Alumnus lands sports 'dream' job

By Jeff Green | May 1, 2015

Jordan Carroll (B.Comm.(Co-op)’06) is quick to admit he’s living his dream. The Pasadena, N.L.-native and sports fanatic is the director of sales with the national organizing committee for the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Women’s World Cup of Soccer in Ottawa, Ont. Canada is hosting the competition June 6-July 5. It’s the latest move in a career that’s seen him work and volunteer for leading sports groups and teams such as Tennis Canada, the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Toronto Argonauts. Contributor Jeff Green recently connected with Mr. Carroll.

Alumnus Jordan CarrollJG: Where did your Memorial degree first take you?
JC: I studied at Grenfell Campus and in St. John’s. After graduation I obtained my first job as the marketing co-ordinator for Targa Newfoundland, which I did for about a year. After that, I moved to Ottawa where I lived for about three years and was doing photocopier sales for Canon Canada. From there I decided to go back to school and obtain my MBA in sports management at Laurentian University, which I completed in 2011.

JG: Now you’re working with the FIFA organization. What’s a typical day like for you?
JC: A typical day for me involves reviewing the national sales results for the tournament, which is being held in six cities throughout Canada (Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton) to identify key trends we can capitalize upon. In addition, I manage a call centre that contacts previous ticket holders to sell tickets for this summer’s tournament, I meet with marketing and communications to identify any key messaging we would like to communicate and I work with each participating country within the tournament to ensure their ticketing needs are met for the tournament. 

JG: How did your education at Memorial help prepare you for this role?
JC: One of the things I draw on the most are the presentation skills I developed through class and with the ACE/SIFE [now known as Enactus] group. I consistently act as an ambassador to the event and frequently speak with large groups of people. The skills I gained through Memorial are invaluable to me today. Additionally, my bachelor of commerce background helped fast track me through my MBA program, which enabled me to enter the sports industry even quicker and helped me understand the roles of the other departments, such as marketing, accounting and finance, within the organization.

JG: What do you like most about your current position?
JC: I’m "working" in sports. I say "working" because sports is an absolute passion of mine and I don’t really feel like I "work" in this role. I get to work with a fantastic team of individuals in our head office as well as across our six local venues as well. I talk sports to co-workers and clients on a daily basis and it’s a dream come true.

JG: What’s next for you?
JC: The tournament finishes up in July at which point I plan on taking some time off to enjoy the summer and then begin evaluating my next move.


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