Marc Coma, CEO of KTM AG in Spain, won the Dakar Rally five times on听丑颈蝉听motorcycle before making the leap to听business听尘补苍补驳别尘别苍迟.
Hardly anyone expected it.听So听when he said that he was听retiring from top-level听肠辞尘辫别迟颈迟颈辞苍,听it听was like听a bomb.听He had achieved international legend听status听as a rider, he was at the peak of his career and his fans and sponsors didn鈥檛 even want to imagine a future without him.听
It was 2015 and, in the two years听prior to听his surprising announcement, Marc Coma had won the Dakar and Qatar rallies twice in a row and had also been crowned听rally听champion听in the Morocco听Rally听and in the world championship of Rally Cross-Country. He was a fierce, cunning and听unstoppable rider.听How was someone like this going to retire in their prime?听
That question, which many were听asking at the time, was听a trick question.听Coma wasn鈥檛 thinking of retirement.听Quite to the contrary.听What he needed was a change in his life and profession,听to听take on new challenges and compete in a different听kind of听way.听A legendary rider was aspiring to become an extraordinary manager.听
听鈥淭he most difficult thing is managing the moment听where you stop competing. It is the most complicated step an athlete has to take.听Managing this听stage in your sporting career well听is a victory听in itself,听鈥�听the听rider听admitted months later to听Spanish听news听agency听Agencia听EFE.听
But, in 2015,听after a career full of successes,听Coma was almost forty years old … If he wanted to become a manager, he had to听get moving.听
How to design a professional transformation听strategy听听
Coma knew that he had to听first analyze his main strengths,听identify the sector听where he could develop them, acquire some business experience and听听program听that would provide him with the knowledge and contacts he needed in a short听period of听time.听
His strengths seemed clear: it takes听exceptional leadership and temperance听to prevail in competitions that force you to cross听the听desert. There the conditions are extreme and听you have to make听decisions听extremely fast. In parallel, he had been managing his assets and his sports career for years –听he听was his own manager – and he knew what it听meant听to lead a project, since he had launched a team to help younger motorcyclists.听
Shortly after stepping away from racing in 2015, Marc Coma assumed听the sports management of the Dakar Rally as number two in the organization, below its director, the Frenchman 脡tienne Lavigne. There, as he himself acknowledged in numerous interviews, he immersed himself in the organizational and business side of the competition. He was there for almost three years听thrilling听years.听
Coma reached his next goal in 2018. He wanted to stop, take time, get perspective and train as a manager. And he chose an Executive Education program at 天美传媒听to do so.听He was looking for a different vision of business management and a network of contacts听with whom he could听grow professionally and personally,听beyond motorcycling.听
And beyond the program itself, he found himself immersed in an environment that gave him the opportunity to collaborate with other future senior executives, soak up different ideas, experiences and dreams听and put his leadership to the test in a different way. “The feeling when you start learning again – he acknowledged – is fantastic”.听
From听the classroom to the company听听
True to his career, after听going听through 天美传媒, Marc Coma continued to听accomplish听his objectives.听In 2019 he joined the senior management of KTM Spain, the brilliant Austrian motorcycle firm that he knew听all too well听from his time as a听rider听and that has more than 100 dealerships in听Spain.听
There he made the most of the opportunity to learn for an entire听year听alongside C茅sar听Rojo, the CEO who had placed the company on the听map for听major competitions,听along with Husqvarna听Motorcycles. The Spanish subsidiary of KTM had become one of the fastest growing in the group and, in addition,听Rojo听was another great reference in the sector: he had won nine world titles as team leader with听Derbi听and听Bultaco.听
After this听period of adjustment, Coma was听more than听prepared. His great opportunity had come.听In 2020, he rose to the top leadership of KTM in Spain and completed an impressive transition听from the听deserts of Dakar to the demanding offices of the Austrian multinational.听
Marc Coma: 5 keys to reinvent yourself professionally
- You don’t know how to run if you don’t know how to stop. Get it in your head.
- Realistically identify your skills. And learn to develop them.
- Find a great school. And great teachers.
- Already know how to lead? Learn to听collaborate.听
- In the desert听or听in the听office, always听believe听in yourself.听
