Jean Noguero (MBS 2020) - From the dream of Roland-Garros to behind the scenes at the FFT

Jean Noguero graduated from the MBS School of Business in 2020, at the height of the health crisis, and turned his passion for sport into a career with the French Tennis Federation (FFT). Today, as Hospitality Sales Manager, he looks back on his career path, what he learned and his vision for the future of professional sport.

An academic career built around sport and business

After a scientific baccalaureate and a DUT GEA in Toulouse, Jean opted for the MBS Grande École program. "I was passionate about sport, and I knew that business could be the best springboard to make it my career. "

At MBS, he got his first taste of the international scene with a year in China, an unforgettable experience: "You come back transformed. It taught me to adapt, to understand other cultures, and today it still helps me in my work with foreign customers. "

"International has taught me to be a chameleon".

His year in China remains a seminal experience: language immersion, cultural discovery and open-mindedness. "When you go on to work with American, Russian or Chinese customers, you don't do business in the same way. Living abroad has taught me to adapt and to grasp cultural differences"
A valuable skill for her current job, which involves convincing, negotiating and winning the loyalty of companies from all over the world.

Leveraging the alumni network to enter the sport

As soon as he started his internships, Jean activated the MBS network to get closer to the sports sector. That's how he first joined the Racing 92 / Paris La Défense Arena, before landing his first internship at the FFT in 2019. "My interest in the French Open dates back to when I was a teenager, and I wanted to work there one day."
Thanks to this first successful experience, he followed this up with a sandwich course and then a full-time position at the FFT.

"When I was younger, I loved watching Roland Garros, and now I'm working on it.

In 2011, while still a teenager on a trip to Paris, Jean visited Roland Garros with his uncle, father and brother. A photo taken on center court became a prophecy. "I told myself that if one day I could work here, it would be incredible. "

Developing B2B events for French Tennis

Today, Jean is Hospitality Sales Manager. In concrete terms, he designs and markets the FFT's hospitality offers:

• Roland Garros, the iconic Grand Slam tournament,
• Rolex Paris Masters, the world's largest indoor tennis tournament
• Alpine Paris Major, the Padel Major at Roland Garros Stadium
• Club RG: the business club created by the FFT

Its role: to prospect, sell, welcome and develop customer loyalty. But beyond business, the objective is clear: "Every euro generated is reinvested to develop tennis and sports under the aegis of the FFT in France, train young people and support clubs. That's what gives meaning to our business. "

🎾 Roland-Garros: emotion behind the scenes

It's impossible for Jean Noguero to talk about his career without mentioning Roland-Garros, the legendary tournament that has set the pace for his professional life since 2019.

"Living the Nadal tribute will stay with you forever".

In 2025, Jean witnessed one of the most memorable moments of his career: the tribute paid to Rafael Nadal on the Philippe-Chatrier court.

"For Christmas, I gave my brother and his girlfriend two tickets for the first round of the tournament. By chance, it happened to fall on the day of the "Rafaël Nadal" tribute. We found ourselves crying in the stands, hugging each other. It was a moment we'll never forget.

Jean also contributed to this tribute from the inside:

"With my team, we were among those handing out t-shirts branded 'Merci Nadal'. It's a real family and career memory. "

👉 Between the tribute to Nadal and the adrenalin generated by organizing such a mythical event, Jean measures his luck:

"Roland Garros isn't just a tournament. It's a factory of emotions, for spectators and for those who work behind the scenes. "

Between sporting passion and surpassing oneself

Jean isn't just a sports spectator: he's also a marathon and ultra-trail runner. "These challenges push me to go beyond my physical and mental limits. It's this state of mind that I try to transpose into my everyday life and into my job: always aiming higher while remaining perseverant and balanced. "

A forward-looking vision

For Jean, the challenges facing the sport are changing rapidly: the explosion of padel, the emergence of pickleball, the evolution of formats to appeal to the younger generation, increased international competition... "What we're doing today at the FFT is preparing for the future, developing our practices for new audiences, and guaranteeing the transmission of knowledge to future generations.today at the FFT, is to prepare for the future, develop our practices for new audiences, and guarantee the transmission to future generations. "

A word of advice to students and recent graduates: "Dare to contact Alumni, dare to ask."

"Activate your network. Dare to contact alumni, dare to ask. That's how I got my first opportunity in sport. And above all, keep your passions as your driving force: they can become the common thread running through your career. "