From Intern to Full-Time Employee: Amelie Wingsch Shares Her SPORTFIVE Journey
Published on
by Kristin Podewils
From an internship with the Hamburger SV team to Direct Sales and now After Sales: Amelie Wingsch has taken her first career steps at SPORTFIVE. In this interview, she reflects on the experiences she gained along the way, the lessons that shaped her most during her time in Direct Sales, and what she values most about working at SPORTFIVE.
In this Insight:
How did you join SPORTFIVE, and what was it like getting started?
I studied Sports Management in Hamburg and, alongside my studies, worked as a student assistant in the sports editorial team at the Hamburger Morgenpost. SPORTFIVE had been on my radar since my school days, and I was determined to gain practical experience there. During my semester break, I completed an internship with the HSV team at SPORTFIVE and joined the Direct Sales department straight after graduating.
I received a great onboarding experience and had plenty of time to settle into my role. There was no pressure to learn everything at once. In general, I find the working environment at SPORTFIVE very open and supportive, and that was true from day one in Katharina Smith's Direct Sales team as well. That positive atmosphere was something I noticed right from the start.
Direct Sales is SPORTFIVE’s “Sales Academy” for young talents. What was your time there like?
In Direct Sales, employees spend a year learning about both SPORTFIVE and the fundamentals of sales from the ground up. The team supports cross-club hospitality and advertising sales, works at matchdays in stadiums, and spends several weeks embedded within the teams of SPORTFIVE’s partner clubs. During my time in the program, I worked with ten different clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Hertha BSC, and VfB Stuttgart, and found it fascinating to see how each organization operates. At the same time, I experienced every club team as welcoming, approachable, and incredibly supportive of us trainees.
One of the highlights for me was the close interaction with clients. We were encouraged to communicate directly with customers as much as possible, which helped me develop tremendously, not only professionally but also on a personal level. The comprehensive sales training sessions led by our internal coach, Marcus Hoppe, were another key part of the experience.
After the program, participants typically move into a sales role within one of SPORTFIVE’s club teams. One colleague, for example, joined the Schalke 04 team, another moved to the Borussia Dortmund team, and another colleague relocated to Amsterdam to work with the Dutch market. It was a truly great experience, and many lasting friendships were formed along the way.
The positive atmosphere and the open, supportive culture at SPORTFIVE are things I genuinely appreciate and value every day.
How did you end up moving into After Sales with the HSV team?
About six months into the program, Christoph Schulze Düllo, Head of Sales at SPORTFIVE's HSV team, asked whether I would support him with the Hamburg Open Tennis project. The work was more focused on coordination: I spent a lot of time researching corporate sponsorship opportunities and discussing internally with colleagues how these could be positioned with the companies they worked with. It was an exciting addition to my day-to-day responsibilities.
During my time in Direct Sales, I completed placements with clubs other than HSV, as I had already gotten to know the HSV team during my internship. Even so, I stayed in close contact with the team and continued supporting the commercialization of the HSV women’s team. If I’m honest, I don’t think I’m the typical salesperson by nature. That’s why I was particularly pleased when the opportunity to join the HSV team in an After Sales role came up.
What are your responsibilities in After Sales at HSV, and how do you like being part of the team?
I look after existing club partners and make sure the rights and services agreed in their contracts are delivered. I’m also involved on matchdays at the Volksparkstadion. My responsibilities include coordinating pitch-side advertising, for example, as well as planning events where these are part of a partnership agreement. I’m the operational point of contact at SPORTFIVE for around 15 companies. So I still have a lot of interaction with clients, but in a very different way from my time in Direct Sales.
I feel very much at home in the team. It’s an open, fun group of people, and we get along really well on a personal level, too. From day one, I experienced a great deal of openness and support, both within the core After Sales team and across the wider team. A lot of time was dedicated to my onboarding, and I’ve never felt like I was asking a stupid question. What I truly value about SPORTFIVE is the positive atmosphere and the open, supportive culture.
Interested in a career at SPORTFIVE? Find out more on our Careers Portal.
