose to study at the University of Liverpool Management School?
My ambition since leaving school had been to work in the football or wider sports industry in a business/financial capacity, but I knew it would take time to get there. I identified the Football Industries MBA back then as my best chance of breaking into the industry, and worked towards gaining a place on the course. Eight years, a Bachelors and a professional qualification later, the time was right to apply and it all went from there! As the only football specific MBA out there, it was an easy choice to make.
Did you receive help and advice from the School’s MBA Careers Advisor?
Fiona McNamara was our careers advisor, and she was a huge help over the course of the year. As well as running the Navigator sessions to enhance our professional skills, she was a knowledgeable and reliable sounding board for all job apps/interviews and assessment days.
Did you complete a work based project?
I completed a dissertation over the summer- which allowed me to interview high profile figures across the football industry, making and enhancing valuable contacts in the process.
What knowledge skills are you using in your role?
Shortly after graduating, I joined Adidas in a Senior Risk Management role before joining the Deloitte Sports Business Group as a Sports Business Consultant a year later. If I hadn't done FIMBA I wouldn't have been able to break into the industry, let alone get the 'dream job' I have now. In my position at Deloitte I work with football clubs and wider sporting organisations to help solve their financial and strategic challenges, as well as co-author our well known publications, the Deloitte Football Money League and the Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance. Given the varying types of work, many aspects of the course lend themselves to my work, while the professional network I was able to build up on FIMBA continues to serve me well.
What did you enjoy most about living in Liverpool?
Liverpool was without doubt the best year of my life so far. The city became my home, and it still feels that way now. But it was the people that made it. I had a great group of friends around me in halls, and as a cohort on FIMBA we gelled as one big family, working and socialising together on a daily basis.