Executive Board Members

Prof. Thierry Zintz is the Dean of the Faculty of Sports Sciences of the Université catholique de Louvain. He is also Vice President of the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee and member of the Board of Archery World – Europe. Thierry has earned his Ph.D. in Physical Education (Management of Sport Organizations) from the University catholique de Louvain (Belgium) in 2004, where he also graduated in Physical Education in 1977.

Since 2005 he has been teaching Management of Sport at the Université catholique de Louvain. He is also an invited lecturer at the Université de Poitiers and at ESSEC (Paris) as well as a researcher in Sport Management (having published several articles and two books on the topic).

Thierry is the director of the MEMOS Programme (Executive Master in Management of Sport Organisations). This programme is a co-organisation of the International Olympic Committee and twelve universities in the world.

Major areas of interest and expertise: ‘Organisational Configurations of National Sport Federations’ and ‘Change Management in Sport Organisations’, with particular focus on the relation between professional and volunteer actors, management and recruitment.

Vilma Cingiene is a professor of the Faculty of Politics and Management at the Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania. She is a founder and co-ordinator of the Master degree study program „Sports Industry Management“.

 
Having graduated from Lithuanian Physical Education Institute with Physical Education degree, she holds PhD in Social Sciences (economics) from Moscow State Lomonosov University.

 
Vilma is an initiator and co-ordinator of different national and European projects and serves as Qualification system implementation and management expert in various working groups. Also she is a delegated member by National sports authorities to EC expert group “Sport Statistics” (2011-2014) and „Economic Dimention of Sport“ (2014-2017)“.

Major areas of interest and expertise: ‘Sports and Economics’, ‘Sport Development and Business’

Jean Louis Gouju is currently scientific advisor to the French Ministry of High Education on the issues of education, training and employment.

He holds a PhD on the competence analysis in the sport system and has occupied several positions including vice president of the deans of the sport’s science faculties of France till 2006 and the Secretary General of CAFEMAS (French Analysis Centre of training, employment and profession in sport and active leisure ) till July 2013.

Jean-Louis established some strong relationship at the national and EU level with key stakeholders of the sector and conducted several researches and focus groups in the field of sport.

Major areas of interest and expertise: ‘European Qualification Framework’, ‘Professional training and certification in sport’ and ‘Skills development in the sport and active leisure sector’.

Mairit Pellinen is currently working as the International coordinator for the Sport Institute of Finland and the HAAGA-HELIA University of Applied Sciences. She holds a Master of Sciences in Physical Education from the University of Jyväskylä, Specialist Qualification in Management and a vocational qualification for sport instructor.

Graduated from the University of Jyväskylä in 1988, Mairit’s work experience includes working for the Sport Federation, several Finnish Municipalities and the Private sector. She has been involved in international networks and different EU-projects since 1997.

Major areas of interest and expertise: ‘Learning Mobility’, ‘International work placement’, ‘Sport Development and Management’

Dr. Nicos L. Kartakoulis is a Professor of Organizational Behaviour and Sport Management at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. He is the Head of the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Sport Management and Vice President for Development and University Relations.

Having graduated with a BSc in Health/Physical Education and Human Performance from the Michigan State University he then obtained a MBA in Tourism and Hospitality Management from the University of Leicester. He holds a PhD in Sports Management, from the University of Southampton.

He served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Sport Oganisation. His career has included senior positions in academic institutions, Government, national and international sport organizations and research institutes. He as served as the National Correspondent of the Youth Board of the Republic of Cyprus to the Council of Europe, and offered hisservices to FIFA, UEFA and the International Olympic Committee, and is also an International Faculty Member to the United States Sports Academy and a Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa, Canada.

Major areas of interest and expertise: ‘Sport and leisure Economy, Management and Marketing’, ‘International relations‘.