By Arianne Cohen
It’s not just Greek heroes who are felled by their Achilles’ heels. At around the same time that other young people were sneaking into the movie Basic Instinct, singing along with Whitney Houston, or munching on SnackWell’s cookies, Mark Richardson was running track. He would win a silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the 1996 Games and a gold at the World Championships in 1997. But as the next Games approached, he suffered illness followed by an Achilles-tendon injury, leading him to retire in 2003.
“I had no idea what my next chapter would be,” says Richardson. “What, if any, transferable skills would I have? And how was I going
to earn a living?” Rather than competing in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, as he’d planned, he found himself reporting for BBC Radio. Like so many world-class athletes, he would have to learn how to compete in the job market—rather than in the arena. Richardson embarked on a new career: He’s now a senior client partner at Korn Ferry in London focusing on culture transformation and top team performance.
Snaring Medals...And Then, Consulting?
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I’m a huge believer in goal setting, and the life of any top athlete is a set of goals that you’re working toward.
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Closing Ceremonies
Snaring Medals...
And Then, Consulting?
Snaring Medals...
And Then, Consulting?
Where Are They Now?
Where Are They Now?
What was your first day like after you retired?
It was disorientating. It’s difficult to transition from something where everything that you do is with a purpose and focus; it’s your identity. You’ve got huge intrinsic motivation, and you are self-governed and self-regulated.
How did you feel? It was a cocktail of emotions, though it did feel quite liberating, because for a year I’d been recovering from injury, and I was relieved of all of my psychological pressure and the feeling that I wasn’t getting anywhere. But there was a loss of identity.
What’s been your most transferable skill?
My attitude. I’m a huge believer in goal setting, and the life of any top athlete is a set of goals that you’re working toward, and a personal narrative as to why they’re important to you. So I definitely use that methodology of breaking goals into smaller aspects, and understand the science.
Mark Richardson, a silver medalist and Korn
Ferry consultant, describes the “disorientating,” but eventually successful shift from running
to consulting.
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World-Class Athletes on the Job
Every Four Years: The Challenge of Staying Long-Term
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Is it that simple—just “set the goal, reach the goal?”
There are really good success cycles, where you work frenetically towards a goal, execute it, then reflect and think about what went well and didn’t go well, and look for those iterations and clues that might drive you to the next level of performance.
Are there any skills that haven’t translated well?
Many aspects of track and field are individual and selfish: It’s all about you, your own personal performance, and what’s going to help you achieve your goal. It’s very different in a team environment, which is about creating conditions for collaboration. How do you harness the collective good? How do you make sure that personal ambition and rivalry aren’t ego-oriented? Those need to be moderated and put in balance.
How did you land in consulting?
It was actually through the fiancée (now wife) of a training partner of mine. She worked at a boutique consultancy and thought that my skill set could land really well in their organization. Their proposition was using sports as a metaphor for high performance in organizations. So it coupled my elite-performer experiences with my growing commercial acumen—I had worked in events- and sports-marketing agencies. The seed was planted.
What’s your exercise routine these days?
I’m juggling a young family, but exercise gives me greater capacity, emotionally, psychologically, and cognitively—I’m not as effective when I don’t do it. I build in healthy habits, like walking 30 minutes from the mainline train station to our London office. Other days I go for a run or hit the gym.
How far do you run?
I run embarrassingly slowly. I’m just plodding along. An hour is my sweet spot. I listen to podcasts. It helps me to decompress, and to switch off. I’m not very good at switching off.
Are there certain fields or roles that are good fits for
retired athletes?
There’s a lot of natural crossover. I’m always amazed at how many people don’t necessarily live a life of purpose or intentionality. Sports people are able to harness and maintain that mindset and discipline, and it can serve them well in different roles—I don’t think it’s limited to certain roles.
How do you keep up with your goals today?
I’m a big believer in checking in with yourself around milestones. The last time I had a real deep MRI of myself was when I was turning 50: I just wanted to make sure that I was living a life of purpose and meeting key principles. And actually, I felt like I could give more, and was ready for the next challenge.
Will you be attending the Games?
I’m kicking myself for not exploring tickets—I didn’t even think of it. Especially when it’s just a short hop across the Channel! There’s definitely a bit of nostalgia: I’m forevermore an Olympian, and that has a cachet that’s lovely.
Where Are They Now?
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The Home Office, with Trophies in the Closet
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The Home Office, with Trophies in the Closet
The Home Office, with Trophies in the Closet
Home
The (Tough) Economics of the Games
Winning It All—After Hours
The Competitive Spirit
Post Game-Day
Winning...with a Work-Life Balance?
Eye for a Star
Know Thyself
Leadership at the Top
Where Are They Now?
Snaring Medals...And Then, Consulting?
The Home Office, with Trophies in the Closet
World-Class Athletes on the Job
Every Four Years: The Challenge
of Staying Long-Term