When Juliana Daguano, 26 y.o., moved from Brazil to Europe pursuing the dream of working in Sport, she could never guess the world would change so quickly and dramatically. Covid 19 pandemic made it impossible for her to connect with employers, and the solution she found was a life-changing experience: SIGA’s Global Mentorship Programme. She developed skills, a connection with her mentee and eventually got hired.
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Why did you decide to participate in SIGA’s mentorship programme?
I have always wanted to work in the sports industry. Back in 2018, I moved from Brazil to Europe to pursue an Erasmus Mundus Master’s program called Sports Ethics and Integrity. As the Master’s was over, in the middle of 2020, we were facing a pandemic crisis and it was really hard to find a job or connect to the people in the industry. When I found out about SIGA’s mentorship programme,it seemed like a great opportunity to meet new people and connect with inspiring women. This is why I decided to apply…
What is your assessment of participation?
The programme was truly incredible to me. Since Day 1, Katie has been very helpful and kind to. It was great to have the one-on-one sessions with my mentor, and also the networking sessions with the whole group. The SIGA summit on Female Leadership in March, celebrating women in sports, was another great moment.
Who was your mentor, and how was the connection between the two?
My mentor was Isobel Carnwath, Branding & Marketing Director at IMMAF. We had a great connection. Since the beginning, she has been very interested in knowing me and helping me to achieve my professional goals. It was also very important to learn about her journey in sports, and the steps she took to be where she is today. She taught me a lot by sharing some of her own experiences. After a few months of the program, she told me there was a vacancy in her team, so I applied and we’ve been working together ever since. By the end of January, we’ll meet in person, in Abu Dhabi, as I’ll be working with her in the MMA World Championship.
What was the best thing the program brought you? What skills did you learn?
The best thing that it brought to me was definitely the connection with Izzy, who eventually became my boss, but still cares for me as my mentor. Since the beginning, she has been sharing so much knowledge with me that it’s hard to point just one skill, but maybe I can highlight the fact that she helped me to learn how to create a Business Plan and a Sponsorship Plan. As a soft skill, it was interesting to work with someone from another country and another culture.
Do you advise other girls to enter the programme? Why?
I certainly do. SIGA’s mentorship programme was life-changing for me. Hopefully, it will be for other girls too. It is a great opportunity to connect with inspiring women and professionals interested in developing sports.
Do you believe this program will help create more opportunities for women in the sports industry? Why?
I do. In my case, it already has. I started working more closely to the sports industry through the program at IMMAF, and now I am heading to my first big international sports event.
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Katie Simmonds, SIGA Global COO and Managing Director #SIGAWomen, invites women from all corners of the world to #StandWithSIGA and join the programme, either as a mentor or as a mentee. “It is a pleasure, passion and duty as a female in the sports industry to lead the SIGA Global Female Mentorship Programme for Aspiring Female Leaders in Sport. The high calibre of Global Mentors, from a diverse cross-section of the industry, shows that this movement is not only gaining traction but is needed. The current status quo of gender balance in the board room of sports organisations is simply not good enough. If we are to increase this, as women working in the industry, we have a responsibility to help the next generation of female leaders. Networking, exchanging valuable practical lessons and tips, as well as offering reassurance and confidence to the next in line is exactly what the programme is about. If you have smashed the glass ceiling g, take a step forward and join us!”
Submit your application!
Related news
SIGAWomen Global Mentorship Programme 2023/204 – Apply Now!
What makes #SIGAWomen mentors special? Find out and apply “I recommend SIGA Mentorship Programme to any woman who aspires to lead in sport” – Taylor Green “My mentor, SIGA leaders and SIGA have taken me under their wing” – Tarryn Horner “The SIGA Mentorship Programme changed my perspective on some subjects” – Inês Alves Caetano “#SIGAWomen Global Mentorship success stories include mentees gaining employment” – Katie Simmonds
Check out some confirmed Mentors and stay tuned for future announcements
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ABOUT SIGA
SIGA is the world´s largest coalition in the field of sport´s governance and integrity. Supported by more than 100 international multi-industry supporters, SIGA is an independent and neutral organisation whose mission is to bring about meaningful reforms and enhance the integrity of all sports through a set of universal standards operated by an independent and neutral body. SIGA is the only organisation to bring together sport, governments, academia, international organisations, sponsors, business, rights holders, NGOs and professional services companies, from every region in the world, around a common cause of fostering greater integrity throughout sport.
Click on the hyperlinks for the list of SIGA Members and Committed Supporters and SIGA Partners.
For more information on SIGA, including its vision, mission and reform agenda, please refer to the website: www.siga-sport.com.
To contact SIGA, please email: [email protected].