4F, the largest Polish sportswear brand owned by OTCF S.A., has become a content partner of the MBA Sport program, which will launch this autumn at the Postgraduate Education Center of Lazarski University in Warsaw. Participants will have the opportunity to develop managerial competencies and gain insights from practitioners with experience in some of the largest sports projects in Poland and worldwide. Among the lecturers will be Małgorzata Kiełpińska, Senior Sports Marketing Manager, and Kacper Domański, Teamwear Manager at OTCF.
The MBA Sport program at the Postgraduate Education Center of Lazarski University was developed by a team of experienced academic lecturers and sports marketing practitioners. It consists of six substantive modules covering, among other things, sports organization management, as well as the economic, social, and legal aspects of sports. One of the most extensive parts of the program focuses on sports marketing and communication, with a dedicated module for enhancing leadership competencies.
– MBA Sport is an innovative postgraduate program combining Polish and international perspectives and experience in sports sector management. It is designed for those who want to develop their managerial skills and apply them in the dynamic sports environment, regardless of the segment or area they are active in. Through collaboration with experts and practitioners from the sports industry, leading organizations in Poland and globally, and the 4F brand – individuals and organizations that understand the unique dynamics of one of the key sectors of the economy – participants will gain not only a strong theoretical foundation but also the practical skills needed to effectively manage sports organizations. The mission of Lazarski University’s Postgraduate Education Center is to prepare participants to anticipate the future. We believe our new MBA Sport program will contribute to the further development of the sports industry through the professionalization of its management staff – said Małgorzata Gałązka-Sobotka, Dean of the Postgraduate Education Center at Lazarski University.
The program is aimed at, among others, managers, leaders of sports organizations and clubs, former and current athletes, as well as experts and consultants looking to expand their knowledge in areas such as sales, marketing, finance, communication, event organization, management, and the use of new technologies in the evolving world of sports.
Participants will benefit from the experiences of experts actively involved in projects in volleyball, basketball, football, athletics, and speedway – and who are passionate about sports. Among them are, for example, Prof. Simon Chadwick, a global authority on sports marketing who has advised FIFA, UEFA, and FC Barcelona; Agata Pniewska, a leading Polish expert formerly associated with ORLEN in sports marketing and sponsorship; Tadeusz Czarniecki, Marketing Director at Oshee; Dawid Prokopowicz, a Google online marketing expert; Kazimierz Romaniec, a lawyer with over 20 years of experience including legal support for Ekstraklasa football clubs; Tomasz Koprowski, long-time marketing director of PGE GiEK Skra Bełchatów and co-founder of Sport Biznes Polska; and Mateusz Dróżdż, now President of Cracovia, formerly of Zagłębie Lubin and Widzew Łódź.
OTCF experts Małgorzata Kiełpińska, Senior Sports Marketing Manager, and Kacper Domański, Teamwear Manager, will also conduct classes, along with inspirational speaker and business coach Przemysław Świercz, former captain of the Polish Amp Football team – long supported by the 4F brand.
– For years, we’ve consistently focused on sports marketing, which has helped 4F become a successful brand in Poland and abroad. We have the knowledge and, most importantly, the experience that we are eager to share to raise the competence level of professionals in the sports industry. Over more than 17 years of working with professional sports, 4F has been present at some of the world’s biggest sporting events, collaborating with top athletes. We’ve built our position as a strategic partner of Polish sports by working with the Polish Athletics Association – a partnership recently extended by another 8 years – as well as the Polish Ski Association and the Polish Basketball Association. We outfit all Orlen Basket League and Orlen Basket Women’s League teams, including Projekt Warszawa and three-time Champions League winners ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle in PlusLiga, as well as players from three PKO BP Ekstraklasa football clubs. We have also been involved in major global events such as the Wings for Life World Run, Four Hills Tournament, and the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Courchevel-Meribel. Additionally, we collaborate individually with athletes as 4F ambassadors, and with international sports federations – said Małgorzata Kiełpińska, Senior Sports Marketing Manager at OTCF S.A.
The MBA Sport program will be held up to three times per month in two-day, weekend sessions (Saturday-Sunday) from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
– The Polish sports sponsorship market is developing very dynamically. It quickly recovered from the pandemic, and according to Sponsoring Insight, it’s now valued at 1.2 billion PLN. As the CEE region’s leader, Poland attracts the most exciting and high-profile sports projects, including international championship events. Some of the world’s top athletes come from Poland and hold immense marketing potential – like our brand ambassador and Poland’s national football team captain Robert Lewandowski, world No. 1 tennis player Iga Świątek, and rising track & field star Natalia Kaczmarek. To continue developing this market, we need a strong foundation of experts with project management skills and the ability to create bold, creative communication concepts – said Kacper Domański, Teamwear Manager at OTCF.
More information about the MBA Sport program at the Postgraduate Education Center of Lazarski University can be found at www.ckp.lazarski.pl/mba/master-of-business-administration-mba-sport.
***
About OTCF S.A.
OTCF S.A. is a Polish company founded in 1995 by Igor Klaja. It specializes in the design, production, and sale of sportswear, footwear, and accessories for professional athletes and amateurs. It owns Poland’s largest sportswear brand 4F, as well as 4F Junior, 4F Fuel, Outhorn, and SportStyleStory. Since 2020, the company has also been the exclusive authorized distributor of Under Armour in Poland.
4F products are available in 42 countries. Over two decades, it has grown from a local brand to one whose logo adorns athletes’ apparel at the world’s most important sporting events, including the Olympic Games. The brand is also active locally – it is a sponsor or technical partner of the Polish Amp Football team, the Polish Ski Association, the Polish Speed Skating Association, and three PKO BP Ekstraklasa clubs: Korona Kielce, Stal Mielec, and Piast Gliwice. It also outfits the Polish national basketball team and all clubs in the Orlen Basket League and Orlen Basket Women’s League. Additionally, it partners with volleyball clubs like Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Projekt Warszawa, and Enea Czarni Radom.
4F has long collaborated with sports ambassadors. Among them are FC Barcelona footballer Robert Lewandowski, personal trainer Anna Lewandowska, speedway rider and four-time world champion (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023) Bartosz Zmarzlik, athletes Maria Żodzik and Martyna Kotwiła, and short track skater Natalia Maliszewska. Previous ambassadors have included ski jumpers Maciej Kot and Kamil Stoch, volleyball player Wilfredo Leon, and tennis player Łukasz Kubot.
Postgraduate Education Center of Lazarski University
The Postgraduate Education Center of Lazarski University is a well-established brand that has successfully competed on the Polish higher education market for nearly 30 years, setting trends in professional education. We are among the top non-public universities in Poland, with the right to confer doctoral and postdoctoral degrees in all faculties.
We are a modern academic unit honored with the “Trusted Brand 2022” title in the “Business Education” category. We support our participants, who long ago realized that the concept of one lifelong job is a thing of the past. We offer a response to those seeking diversity in life (not only in work). We meet the expectations of people looking for high-quality postgraduate education. Our portfolio is built on the highest academic standards and an experienced academic and expert staff. For years, we’ve been transforming into a Center of Excellence. We produce expert opinions and analyses used by public institutions and business organizations. We organize industry conferences and integrate business, administration, and science in support of sustainable socio-economic development.
Photo gallery:
