The fifth edition of MESGO (Executive Master in Sport Governance) began in September. Through its Executive Education platform HEC Lausanne, University of Lausanne is one of the academic partners of the program, which brings academia and the sport industry together. Participants from this fifth edition had the opportunity to visit our campus on November 26 and attend a session led by the Dean of HEC Lausanne, Prof. Jean-Philippe Bonardi.
An international program for leaders in sport
MESGO is an internationally recognized program aimed at senior executives working in sports organizations and federations. Its aim is to help current and future senior managers in the sports industry to take informed and sustainable decisions, in consultation with the principal stakeholders concerned. The program offers them the opportunity to interact on governance-related issues, combining the academic and sporting worlds, with topics and case studies presented during the sessions:
“MESGO offers an ideal environment for sharing ideas and best practices, since the participants have a wealth of experience that leads to some interesting discussions,” explains the Dean, Prof. Jean-Philippe Bonardi. “Governance is a key element in any strategic reasoning, now more than ever. Engaging in detailed strategic reflection helps push participants beyond their own boundaries and discuss governance as a cross-disciplinary subject in the sports sector.”
This is where the participants benefit from HEC Lausanne’s excellence in teaching*: this year, no fewer than 26 students from 21 different countries are taking part in the program.
Course participants visit our campus
The current edition’s participants are on a regional tour to meet experts from the various sporting organizations. On this occasion, they had the opportunity to spend a day on campus at HEC Lausanne and to visit various institutions, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The whole session is led by Dean Jean-Philippe Bonardi, who will also cover themes of governance, entrepreneurship and strategy in a series of lectures. Nicolas Bastardoz – lecturer at HEC Lausanne and the University of Zurich – will deliver a lecture on "Individual leadership development".
Testimonial from a course participant
“MESGO is currently the most complete and effective accelerator for the sports leaders of the future" specifies Nuno Moura, Chief Marketing & Revenue Officer (Portuguese Football Federation). "Underpinned by good governance and transparency, this executive master perfectly blends academic know-how, delivered by leading universities and researchers, with the expertise of the world´s top performing sports organizations and governing bodies. In particular, I´m very excited about session 2 being held at HEC Lausanne where we will explore the mission, objectives, strategy development and governance structure of sports federations. It will shed light on the path the leaders of the future must take in order to achieve better governance and develop sport in a increasingly sustainable and successful manner".
* Course content is also provided by four other universities: the CDES (Centre de Droit et d’Economie du Sport in Limoges, France), Birkbeck, University of London (London, England), Johannes Gutenberg University (Mainz, Germany) and INEFC (Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain). MESGO also benefits from the support of five highly prestigious sports institutions: UEFA, FIBA (International Basketball Federation), EHF (European Handball Federation), IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) and the Council of Europe through the EPAS (Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport).