How FBA Alumnus, Max Rosen, Landed a Job at Atlético Ottawa
“My advice is to keep being hungry and curious, but be patient. Believe in the baby steps because 1000 baby steps are one big step at the end of the day. When the train stops in front of you… JUMP ON IT! Because it’s better to make a mistake than to regret!” – Max Rosen
These words ring true within The Football Business Academy. Candidates hear time and time again to trust the process and be patient, but when the opportunity is present, grab hold of it. Max Rosen is a 5th Edition FBA Alumnus, who has been pivotal in the growth at Atlético Ottawa in Canada. We recently reached out to the Director of Business Development to discuss his journey with The FBA and how he landed a dream job.
What is The Football Business Academy?
The Football Business Academy was founded in 2017 after a major football scandal took place. Our founders saw there was a need to bring more professionalism and ethics to the industry and to foster a sustainable environment for its growth. It was decided that higher education was the most effective way to teach the next generation of leaders. A unique and innovative approach was created to bring in new talent and ideas in a way that bridged the gap between those looking to enter the football industry and the organizations already within it.
The FBA now has over 300 Alumni from over 87 nationalities. Our networking is unparalleled with 90+ Partners and over 2,500 contacts.
The FBA’s strength lies in partnerships and strong industry relationships through which we continuously seek to identify the synergies between their strategic needs and The FBA Candidates’ skills and interests. Through three key pillars, Knowledge, Network and Experience, Candidates are immersed with theoretical knowledge through classes but are also able to experience practical learning, through internships and networking.
Who is Max Rosen
Before attending The Football Business Academy, Max worked as a Sports Coordinator at a College managing matches, practices and tournaments. He knew he always wanted to work in Football (or as North Americans call it, Soccer), but being from Canada with the sport still in early growth stages, he saw that opportunities were low.
He started to do research to see how he could expand his knowledge and grow Canadian football. After finding The Football Business Academy online he says, “I thought it was too good to be true! I did some research, connected with some professors and spoke with past candidates. I found out it was legit.” With the support from his family, he made the choice, jumped on the train and registered. Now within his role at Atlético Ottawa, he wants to help more FBA Candidates find their potential and keep growing the Football Industry.
Success stories like Max’s are important, not only for him and The FBA, but for the future of football. Combining his passion with The FBA’s Professional Master program, shows how dreams can turn into reality. We will see just how Max’s journey has turned into success and growth for him, The FBA and Canadian Football and proves The FBA’s motto, Let’s Build The Future of Football Together.
Understanding The Football Business Academy's Unique Approach
The FBA offers a unique approach to learning. Over the course of one year, Candidates will take 6 months of online classes. Once completed, they are guaranteed 12 weeks of internship in the Football industry. Finally, the course is finished with two months of in-person classes in Lisbon, Portugal. This allows Candidates the flexibility to complete classes from home, but also gives them hands-on experience of working in the industry with many networking opportunities along the way.
According to Max, this is the “perfect recipe”. He says, “it’s a mix of flexibility, commitment, experience and freedom.” He told us that he liked the combination of the hands-on practical approach that includes the Student Business Project, Internship, Networking Events and Field Trips. These really offer great insight into the Football Industry, getting behind the scenes and hands on with Clubs, Federations, Governing Bodies and other football organizations.
Key Skills Gained Through The FBA
When asked about how the program shaped his understanding of the football industry, Max let us know several important things. First, that the classes give great detail into many different types of departments that can be found in the Football Industry. It allowed him to initiate his thoughts on where he might be interested in working after graduation. He also told us “it showed potential and minimal, meaning that it introduced me to people I can look up to, mentors, but it also showed me what I don’t want to be like and I was able to create my own identity”. He went on to say that for program purposes he may have learned from “professors”, but what he would call them is “professionals”. “They know the business, they know the procedures, they are well connected and are great examples.”
The FBA staff also played (and still play) a crucial role in his success. Throughout the program he found the staff was a great mix. Some offered the serious professional side such as how to present oneself and talk to other professionals. Others were more casual and warmer, helping him connect and have fun in the program. The overall professionalism brings together a great group of individuals from admissions to operations and everything in between. By building the connections throughout the program, he can now utilize them for future business or personal needs. This can be extremely important when growing a small club in an area where football is still figuring out how to make their presence larger in the world of football.
