Graduate Profile

Graduate Certificate of Business (Sport Management), Burwood, Graduated 2005
Master of Business (Sport Management), Burwood, Graduated 2008

Currently: General Manager Commercial Operations, Melbourne Cricket Club.

A Master of Business in sport management from Deakin has helped Lisa Trainor kick several goals - career wise, that is. Lisa has worked in the sports field for over a decade. Initially, she was operations manager at the North Melbourne Football Club, then, in 2002, she gained a position at the famous Melbourne Cricket Club, quickly becoming the club's corporate marketing manager.

It was at that point that Lisa decided to study. 'I was looking for a challenge and I thought that doing some qualifications would help me get into a different role,' she says. Lisa did not hold an undergraduate degree but submitted a letter to Deakin's Faculty of Business and Law, asking to be admitted to the Graduate Certificate of Business (sport management) based on her industry experience. She was successful and, by undertaking four subjects, completed the qualification in one year, while continuing in her full-time position. On achieving excellent results in the Graduate Certificate, Lisa was immediately accepted into Deakin's Master of Business.

After four years as MCC's corporate marketing manager, Lisa was appointed to her current general manager's role. She loves being a part of one of Australia's most recognised venues. 'I enjoy the diversity of what I do and the MCG is a great iconic venue,' she says. 'The MCC is a fantastic club to work for as it is one of the largest and most prestigious clubs in the world.'

The bounce of the ball on AFL Grand Final Day, the Boxing Day Test and Anzac Day footy match are all exciting times, Lisa says, but her favourite moments come from the challenge to produce something special in a short time. 'We recently hosted the Sound Relief Concert for bushfire victims and the Tsunami Appeal cricket match back in 2005. To be part of a group that can pull together such significant events in such short periods of time is fantastically unique - on both occasions we had to turn the stadium inside out and then put it back together again for our cricket and football commitments within the same week,' she explains.

Lisa is responsible for the marketing and business related initiatives at the MCG, including corporate sales, business development, and commercial arrangements with sponsors, suppliers, advertisers and merchandisers. She says her Deakin course helped her attain the position as well as preparing her for performing the role. 'It increased my knowledge base on a theoretical and practical level and gave me specific research techniques and teachings that are directly relevant to my role,' she says.

The course subject matter - spread across finance, law, management and organisational behaviour, Lisa describes as 'excellent', and says she also liked 'the relevance of course content and in hindsight, the focus on group work and presentations to class'. She was also happy with staff input. 'The lecturers with industry experience were excellent,' she says. The one aspect of university she did not expect was the focus on group work and the amount of research required. 'One lecturer expected no less than 30 references per paper!'

After choosing Deakin because of its excellent reputation in the sports industry, Lisa found she had more to gain than a qualification. 'Having always worked in the commercial sports industry, I gained insights and greater awareness of some of the complex issues facing not-for-profits and national sports organisations.'