Tim Foster: From Olympic Gold Medal to Saïd Business School

Tim Foster, Olympic gold medal rowing champion and now Olympic and business coach, was looking to take his business to a new level. He had been head coach of the Swiss Olympic rowing team since 2007, but the more senior he became the less he found that his work was primarily about sport.

“I started doing executive coaching,” says the Olympic Gold Medal winning rower, “and the Oxford Saïd Business School EMBA gave me the leadership and business skills I needed to achieve my goals.”

Gold medal executive coaching  

For one of his EMBA marketing assignments, Foster wrote a business plan where the business was ‘himself’: “The plan has resulted in a considerable increase in business - executive coaching now represents more than 50% of my work,” he says.

Foster also says the EMBA gave him a new mindset. “Before Oxford Saïd Business School, I assumed that because something worked for rowing teams in Britain it would work in Switzerland. The EMBA module in India taught me the importance of considering differences in mentality and how to account for local traditions and motivations. I have since adapted my approach to making the Swiss team row faster!”

From competition to collaborative working via Saïd Business School

While studying for his degree, Foster says he was challenging himself daily. “The Oxford Saïd Business School EMBA pressed similar buttons to preparing for my Olympic gold medal. The more effort I made, the more I got from the experience. I like being surrounded by talented people. I am competitive and we were competitive with each other. But, there is a strong sense of wanting your classmates to do well and an atmosphere of collaboration and collaborative working.”

The EMBA network was also a fantastic part of Foster’s business school experience. “I bump into Oxford alumni everywhere, and feel that I’m part of something really big.”