Athletes Excelling After Sport

Your company’s leaders are likely to be a former athlete, and even more likely in the case of female c-level executives.

This month I'm proud to introduce another one of my former teammates Mike Goemans. Mike has a strong background managing Quality Control processes in the biotechnology sector, and recently became a Regulatory Compliance Officer for the Canadian Federal Government. Highlights below:

1. What sports did you play growing up?
I grew up playing every sport I could, which often meant 2-3 sports at a time, but competitively it was hockey during the winter and baseball during the summer. I ended up landing a NCAA Division 1 scholarship for baseball, and also had the chance to represent Canada at the Junior World Baseball Championships.

2. Can you explain your journey from collegiate athletics to your professional work career?
I really struggled to find employment and what to do next. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science and had no relevant work experience or contacts to start my career. I eventually found a post graduate program focused on direct job skills which offered co-op work placements. This was the “get a foot in the door” type of experience I needed

3. How do you think the AEAS Program could specifically benefit Canadian athletes?
I think there could be an even bigger benefit for Canadian athletes that return home after attending a U.S. College/University. The Canadian educational system, and athletics in general, are very different. Canadian universities do not offer sport scholarships, and there is no awareness around the rigorous practice and training schedule we went through. It put me at a big disadvantage, and it took some time to learn to navigate those structural differences.

4. How your workplace is advocating for diversity and inclusion?
I’ve been lucky enough to work for two large organizations which have the resources and means to support D&I in the workplace. Both organizations had robust training programs. It's an ongoing effort to continue to improve and spread awareness, but as an athlete, I have an advantage. Athletes are taught we are all equal once we step on the playing field, which is also valuable on a professional level.

Full interview below:
https://aeasstaffing.wixsite.com/website/post/mike-goemans-december-2020