THP 30: Fernando Piñeres

Program: Sports Industry Management
Hometown: Cartagena, Colombia
LinkedIn: Fernando Piñeres

Describe an interesting trend you see emerging in your profession and how you think it will affect the field:

One interesting trend emerging in the sports industry is the use of analytics. The "Moneyball Era" has provided teams and organizations within the industry with a success story of how to gain a competitive advantage. It started with Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics trying to find undervalued players that could help them win on the field. Finding a competitive advantage in all aspects of the organization has become essential to running a successful operation, both on and off the field. This emerging trend has also led to the creation of more opportunities in the industry for professionals from many different educational backgrounds.

What has been your most unique learning experience and why?

During my first semester in the Sports Industry Management program, I was enrolled in the Applied Ethics in Sports course. While the topics discussed served as great lessons for our careers, it was the in-class discussions with our professors and classmates that I learned from the most. In this industry, as in life, we must always remember to put ourselves in the shoes of others and try to see the issue from their perspective.