Management

Rogério Carlson

Rogério holds a Master’s degree in Sport Management from the University of Illinois.  He is an invited member of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi in recognition for academic excellence.  He also holds a post-graduate degree in Marketing from Fundação Getulio Vargas in Brazil, and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Unisinos University, Brazil, where he graduated with highest honors while fulfilling an athletic scholarship.  At Illinois, he worked in marketing projects involving the Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), Chicago Bears (NFL), and Chicago Fire (MLS).  He also worked as a research analyst for projects in sport marketing, consumer behavior and fan development, and community recreation.  In 2005, he was invited to be a lecturer for a Sport Marketing program in Brazil created by ESPM University in partnership with soccer club São Paulo F.C.

Rogério played volleyball and beach volleyball in Brazil for over 15 years, participating in professional level competitions for almost ten years. He also has extensive knowledge of soccer, having played, studied and followed the sport for over 30 years. He completed courses of Soccer and Futsal training methodologies at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil (UFRGS), and attended several soccer seminars and workshops with some of Brazil’s best coaches, managers, and top professional clubs and governing bodies. Rogério speaks Portuguese and English and resides in San Diego, California.

Tawnia H. Gillespie

Tawnia holds Master’s degrees from the University of Illinois in Business Administration (MBA) and Education (M.Ed.), specializing in the fields of Marketing and International Human Resource Management, and holds a B.A. in International Business from San Diego State University. She is fluent in several languages, including Spanish and Portuguese. As a research analyst during her studies, she conducted field research projects in Taiwan and Thailand to investigate management patterns of international companies such as Ford, Unilever, UPS, and TSMC. She has consulted for international companies such as Mercúrio, in Brazil, training executives in Business English. In addition to her role as a market analyst for the company, Tawnia also has strong skills in the areas of sponsorship, endorsements, consumer behavior, and B2B.  Tawnia has lived in Spain, Germany, Italy, and Brazil and currently resides in her hometown of San Diego, California.