Nicole Serfaty is an Account Manager of Premium Service at MLSE. Just like fellow MLSE employee Genadyne Charr, Nicole is a co-founder for GroundbreakHERs. Actually, she’s playing a large role in planning, organizing and executing the upcoming Summer Social in particular. In fact, she’s leading it!
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What’s more, Nicole Serfaty has a Bachelor of Commerce. Her focus seemed to always be in sports though. From 2013-2016, Nicole worked as an events assistant at Richmond Hill Golf Club, where she laid the groundwork and execution for their many events. Fast forward 6-7 months and Nicole was hired by MLSE, where she’s been working now for over two years. We chatted with Nicole about her career in sport, role in GroundbreakHERs and the upcoming Summer Social. Enjoy!
Tell us about your role as an Account Manager of Premium Service with MLSE
As an Account Manager of Premium Service, I focus on Suiteholders within the Ticket Sales and Service Department. I manage Suiteholder accounts on a day-to-day basis, helping the administrators of the suites manage the product(s) they have with us. Another key focus is building relationships with the Suiteholder throughout the season and throughout their tenure with us.
Each day definitely varies. Throughout the season, there’s many emails and phone calls in preparation for a game day. Throughout the off-season, there’s a lot of planning to ensure we are prepared to kick-off the season smoothly.
How did working events at the Richmond Hill Golf Club for nearly 4 years help you prepare for your role with MLSE?
My years at Richmond Hill Golf Club, allowed me to develop my relationship-building skills. This is a huge asset to my current role as I focus on developing relationships with the administrators and decision-makers of each suite that I manage. In hindsight, it has also greatly helped with the planning of my first GroundbreakHERs event! Event planning is not a day-to-day function of my current role, but working with the GroundbreakHERs has allowed me to bring in my years of experience at the course and apply it to our Summer Social.
What are three skills you wouldn’t be able to work in sport without and why?
1 Adaptability
Working in sports is unpredictable. You could be eliminated in Round 2, Game 7 and be ready for the summer planning to start. Or Kawhi could shoot the shot; taking you into Round 3 and then you find yourself preparing to continue on to make a run for a Championship. There are no guarantees in sport and therefore, there are no guarantees in working in sport. In order to be successful in this industry, you have to be willing and able to adapt to the environment and situations that surround you.
2 Innovation
I have seen this industry and company grow greatly in the past 2 years. During my tenure, our department has constantly strived to develop improved processes to ensure a better experience for our members, suiteholders and fans. I find that if one is not innovating, one is not growing the business in a positive way.
3 Collaboration
Our department is one big team that would not be able to function without all its different units. It’s important to be able to work well with other teams in the department, in order to ensure smooth processes, innovation and a positive work environment.
Tell us how you first became involved with GroundbreakHERs and what does it mean to you?
The GroundbreakHERs was an idea my colleague (and friend), Danielle Henry, brought to me and a few other women in the department. At the time there was no individual or group that focused on the growth of women in the sports business industry. When Danielle brought the idea of creating events catering to this exact purpose, I didn’t have to think twice before agreeing to help. The concept has developed from women in sport-focused events to a women’s community and network that helps individuals create and develop connections.
Tell us about your role in planning, organizing and executing the Summer Social in as much detail as you can
The Summer Social is the event I chose to lead, so I have been heavily involved in the planning and organization of the event. It started with a concept, more than anything, to host a Summer Social outside of any of our venues. The idea to tie in a Pop-Up Market came a little later as a great way to promote Female Entrepreneurs within the city. From there my teammate Danielle and I started scouting venues to find a space that aligned with our vision. We were lucky to find The Loft at Baro. It not only aligned with what we were looking for, but our event aligned with their values as well resulting in them willing to sponsor the event. From there, we began focusing on securing vendors, food and beverage sponsors. When it comes to organizing the event as it approaches, Danielle has been an excellent resource for me to rely on. We’re sharing the responsibility of managing the vendors and sponsors to ensure everything is prepared and ready to go for July 30.
In terms of execution, we are lucky to have the full GroundbreakHERs team to help on the event day. We have pre-assigned roles leading up to the event so that everyone knows what they are responsible for managing and when. Along with overseeing the event, I will be running our Social Media to cover the event on GroundbreakHERs Instagram.
Nicole Serfaty
Interview by SPMA
Posted July 25, 2019 in Industry Profiles