CMS Business School, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) conducted a guest lecture on “Opportunities and Happenings – Sports Management Industry” as part of the Speaker Series, an initiative of HR Café, a club activity of the Organizational Behavior and Human Resources (OB&HR) Area on March 19, 2021. The coordinators for the session were Dr. Ujjal Mukherjee, Associate Professor and Area Chair - Organizational Behavior and Human Resources at CMS Business School, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), and Dr. Gayathri. R. - Assistant Professor, CMS Business School, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University). A total of 24 students pursuing an MBA in HR attended the session.

The guest speaker for the session was Mr. Srinnivasan Gopalakrishnan CEO - SporJo. Mr. Srinnivasan has worked with various sports management organizations such as IMG, BCCI, Nike, and ESPN Sports. He is now the CEO of the sports management firm, SporJo, which provides several courses for all the related verticals of sports management.

The prime objective of the session was to introduce the students to the concept and scope of sports management; an interdisciplinary field that requires skills and concepts related to management, finance, marketing, and law associated with the sports industry. Mr. Srinnivasan highlighted the competency parameters that can be mapped for the sports management profile. He spoke about the personality and proficiency level required for the industry. He further explained the role and significance of assessments. He emphasized mentoring of students on sports entrepreneurship and associated initiatives. He explained how students pursuing an MBA in HR can have a lucrative career in sports management. He also spoke about certification programs relevant to sports management. There was also a discussion on how COVID-19 has affected the job market related to sports management.