Oregon meets Italy: Ducks bring the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games to life

Austin Taylor has worked for the International Olympic Committee for almost five years as the global mobile marketing and e-commerce manager. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, his work is at the heart of the IOC’s preparations for each Olympic Games, ensuring that fans across the globe can participate digitally. 

“I helped guide the mobile strategy and user experience of the Olympics app, ensuring fans had seamless access to schedules, live results, medals, content, and engagement features,” he shared. 

Taylor’s drive for mobile marketing is guided by his passion for sport itself, as well as a desire to bring people together in an accessible way. 

“I’ve always been drawn to the global nature of sport and its ability to unify people. Working at the IOC connects marketing, digital innovation, and purpose-driven work on a worldwide stage.” 

Working on the ground in Italy this year, Taylor supported teams in sharing digital content to international audiences through the Olympics app. 

“Being on site during the Games, surrounded by athletes, staff, volunteers, and fans was energizing. It reinforced the scale of the collective effort behind each Olympic edition and provided firsthand insight into how digital tools shape the spectator experience. Seeing years of hard work come together in person is extremely rewarding . . . Seeing fans use the app in-person always put a smile on my face.” 

“Stay curious, embrace technology, build strong cross-functional skills, and look for opportunities in sport where digital transformation is accelerating. Network as much as you can and be open to new opportunities. You never know where they may lead you, like Lausanne, Switzerland.”

—Austin Taylor

After Ashley Kirsininkas’s family moved from Seattle to California, she knew she wanted to return to the Pacific Northwest for college. Drawn to the UO for its location and top business school, Oregon became her home base as she developed a passion for international sports business.  

“I didn't know about the sports business program at the time, and when I toured the school, it just felt right . . . all the ducks aligned,” she said. “I took a marketing class . . . I remember just being mesmerized, looking at advertising, creative, comedy, [as] the way you can just lift people up with marketing, sell product, and promote a brand in fun, innovative ways.” 

As a former competitive swimmer and triathlete, Kirsininkas was drawn to sports through both her studies and personal involvements on campus. She joined the Pit Crew, and even met her husband at a Ducks football game in Autzen Stadium. The life-changing experiences she had at Oregon and studying abroad in Paderno del Grappa, Italy paved the way for her international career. She always had a goal to work on the Olympics, and that dream came to fruition when she had the opportunity to work remotely on the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, contributing to Cisco’s sponsorship activation as an account director for global sports agency, Octagon.  

Now at global marketing agency 160over90, Kirsininkas leads global Olympic and Paralympic sponsorships for Visa. At Milano Cortina 2026, and previously at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, she said it was a completely different experience to be on the ground, rather than working remotely.  

“The biggest reward is seeing your work come to life. Opening Ceremony is kind of that moment . . . that culmination. It’s finally here—your years worth of work is coming to life.” 

“Every single opportunity you're given is going to pave your way to what is ahead of you . . . So trust the process, trust where you're at, and learn from it.”

—Ashley Kirsininkas

Maureen Sweeney has been a language translation and hospitality consultant for over 20 years. She’s worked on previous Olympic Games from Sochi to Rio, but originally wasn’t slated to work Milano Cortina 2026.  

At the last minute, a friend of Sweeney’s had a role she asked Sweeney to fill, supporting operations for Milano Cortina 2026’s hospitality provider. From there, it was five weeks in Italy. Changing plans like that was a challenge, but “seeing a lot of old friends was the reward.”

The Oregon native pursued international studies while at the UO, venturing beyond the state she knew to study in Ecuador at the Universidad Catolica.

“I was interested in leaving the small town I lived in, Medford, and seeing the world.”

Using her experience as a lifelong Spanish learner, Sweeney co-founded Tiller Language Services, providing translation and interpretation services around the globe. She got involved in supporting the Olympic Movement while attending the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey for her master’s degree.  

Her passion for international connections supported communities and unity at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Games. Now, she’s off to Zambia,  visiting ahead of a philanthropic learning trip she’s leading in April.

“When I’m not doing sports events, I do a lot of these types of trips and events mostly in Africa and Asia. It’s a lot of fun, and I learn something new every day.” 

"Try new things that may not specifically match the job you want, but will allow you to meet more people."

—Maureen Sweeney

Serving as an event services sector coordinator in Cortina and Antholz-Anterselva was just one inspiring step forward in Katrina Galas’s journey to support the growth of women’s sports. Her primary focus is on running her consulting agency, In Common Consulting, but the opportunity to work a contract position for Milano Cortina 2026’s foundation was an on-the-ground experience she couldn’t pass up. The experience helped her develop operational skills and expanded her perspective on how sports can drive positive change.  

“Sport has helped me to see the world, business, and society with a wider aperture; seeing firsthand that if something is possible in sport—progress in gender equality, societal impact, innovation, etc.—then it’s ultimately possible in society, too.” 

Women’s sports were on full display in the Antholz Valley, located near the Italian-Austrian border, where the biathlon was held. The Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena was among several venues Galas oversaw. The arena hosted crowds of over 19,000 people, generated some of the best results the International Biathlon Union has seen at the Olympic Games, and welcomed the new IOC President Kirsty Coventry. Galas described the crowd for the women’s biathlon event as “ecstatic, cheering on all the women in a high intensity, thrilling race.”

It’s that underlying spirit of joy and progress that draws Galas to the Olympic Movement, especially as an athlete herself. She played women’s hockey at Melbourne University as an undergraduate student.  

“The Olympic and Paralympic Movements . . . are grounded in a purpose greater than sport as entertainment, but rather sport as a catalyst for a better, more united and healthier world.” 

She’s experienced how teammates can turn into coworkers, and how sports make connecting easier. During the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, while working for the Vancouver Organizing Committee as a client manager for the Club VIP Program, she remembers inviting fellow staffers onto the ice each week, getting to play hockey before work, and how that experience benefited her team. 

“Sport serves as common ground and a relationship enhancer, building immediate trust and reliability, with a shared experience and understanding to rely on. In a fast-moving Games environment, nothing [else] is more important.” 

On her path of marketing, consulting, and traveling all over the world, Galas has learned from the Olympic and Paralympic Movements that positivity and a belief that things will work out is paramount to moving forward and trusting the journey. 

“Sports’ ability to enhance humanity is magical, and that is what the world needs more of right now: the unity of people across countries to work together for the greater good. In that respect, sport is the ultimate teacher.” 

“Follow your heart when it comes to your career. You know yourself best, so listen to your conscience and what your gut is telling you, even if it makes you wonder if it’s the right path.”

—Katrina Galas

As a senior specialist in global partnerships and sponsorships at Deloitte, Ben Cooke strove for an environment where both his team and clients were thriving during Milano Cortina 2026. 

In Paris, Deloitte was the management consulting partner of the Olympic Games, but this year, they also took on the role of technology integration partner, which meant on the ground tech support and experiences. Based at the main operational center in Milan, Cooke brought engagement opportunities to life for both Deloitte employees and clients. 

For employees, Cooke helped to facilitate volunteer opportunities throughout the Games, as well as the chance to hold the Olympic Torch. For clients, he supported visits to Deloitte’s immersive technology space and experiences at a variety of athletic events. Adapting to the different needs of clients and employees was a core part of his role. 

“When you are supporting an event like this, you can only plan so much, right? You have in mind what the experience is going to be like . . . but a lot of the times, when it comes down to it, you really have to be very adaptable, and you have to have strong resilience to be able to push through when your time may exceed what you have planned for . . . And I think resilience really is a team sport at the end of the day.” 

The opportunity to grow through sport wasn’t just a one-time opportunity for Cooke at the Games. Sport has been guiding him his whole life, from playing tennis as a child to now. 

“Sport brought me into this opportunity to become a better person . . . and it forced me to live outside my comfort zone to build critical life skills.” 

When he wanted to continue learning and building his sports business skillset, Katrina Galas recommended the Oregon MBA to Cooke. Galas and Cooke worked together at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. As a student in the Warsaw Sports Business Center, he expanded his network and learned new ways of working in the industry. 

Those lessons have guided his approach to marketing, ensuring that the success of an event is more than a metric; it’s also about making a positive impact on people.  

“When you truly knock it out of the park, I think that's really where you witness the true power of sport and its ability to bring people together.”  

“Be authentic and . . . don't be discouraged if the work you are doing is grunt work and not fulfilling. You're just doing that to build the muscle. By building trust, even though they're giving you grunt work, and doing it with a smile on your face . . . [you're building] long-term connections, [so leaders] know they can go to you with anything and you're the problem solver.”

—Ben Cooke