Rising to the Challenge: Ian’s Leadership in a Major 2024 Event
At just 24 years old, Ian has played a key role on the IGNITX accreditation team for a major multi-sport event in France in 2024. Having joined as an intern at the end of 2023, he quickly demonstrated skill and leadership, helping to manage complex operations at prominent venues during the event.
Ian began as an Administrative Assistant and was assigned as Venue Accreditation Deputy Manager at Bercy Arena during the 2024 event operations. In May 2024, he was promoted to Venue Accreditation Manager at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, following the departure of the prior manager. Despite the unexpected transition, he embraced his new responsibilities with determination.
In the 5 months that Ian was with us, he showed initiative and a great sense of responsibility. He was a quick learner and always gave his best at every task. Internally, it wasn't a difficult decision to make, offering him the position as Venue Accreditation Manager which he accepted wholeheartedly.
Ian’s path to this unique experience is rooted in his academic background and early professional experiences. Having studied Sports Management at the Sports Management School (SMS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, he was already on a trajectory toward the world of international sports before joining IGNITX. His previous roles included working with Sotheby’s in Geneva, as well as the Nidecker Group in Rolle, experiences that shaped his foundational skills in administration and client service.
When asked what drew him to the opportunity with IGNITX, Ian shared:
I wanted an opportunity to experience life outside of Switzerland, where I've spent my entire life. Fortunately for me, IGNITX was looking for an intern who spoke French and was ready to work in Paris. It was everything I wanted, and then the opportunity to work for a major sporting event was also a dream come true.
Immersing in Large-Scale Event Operations
For Ian, the journey has been filled with surprises, challenges, and invaluable learning experiences. Reflecting on his unexpected promotion to Venue Accreditation Manager, he explained how the role gave him a deep dive into the world of sport events:
It was a big step for me, but also an amazing opportunity, which I embraced with great motivation.
Throughout his time with IGNITX, Ian has grown into his leadership role, learning valuable lessons along the way. He cites his top three takeaways from the experience as:
- Communication is key. Leading a team requires clear, effective communication to ensure everyone is aligned and can perform their best.
- Respecting processes. Working on large-scale events means following established procedures, even when they are time-consuming.
- Cross-functional learning. Observing and learning from other teams and functional areas provided him with a broader understanding of the event ecosystem.
Memorable Moments and Challenges
Ian fondly recalls one of his most rewarding moments: helping operations run smoothly during the 2024 event in France.
Seeing the Games go smoothly made me proud, and I will remember this experience for the rest of my life.
Although the role came with challenges. Moving into a leadership position meant quickly mastering complex accreditation processes—something Ian had limited prior exposure to.
In the beginning, I had to learn accreditation from the ground up. Then, as I transitioned to manager, I needed to internalize everything rapidly to lead the operations effectively.
First, I had to learn the accreditation process from almost zero. Then, just as I was beginning to feel confident, I had to quickly master it because I was becoming the manager and needed to know everything.
Looking Ahead: A Bright Future in Sports Management
The hands-on experience has deeply shaped Ian's professional trajectory, enhancing his confidence and future career potential. He believes that his time with IGNITX and working on the 2024 event will be instrumental as he advances in sports operations.
This has been the most important experience of my career so far. It has given me a lot of confidence, both professionally and personally.
As Ian reflects on his journey, he is grateful to the many people who helped him along the way. He especially acknowledges the influence of Vinicius Melich, an expert in the field serving as Accreditation Cluster Manager in the IGNITX team since 2023, whose guidance throughout the event was instrumental:
Working and learning from someone with that level of experience has been incredibly rewarding and valuable.
Ian’s time with IGNITX has given him more than just experience—it has provided him with mentorship, deep professional relationships, and a sense of pride in contributing to one of the most significant events in the world.
As the momentum from the 2024 event subsides, Ian looks toward new horizons in his career, carrying forward the lessons, relationships, and capabilities he developed with IGNITX.
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