What can Selim do?
Give a quick overview of your work experience (jobs, internships, volunteering)?
Commercial leader turned sports professional. 13 years across L'Oréal, Coty, Adidas, Reckitt, and Nestlé, managing key accounts, building partnerships, and driving ecommerce growth across global markets. My last role at Nestlé had P&L responsibility for supermarket customers generating $60M USD annually.
But sport has always been the other side of my life. I co-founded a rugby club during university, coached and administered it for over a decade, and built Turkey's first Women's Touch Rugby team from scratch. Today I'm completing a Master's in Sports Management at UTS and serving as Competition Manager for Boccia Australia across international, national, and state titles.
Do you have a track record of delivering measurable outcomes or KPIs?
Boccia Australia Competition Manager:
Prior to my involvement, attendance at the NSW State Titles had plateaued at 30 participants. Ahead of the next titles, I led outreach to schools and partner organisations, coordinated digital announcements, and ran a series of test-and-learn activation activities. Attendance grew to 40 participants, a 33% increase. In a sport where increasing participation among people with disabilities is genuinely difficult, that number matters.
Adidas Omnichannel & Partnerships Lead:
Built the Adidas Runners Istanbul community from zero. Recruited two run captains and structured bi-weekly group runs, scaling from 30 participants in the first six months to 120 active members by the end of year one. Developed micro-influencer partnerships and a product sampling strategy to drive organic visibility. The programme delivered a 6x ROI within 12 months based on organic digital reach and sampling costs alone, recognised internally as a best practice, earning an additional €10K budget allocation applied to a digital campaign and the adidas.com.tr Black Friday activation.
What technical or industry-specific skills do you bring?
Competition management across international, national, and state-level events
Participant registration, ticketing, scheduling, and logistics coordination
Volunteer coordination and team administration
Designed and executed participation growth strategies in underserved communities
Built grassroots sport communities from zero
School and community outreach for sport activation
Sport partnership development and activation
Micro-influencer and ambassador programme design
Sponsor and stakeholder communication
Budget tracking & ROI measurement for sport activations
Sales Skills for Ticketing & Memberships with CRM and key account management experience
E-commerce and digital campaign management
What tools/platforms/software are they proficient in?
Technical Skills: Power BI, AMS, Salesforce, Shopify, SAP, Salesforce, Tableau, Asana, Monday.com, Google Analytics, Canva, Microsoft Office, SQL
Personal Skills: Sales, Community Building, Team Leadership, Event Management, Partnership Building, Account Management
What qualifications, certifications, or degrees do you hold?
Qualifications: UTS Sports Management Master's
Koc University Business Administration Bachelor's Degree
Saint Joseph High School Full French Education & Fluent in English
I have always tried to stay humble, open to learning, hungry to improve, and resilient in my approach to my work.
What makes me different is that I understand what needs to be done, when to step in, and how to communicate well with people. I have always tried to stay humble, open to learning, hungry to improve, and resilient in my approach to my work. I respect the work I do and try to do it properly while building strong, genuine relationships with the people around me.
That combination of humility, adaptability, resilience, and communication is what I believe sets me apart.
What steps has Selim taken to break into the sports industry?
To be proactive and stay connected to the Australian sports industry while completing my Master’s degree, I actively pursued volunteering and hands-on experience across different sporting environments. I first joined the City of Sydney Bronze Volunteer Program to gain exposure to sports event operations and community-based sport. After that, I volunteered at major events such as City2Surf and Ironman Sydney. I also volunteered with Boccia Australia, where my involvement later developed into a Competition Manager role on a volunteer basis. This gave me valuable experience in competition operations, athlete support, and volunteer coordination. Sydney Sharks Basketball: teaching basketball to seven-year-olds and developing my communication, leadership, and coaching skills. I also attended ASPD and sports networking conferences to expand my professional network, and because I was not familiar with AFL, I started attending games to better understand the culture, structure, and fan experience of Australian sport.
Selim's interest in sport all started from competing in sport at a professional level and co-founding a university rugby team
I've competed in basketball at a professional level and founded a university rugby team, but I never made it to the Olympic stage or became a high-performance athlete. Instead, I chose to help those who can. I know firsthand what that level demands. That's why, beyond my own goals, I want to do three things: help high-performers who want to reach their peak, with the structure and discipline I know it takes; ignite the fire in people who have the drive but haven't acted on it yet; take what I've learned through my own journey and make it easier, more structured, and actionable for others
Since then, Selim has gone on to work in partnerships, commercial strategy, and competition management, achieving things like
Achievement 1 | Achievement 2 | Achievement 3 |
|---|---|---|
Built the Adidas Runners Istanbul community from zero to 120 active members in year one, delivering a 6x ROI within 12 months and earning an additional €10K budget allocation | Grew Boccia Australia's NSW State Titles attendance by 33%, from 30 to 40 participants, through targeted school and community outreach in a participation space where growth is genuinely hard to come by | Represented Finish's Skip the Rinse / Save the Water campaign by running a 10K at Salt Lake, Turkey, paired with a brand activation marking the return of flamingos to the lake after years of drought |
Where does Selim want to go?
Next 6 - 12 months | Next 5 - 10 years |
|---|---|
My biggest goal is to be part of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic partnerships team. But between now and then, I want to build experience across different environments, so my answer starts with the Olympics and Paralympics. Beyond that, the NBL and UFC are two organisations I follow closely and would be genuinely excited to work with AIS, Sport Integrity Australia, National Sports Tribunal, AOC, World Rugby 2027, NSW Athletics, NSWIS, QAS, BNSW | Within 5 years, I want to be in a senior management or director-level role within a sports organisation, leading teams, building the right culture, and taking the actions that drive real results. Within 10 years, at 46, I want to be at C-level in my organisation while simultaneously leading an NGO or volunteering body as chair or president; my goal is to be part of the Olympic team from the ground up, involved in building the processes from scratch and playing a meaningful role in partnerships and commercial sales. |
What sporting problem keeps Selim up at night, and how would you solve it?
