MBA sports management

MA Management (CEMS)

BA International Relations

Jan

Heinz

Wappler

Photo+Jan+Wappler.jpg

ABOUT ME

Hello and thank you for visiting my website!

I am Jan Heinz Wappler, a versatile and multilingual Swiss-Australian professional skilled in sports & event management, international relations, marketing & communications, stakeholder management and media relations. I bring global best practice to any position thanks to diverse international experiences gained from working in and liaising with professional sports entities (federations, leagues, and clubs), Fortune 500 companies, international education institutions as well as media, publication, and government organisations.

Areas of Expertise

SPORTS & EVENT MANAGEMENT / International Relations / MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS / STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT / Media Relations

Please have a browse through my website and get in touch for us to have an engaging conversation.

I’d be delighted to hear from you!

All the best,

Jan


Organizations I’ve Had the Pleasure of working for & Contributing to

RC DEPORTIVO, Director OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS (PROFESSIONAL Sports TEAM Management), 2023 - PRESENT

  • Season 24-25 (RC Deportivo and Dépor ABANCA competing in LALIGA Hypermotion and Liga F, respectively):

    • Management of Real Club Deportivo’s corporate division including the communications, brand & marketing and international departments as well as the RC Deportivo Foundation.

  • Season 23-24 (RC Deportivo winning the league of Primera Federación and securing promotion to LALIGA as well as Dépor ABANCA being promoted to Liga F):

    • Management of the club’s corporate division including the commercial & retail, brand & marketing, communications, ticketing & memberships, food & beverage, matchday as well as protocol departments.

RACING UNLEASHED, GLobal Franchise & Sales MANAGER (STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT, FRANCHISE & SPONSORING), 2023

  • Direct report to company CEO tasked with the coordination of and collaboration with all stakeholders to implement the correct specification of new franchising lounges around the world.

  • Development and implementation of a new sponsoring sales strategy as well as innovative sponsoring packages.

  • Support of existing sponsors with activations and conducting of contract negotiations.

FIFA, Manager, PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL RELATIONS & DEVELOPMENT (STAKEHOLDER, MARKETING & EVENT MAnagement), 2020 - 2022

  • Management, supervision and full ownership of the FIFA Fund for Football Players initiative (worth USD 16m) in collaboration with FIFPRO.

  • Organisation of all department business projects, initiatives, events, and publications in support of FIFA’s vision to make football truly global, incl. the FIFA Diploma in Club Management program and the FIFA Professional Football Journal, among others.

  • Coordination of all interdepartmental processes, interactions and projects incl. preparation of meetings, conferences, correspondence, and any professional football related events.

  • Assistance to the head of department in the daily management and implementation of FIFA’s stakeholder relationships and agreements.

UD Ibiza, Marketing & Communicatios Manager (Marketing & Communications), 2019 - 2020

  • Management of the club’s marketing and communications operations, including the club’s historic Copa del Rey clash vs. FC Barcelona, reaching the promotion playoff during season 2019/2020.

VfL Wolfsburg-FuSSBALL GMBH, Special EVENTS Manager (Sponsorships & EVENTS), 2018 - 2019

  • Planning and delivery of matchday fan zones and partner activations, including sold-out fixtures against Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Schalke 04, which attracted more than 10,000 home fans.

  • Image and brand marketing among the fan-base and season-ticket holders.

  • Management of partner events and sponsors’ evenings for the men’s and women’s professional teams, and the graduation ceremony for sports management students of the VfL-Campus degree (events covered by local newspapers, club website, social media etc.).

TIFOFANS, Co-Founder (Sports TOURISM START-up), 2017

  • Co-founded a marketplace platform for local sports fans to connect with sports tourists to offer, share and create authentic sports experiences.

Hult EF Corporate Education, CUSTOMER SUCCESS MANAGER (B2b sales), 2015-2016

  • Post-sales client relationship management servicing 20+ client accounts (Fortune 500 companies).

getAbstract, MEDIA RELATIONS MANAGER (PR & MARKETING), 2013-2015

  • Management and servicing of content and media partnerships, new media partnership agreements and sales support.

EF EDUCATION FIRST, GLOBAL MANAGEMENT TRAINEE (SALES & MARKETING, OPerations), 2012-2013

  • Project management of sales, marketing and operations for education programs across 16 markets.

embassy of Switzerland in Chile, cultural Events intern, 2009

  • Project assistance for various cultural and bilateral events as liaison for Swiss companies and institutions.


Languages

IT Skills

Interests

International Sports Management
Media
Advertising
Education
World Travel
Music
Japanese Cuisine
Islamic Art


 TESTIMONIALS

It was an absolute pleasure working alongside Jan during our time in FIFA. We collaborated on numerous projects, and his ability to seamlessly manage complex initiatives while ensuring every detail was accounted for is truly remarkable. He has exceptional writing skills and is a master of project management. His calm demeanor, patience, and friendly attitude make him a fantastic team player, and his competence shines through in everything he does. His knowledge of football is unparalleled, making him an invaluable resource in any project related to the sport. If you’re looking for someone who combines expertise, reliability, and a great personality, Jan is your person.
— Leslie Voigt-Overdick, Head of Women Sports Administration & Team Manager, FC Zurich Women
Jan is a communication genius and has not only mastered the semantics of different languages, but also the empathy and content-related competence to be confident on any stage. His commitment is special and I appreciate him as a discussion partner on so many topics.
— Dr. Eric Huwer, Member of the Board of Directors, HSV Fußball AG
Without exception, Jan completed tasks assigned to him in a conscientious and efficient fashion demonstrating outstanding commitment at all times and impressing us with his consistently high quality of work.
— Mr. Christian Seifert, Head of Events, VfL Wolfsburg-Fußball GmbH
Every once in a while you encounter someone in your professional life that stands above the rest. To do so, they must excel in their daily work, be a positive force for the company and have a remarkable set of skills. Jan Wappler is just that individual.
— Mr. Dan Bruck, VP Marketing 2013-2015, getAbstract
Jan is the kind of guy you simply want to have on your team.
— Mr. Pius Fellner, Country Manager Switzerland 2015-2016, EF Corporate Solutions

Education

UNIVERSIDAD EUROPEA &

Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid, Madrid

MBA SPORTS MANAGEMENT

(MBA ALFREDO DI STÉFANO)
Graduated December 2018, Score: 8.5/10

 

University of Sydney, Sydney

ESADE BUSINESS SCHOOL, BARCELONA

KOç university, ISTANBUL

MA MANAGEMENT (CEMS - The Global Alliance in Management Education)
Full Scholarship Recipient University of Sydney MA Management

Graduated December 2012

 

BOND UNIVERSITY, Gold Coast

BA INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (DIPLOMACY)
Graduated June 2009, GPA 3.5

Awards

2018, Selected Best MBA Sports Business Project (Tifofans) and Best Sponsorship Activation Proposal for Real Madrid Basketball by Universidad Europea/Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid


2012, Member of Beta Gamma Sigma International Honour Society, High Scholastic Achievement, University of Sydney


2007-2009, Dean’s List for Academic Excellence and Vice-Chancellor’s list for Academic Excellence, Bond University

 

get in touch

Email: jan.h.wappler@gmail.com PHONE ES: +34 636 171 422
Residence: A CoruñA, Galicia, Spain


Work Snapshots

  • Projects I’Ve Managed & Contributed to