Mark Barany: ACEA Experience Has Been Great
Bermudian Mark Barany is the Client Services Coordinator for the America’s Cup Event Authority [ACEA], where as part of the Client Services team, he helps the ACEA deliver on its partner commitments and activate commercial programmes for the 35th America’s Cup. Below, he discusses his role and the opportunities it has afforded him.
How does it feel working for a global organization?
The experience so far has been pretty great! I love the fast paced environment and working with people who really love what they do.
Even as a global organization with so many moving parts, I still feel as if what I do everyday makes a difference. Working with people from all over the world with so much experience is really engaging, and it’s exciting to think about where you could be yourself down the road.
What are your responsibilities for the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series events?
My main responsibility onsite is making sure that our sponsors are taken care of and delivering a top-notch program alongside my team. My co-coordinator and I spend a lot of time together making cross-city deliveries and organizing our hospitality program, and despite what she may say about my driving, we have had a lot of fun working together.
It’s always a great feeling at the end of the weekend when everyone can celebrate their successes, but pretty soon after I am already looking forward to the next one. After so much planning, the event weekends can feel like a bit of a whirlwind sometimes, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
What does a normal day look like for you working at ACEA?
A normal day is hard to describe, I don’t know that we really have those! It really depends where we are in relation to the next Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series event and what we are working on with our Partners.
We are always switching gears between the immediate needs of the day, the next not-so-far-away Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series event and of course the America’s Cup events that will take place in Bermuda 2017. Being organized and prioritizing is key.
We spend a lot of time planning ahead and for that reason, I could probably tell you where I will be at 10:00am on a Tuesday morning next June if I were to look in my calendar.
What sort of opportunities have you had through this position?
I’ve really enjoyed the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series events in particular. Having the opportunity to work overseas and learn from international teams has been amazing.
Working with the client services team has given me the opportunity to learn about many different arms of a global organization. It may just be the tip of the iceberg, but it’s always interesting.
I remember throughout my first day listening to my managers discussing what seemed to be every aspect of the America’s Cup through until 2017, and I had no idea how they could balance it all. After many months of listening, I still have no idea, but I would like to think that I am getting there myself.
What is the best part of your job?
Being able to travel the world from one major event to the next and being a part of something as iconic and exciting as the America’s Cup is without a doubt an amazing and unique experience for which I am so grateful.
Waking up everyday and looking forward to the work day ahead is a special thing to find. But I think the best part of my job, and the reason I can really dedicate myself and enjoy what I do, is the people I work with. I get to see friendly faces everyday!
I know I can look to my colleagues for support and I have managers who support me and trust in my abilities. After my interview I just had a feeling, like these are people I want to work with. And now I do!
What an exciting opportunity for this clever young man. It is so refreshing to hear of someone working very hard, learning so many new skills, and anxious to get on with his job every day, and being so happy in his workplace!