I consider myself truly cosmopolitan and multilingual, having lived in nine countries and traveled extensively. My career began as a professional athlete, representing the Soviet National Team from 1991. I was part of the Russian National Team for nearly 500 games across three consecutive Olympic Games, earning silver medals in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, alongside four European Championships titles and a World Championships bronze. Transitioning to the commercial side of the global sports industry, I obtained a Master's degree in Sports Administration from AISTS Lausanne and joined the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) in 2009. Over 12 years at FIVB, I held roles like Head of Marketing, contributing significantly to strategic changes and transformations.