Andy O'Brien
Company Name:
ATP Media
Role Within the Company:
Financial Planning & Analysis Manager
Years Working in the Industry:
7
How did you first break into the industry?
After qualifying as a chartered accountant with PwC in Dublin, I had initially accepted a place at the Uni Of Liverpool to study an MBA in Football Industries, seeing this as my way to break into the sports industry. Just a few weeks before moving to Liverpool, my pal sent me a job spec for a finance role at The FA, based in Wembley stadium.I applied, interviewed for & ultimately accepted that role & never started the MBA…7 years later I really couldn’t see myself working outside of sports.
What skills and qualifications are most valued in the sports business industry, and how someone acquire them?
I was obsessed with sport but not good enough to be a pro at anything I played. I remember reading a stat that c90% of CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies were chartered accountants so for me, I decided that was a logical route to go down – if I wanted to progress into senior leadership positions at a sports organisation. The finance route won’t be for everyone, so my only advice here is go for something that you’re genuinely interested in, whether that’s marketing, HR, data analytics etc. if you can mix your passion (sport) with a solid foundation, you’re onto a winner & ‘work’ won’t really feel like work for you.
What are the best ways to gain relevant experience in the sports business industry?
– When I was 16 I did a couple of weeks as an unpaid intern at a sports PR company in Dublin. Obviously the work was pretty mundane – photocopying, getting coffees for the staff etc etc. However, I impressed with those tasks & ultimately stayed on for 3 months in a paid internship role. I wouldn’t have ever gotten a start in the sports world without doing this. Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom – treat every job, no matter how monotonous, as a stepping stone to the next one.
Good resources you would recommend?
SwissRamble podcast , price of football podcast (both football business). “Shoe dog” – Phil Knight