I
mmediately after graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in Chinese, Jennifer Carper took a risk. She bought a ticket to Hong Kong with no job lined up, promising herself she would stay until either she found one, or she ran out of money.
Jennifer Carper
Engine Shop | Partner,
Chief Client Officer
She found success in that pursuit. Helped, she said, by her background as a scholarship swimmer, she found a job with a sports marketing agency — the first step in what has become a career in the industry spanning both sides of the table and the globe.
“I’m still a little surprised my parents let me get on the airplane,” Carper said with a laugh.
Carper returned to the United States and worked with the PGA Tour before turning back to the agency side. She’s been at experiential sports, entertainment and lifestyle marketing agency Engine Shop since 2013.
“My position is that even if we’re not one of the biggest agencies, we want to be the best in terms of representing our clients,” she said.
At the helm of sports and lifestyle sponsorship strategy and execution for such recognizable luxury brands as Mercedes-Benz and Omega, Carper credits her approach to business as a big part of her success.
“With our partners here, we all have different skill sets and bring different things to the table, so while someone might be more creative, I might be able to bring more from a structure standpoint,” she said. “One thing I’ve always tried to do is take my strengths and use them to my advantage.”
— Ian Thomas
