Recruitment special – EURO 2020

With 13 host cities in 13 different countries, UEFA EURO 2020 represents a bold, unique and exciting new challenge. As we begin the search for fresh talent to help us make it the best EURO yet, we asked UEFA's Guillaume Poisson, the man responsible for recruiting for the new roles, to talk us through the challenges ahead and outline the qualities that he is looking for in potential candidates.

Guillaume, can you explain a little about your role with relation to UEFA EURO 2020?

My position is head of host country projects, which really means that I'm responsible for everything happening outside the stadiums: dealing with host countries, host cities and local authorities at national and local levels. It's a really fantastic challenge – having to understand the unique needs and agendas of all 13 host cities, and helping to integrate them and look after them, so that ultimately, everyone considers the tournament a great success.

You have created two new exciting roles to help you fulfil these challenges. Let's start with the spectator services & relations manager role. What can you tell us about this position?
Looking after the spectator is an absolutely essential part of our work at UEFA. Simply put, we want to make sure that they are looked after in the very best possible way in every single host city. Because of the wide footprint of the tournament ─ 13 cities with different languages and different cultures ─ an extra level of care, attention and detail will be required with regards to how we achieve this satisfaction. So I think it's absolutely crucial that whoever comes into this role has a great understanding of spectators and their needs; who they are and how they move, in order to accommodate them better and to enrich their experience when they come to us.

We must also think carefully about how we communicate with them: our future audience is currently 15 years old, so what platforms are they using now? What platforms will they be using in four years' time? What tone of voice should we be speaking with? That's why I think the right candidate for this role will need a real understanding of digital platforms, and how to use them creatively to reach the right audiences.

And how about the host country relations manager position? What qualities are you looking for there?
It's a fantastic opportunity. This person will be the account manager for all the cities and all the countries. Each destination is truly different – not just from a language and culture perspective, but also in terms of their level of experience, so each city will have different needs and will rely on us for different things at different times.

We're really looking for someone that is very open and diplomatic, that loves building and maintaining great relationships, and who has proven experience in dealing with a really wide group of stakeholders ─ from local authorities and governments to sponsors and broadcasters. With the amount of different agreements, contracts and guarantees that are in play for this kind of event, it's also definitely desirable that the right candidate can understand, implement and enforce them where necessary. Some experience with a big sporting event would definitely be helpful too.

In terms of personal characteristics, I think it's really important that this person is very comfortable being at the centre of the action, loves working with people and has a strong sense of anticipation – someone who always knows how to prevent potential clashes that might be coming down the road.

How would you describe the benefits of working here at UEFA from a personal and a professional point of view?
Well, it's a perfect opportunity to work in one of the biggest sports organisations in the world, with the chance to focus specifically on playing a key role in delivering one of the biggest worldwide sporting events. It's a wonderful opportunity for someone to step in, to use their creativity and to express their potential in a world-class environment, and also to be in direct contact with the highest level of key stakeholders, as well as being an ambassador for UEFA in those cities.

Beyond that, there's also a great opportunity to be in constant contact with other project leaders within UEFA: marketing, TV, communications, legal, venue operations and more. So, while I'm sure that we will learn lots from whoever fills these new roles, there's also the opportunity for them to learn and grow themselves.