Student Experiences: Katie Shaughnessy
Meet Katie Shaughnessy, an MA Business of Motorsport student! Katie’s passion for motorsport began in her youth, watching F1 every Sunday with her dad and attending championships like BTCC and BSB at Brands Hatch and Silverstone. Her enthusiasm led her to pursue a master’s degree at the National Motorsport Academy business school. Now, she is building her career in motorsport, currently working at Goodwood!
Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hi, my name is Katie Shaughnessy. I’m 24 years old and am studying the Online MA Business of Motorsport. I am currently completing module 08, which is the last module and is my personal research project!
I have been a motorsport fan for a long time now! When I was growing up, my dad would always have the F1 on every Sunday and would also take my brother and me to Brands Hatch or Silverstone to watch the BTCC and Bennetts Superbike Championship. I remember always feeling such a buzz of excitement whenever my 5am alarm would go off to wake up and travel to get the best spot on the hill at Brands Hatch, ready for the racing to start! As I got older, I started to see motorsport as a potential career choice, and not just a hobby. I remember thinking not many women worked in motorsport and asking myself if this was even a possibility… Now there are so many more women in the industry, and it’s so exciting to see the opportunities grow with this.
How did you find NMA - what made you decide to enrol?
I remember quite a few years ago looking online at motorsport-based courses and finding the MA in Business of Motorsport. I knew then before I had even decided on an undergraduate degree that this was something I wanted to do after I had graduated! The flexibility of the course being online is something which appealed to me a lot. It has allowed me the time to keep working alongside the course and complete the modules in my own time.
How has your time with the NMA been so far?
I have really enjoyed my time at NMA so far, it has been such an interesting course and I have loved getting to know the different course tutors for each module. Each module assignment is a different style/format, which has also really allowed me to develop different styles of writing and presenting my work in way I haven’t done before!
What's been your favourite module so far? Any you're looking forward to completing?
I have enjoyed all the modules equally and have really enjoyed the range of topics, from the history of motorsport to the current sponsorship and commerce landscape within the industry. Each module has taught me so much and has shown me how complex the business world of motorsport is!
You now work at Goodwood - Can you tell us about this? What does your role encompass?
I am currently working at Goodwood as an Events Assistant, providing support to the Event Planners over the summer period. This has been such an amazing experience so far and has really allowed me to combine the knowledge I have gained from my undergraduate events management degree within the world of motorsport events. I remember attending the Festival of Speed a few years ago and being so impressed by how amazing the event was, so I feel very privileged to now be part of the team working towards the delivery of this! I am also so excited for Goodwood Revival to see more of a creative and theatrical event at the motor circuit.
What is something you have learned since working at Goodwood?
Since starting at Goodwood a few months ago, I have seen just how hard the team works to balance the planning and delivery of multiple large-scale events over the year, whilst also thinking ahead to the following year’s events as well. It has showed me that you really need to pay attention to detail and ensure you are able to balance the responsibility of multiple areas to ensure everything gets completed on time. It has also shown me how important it is to work well within the team and communicate effectively to make sure everybody knows what is going on across the site and over different contractor areas.
What advice do you have for anyone wanting to work in the motorsport industry?
The advice I would give to people wanting to work in the motorsport industry is to take every opportunity you can get and to keep going even when it feels hard. If things don’t work out in one role, you can learn from the experience and can experience which parts of the industry you enjoy the most or find more challenging. Some opportunities I have taken in the past haven’t worked out but have shown me what parts of a job I value the most and the parts I’d rather avoid! Volunteering is also such an amazing chance to meet other like-minded people and can lead to new connections within the industry. Volunteering as a Racemaker at the Silverstone F1 Grand Prix a few years ago was one of the best experiences I’ve had in the industry, and I would recommend it to every motorsport fan!
A big thank you to Katie for speaking to us! You can keep up to date with her career over on LinkedIn –Â Katie Shaughnessy