Landing the Job at Atlético Ottawa
When Max graduated from The FBA, he had some personal projects to complete and eventually landed back in Canada. He started to apply for a few jobs and was offered 3 different opportunities in sport. However, he tells us it was an easy decision as one of those was an Account Manager position at Atlético Ottawa.
While completing the Master Degree, Max’s internship took place in a ticketing department at a club. Now, his main role is in ticketing sales. This experience is what gave him a leg up in landing the role. Additionally, as The FBA supports Alumni for life, he told us, Deputy CEO Kristian Dobrev, played a key role in helping with the process.
Max’s Role At Atlético Ottawa
With hard work, patience, opportunities and dedication, Max was promoted from Account Manager to Director of Business Development in less than a year. He oversees multiple areas including ticketing sales, partnerships, non-stadium revenues, international programs and more. He manages a team of 10-15 professionals ranging from sales managers, account executives, game-day coordinators, development program coaches, interns and volunteers.
He has led initiatives in many programs within the club such as Madrid Experiences and the Powered By program. Powered By fosters relationships with local clubs across Ottawa and beyond. When the program began only a few years ago, there were only 7 clubs within a 20-minute radius of Atlético Ottawa. Now, there are over 20 partners in 3 regions, two provinces and 14 cities (and the list keeps growing). In addition to Powered By, he also builds strong partnerships with local school boards to introduce football programs. Lastly, he established a U14-15 Identification Program for the U-21 Development Program, creating valuable opportunities for young players and coaches in Canada.
Not only has he expanded football outside of his club through partnerships, but Max has also helped the club achieve double-digit increase in revenues year after year. There has been a consistent growth in season ticket membership and in attendance since his arrival to the club in 2021.
How Max is Supporting The FBA and Beyond
Max attended one of The FBA’s first editions which was unfortunately during the time of Covid. As such, he did not feel that his internship experience was as rewarding as it could have been. However, despite this small setback, he saw and understood the impact an internship has on landing a job after graduation. Because of his experience, he was able to establish a Partnership with The FBA and create an internship program at Atlético Ottawa for future FBA Candidates. The program makes it easier for interns to understand how small clubs work. He says, “it brings me joy to be one of the reasons their internship was a success”.
While this partnership benefits The FBA as we expand into North American football, it is truly beneficial to the club as well. With two Masters Editions every year, Max’s goal is to have 2 interns from each. This means he has 4 interns over the course of a year getting a lot of work done for the club. Creating partnerships like this demonstrates to Atlético Ottawa that he is dedicated to creating partnerships all over the world to help them reach their goals. It’s a win-win for The FBA, for the Club and for himself on a professional and personal level.
As Max continues to stay involved with The FBA, he would like to have 4 interns per year as well as one Student Business Project per year. As a part of The FBAs program, Candidates must complete a final project. These projects consist of a group utilizing knowledge learned throughout the program and working closely with a Club or Federation to complete a junior consulting project. Our 14th Edition worked with Max and Atlético Ottawa to find ways to Maximize Stadium Revenue and Leverage Data. As this is a real project that the club is working on, Max is now able to take this information and use it in real time to help grow revenue and take the initiative to target desired audiences. It has also given Candidates a taste for what may be in their future.
Lastly, as he continues to grow his knowledge, Max hopes one day to give back even more to The FBA by becoming a professor or guest lecturer. In his position already, he has spoken with many potential candidates to continue expanding future opportunities not only for him, but also The FBA. As one can see, if you leverage all of the tools and networking offered by The FBAs program, it is possible to land the dream opportunity and continue to build the future of football together.
Tips for Aspiring Candidates
“Forget the past, don’t overthink the future: Live in the Moment.” -Max Rosen
As Max has worked with many Candidates from The FBA, he has had the opportunity to really understand what to bring and what advice to give. When looking for interns, he says, “we want sharks, and we get sharks. We want interns that bring hunger, the will to learn, the will to work and the will to sell. Additionally, he knows The FBA has a huge network. Taking advantage of this will be very important in your success.
If you are interested in learning more about The Football Business Academy and its Professional Master Degree in Football Business, you can find out more here. The FBA offers two Editions every year, once in March and once in September. Applications are currently open for the September 2025 and March 2026 Editions.
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