Frank Leenders' Sliding Doors

Often in life it is a matter of the sliding doors effect. And also of merit, without which good luck soon fades away. This was also the case for Frank Leenders, a 54 year old from the Netherlands, Director General of FIBA Media and Marketing Services, who graduated with a degree in Economics and Business in St. Gallen, got an MBA at SDA Bocconi School of Management and is current Topic Leader of the Bocconi Alumni Sport Topic Group. "When I was in St. Gallen I was able to do a six-month internship at ISL Marketing, a company of the Dassler family, the owner of Adidas, which worked with important governing bodies and federations such as UEFA, FIFA and the IOC. They were the first to launch real sports marketing programs and I was in the right place at the right time," says Leenders, whose first real assignment was during the Italia '90 World Cup. "I then joined the startup TEAM Marketing in 1992, where I participated in the launch and development of the UEFA Champions League from its first season, a project that revolutionized the old European Cup. I stayed there for a number of years, becoming Managing Director and board member."

In 2010 he co-founded his own sports marketing company, Value-Experience, which was called for consultancy by FIBA, the International Basketball Federation: "And here begins the second part of my career, which continues to this day. The Secretary General at the time, Patrick Baumann, wanted us to join FIBA and implement our plans, and we accepted. I've always loved sports in general, not basketball in particular," says Leenders, "but that's an advantage in the end, because you don't have to be too much emotionally involved. Passion yes, but with detachment." Basketball is one of the sports with the most fans in the world, and it also has a peculiarity: "There is FIBA, which governs the sport at the global level, and at the level of the clubs there is also the NBA, which is a great asset for our sport and has incredible visibility. We have a very strong relationship with them and they are part of our governance. In Europe, on the other hand, I believe that basketball still has a much greater commercial potential than it expresses now."

Leenders arrived in Italy, and at Bocconi, through the desire to experience another country, learn another language and also because of SDA Bocconi's reputation: "It was a fortunate choice, decisive for my career and my life, and I have remained very close to Bocconi and my class. From that, a few years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, came the idea of returning to make an active contribution." Contact with Alumni and the proposal to lead the Sport Topic Group were the next step: "It's a fantastic and stimulating environment. My business always takes me around the world and I can't always be available with regard to the Alumni physical sports activities," continues Leenders, "but my contacts have been useful to bring to Bocconi important events and figures with their testimonies. Getting back to basketball, for example, I think of the president of the Italian Federation, Gianni Petrucci, the secretary general of FIBA, Andreas Zagklis, and champions of our sport, such as Luis Scola, Damjan Rudez and Aleksandar Djordjevic, involved in a conference in 2022. We want to organize a conference every year related to a sporting event in Italy in that same year. And I also give lectures and speak as a guest speaker both at the University and at SDA."

During the interview, Frank Leenders conveys a great passion for all that he does, whether it is his job in the strict sense or in his role as a Topic Group Leader. Are sports managers privileged? "In a way, yes," he admits, "sport is an exciting environment that has a lot of visibility. It's a dynamic world , which is also inspiring."