UCFB In The Industry: Sam Adams – Partnership Manager at West Ham United

UCFB graduate Sam Adams is one of the many graduates putting their degree to good use by embarking on careers at Premier League clubs.

Sam, since graduating from a postgraduate degree in MSc International Sport Management, now works as partnership manager at West Ham United.

Working alongside the Hammers’ sponsors, Sam said about his role: “We have a contracted amount of assets at the beginning of the season, and we set up meetings with them to plan how to execute these in line with the partners’ objectives.”

He added: “Matchdays are a really important touchpoint for us with our partners. A lot of work goes into the planning.

“We have to check that any deal or big-screen projections are in place, we have to make sure tickets have been sent to the right partners and any activations have been planned in the right way.

“Seeing everything come together is really satisfying. You get the added bonus of being able to watch Premier League or European football, as well.”

Talking about his time at UCFB, Sam added: “Through studying the Master’s, there were a lot of skills and opportunities which helped target me into my current role.

“It helped me establish that partnership management was the career path I’d like to follow. Further to that, the work experience placements really give you that practical experience to help set you up for a career in sports.

“It was great to study alongside so many ambitious like-minded people, and exploring the varied modules we went through. We studied everything from finance to leadership, through to marketing and events management.”

He finished: “Working in the football industry is a dream. One of the best things really is the fast-paced nature, and how in my role, working across different projects, partners and events means that no two days are the same.”

Take a look at where our other graduates are working across the global football and wider sports industry.

You can also kick off your own dream career in sport by viewing a UCFB prospectus.