One of the stories I would really like to bring to life is making sport more inclusive. My experience with Boccia showed me that sport can genuinely be for everyone. Boccia is a game that people with different physical abilities can play, compete in, and enjoy together. Being around that environment helped me understand how powerful sport can be when it creates a space where people feel they belong.
I am also aware that in Australia, many girls start playing team sports at a young age, but by around age 14, a significant number begin to drop out. That is why I would like to help create a sporting culture that is more inclusive, more welcoming, and more sustainable; a culture where everyone can participate, feel comfortable being themselves, and see sport as part of their life, not just something they do for a few years.
This is also connected to my own experience in Turkey. I helped establish the first women’s touch rugby team there. At the beginning, it was very informal, through people close to our rugby team, but over time, it grew into something much bigger. That experience taught me that inclusion does not always start with perfect systems or big budgets. Sometimes it starts with awareness, invitation, persistence, and the creation of the right environment.
With that mindset, I would like to contribute to projects that reduce barriers to participation, especially for women, young people, and people with disabilities. For me, inclusive sport is not only about access; it is about belonging, confidence, and helping people build a lifelong relationship with sport.
What is Selim like?
What kind of environment do you thrive in?
I really value being part of a team that continuously helps me grow and where people genuinely build strong relationships with each other. For me, it is important to work with people from different cultures and backgrounds and to create a sense of harmony in which everyone contributes their own perspective.
What would truly motivate me is being part of a tribe that shares a common mindset, almost like writing a shared manifesto together. I want to work hard, but I also want to work with people who have principles, trust, and a clear sense of purpose. Being in that kind of environment would be genuinely fulfilling for me.
When have you had to show resilience in your life or career?
One of the times I showed the most resilience was when I helped establish my university rugby team from scratch. Rugby was not a well-known sport in that environment, and most of the budget and attention were focused on American football. We had to explain the sport to people, create interest, build a team, and then work towards making it official. The biggest challenge was that many people either did not understand the sport or were not initially interested in it. So we had to keep believing in the story we wanted to create, even when there was very little support around us. Convincing people, building momentum, and staying committed to the vision required real resilience.
Another example was during my time at adidas as an Omnichannel & Partnership Lead. I originally joined to work closely under the Marketing Director, but shortly after I started, the person in that role left, and I worked for about 6 months without a direct manager. During that period, I reported directly to the General Manager, which was challenging but also a major learning experience. I was involved in projects such as LEGO collaborations and football club kit launches, and I had to quickly understand C-level expectations. I managed this by maintaining clear communication, providing regular updates, and holding pre-alignment meetings before key decisions. That experience taught me how to stay calm under pressure, manage ambiguity, and take ownership even when the structure around me was not perfect.
What about Selim interests outside of work?
What are your interests outside of work?
I play rugby and basketball.
I love to play the trumpet and am a big fan of movies from different cultures.
I love reading about philosophy and esoteric
What is your favourite sporting moment?
Lebron James 3-1 comeback and saying, " Cleveland, this is for you", is one of the amazing stories that I witnessed.
I would also mention Khabib Nurmagomedov's victory over Conor McGregor as one of the most iconic sporting moments in recent years. The fight was bigger than just the result because of the rivalry, the tension, and the global attention around it.
What’s your ideal holiday?
Visit a place I've never been before and live like a local while learning about the local culture, including its music, art, and food.
If you had 30 minutes to pick the brain of anyone, who would it be and why?
Honestly, I would be curious to spend 30 minutes inside David Goggins’ mind. I would want to understand how he talks to himself in difficult moments, how he pushes through pain, and where his motivation really comes from.
What fascinates me is that he can take criticism, negative comments, and difficult experiences and turn them into fuel. Most people try to avoid negativity, but he uses it to push himself further. I would love to understand that mindset more deeply.
What’s one book or podcast that’s helped your career you recommend?
The book that has significantly improved my career is "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself" by Joe Dispenza. What I learned from this book is the importance of becoming more aware of my own patterns, how I think, how I react under pressure, and how old habits can limit my growth. It helped me understand that if I want different results, I can't continue operating with the same mindset and automatic behaviours. This concept has been particularly valuable during periods of change in my life. Moving to Australia, pursuing a Master’s degree, rebuilding my network in the sports industry, and stepping into new environments all required me to challenge my old identity and become more intentional about who I wanted to be professionally.
For me, this book is not just about personal development; it also emphasises discipline, self-awareness, and taking responsibility for how I present myself each day.
Additional details
Where in the world are you located, and where are you open to work?
Sydney
What is the most important consideration for you in your next role?
Working for a cause that I care about and share the same values & purpose with the company that I am planning to work for
What others say about Selim
Selim is reliable, proactive, and easy to work with. His support during difficult moments can reassure the audience of his resilience and team spirit. He likes taking initiative, understands where to step in, and communicates well with different people. He is also someone you would want next to you in difficult moments; he stays calm, finds a practical solution, convinces top management and crucial decision-makers, and keeps moving forward when things get challenging.
What questions does Selim have for employers?
Since I came here, I realised that there is always a balance between performance, participation, commercial outcomes, and community impact. For this organisation, which of those areas is the biggest priority right now, and where could this role make the most meaningful contribution?
From your perspective, what separates someone who simply does the job from someone who genuinely adds value to the organisation in this role?
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