Meet Chaundra Frank, Deputy Venue Logistics Manager for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Meet Chaundra Frank, a Rice Online MBA who is now a deputy venue logistics manager for AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX, for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

We caught up with Chaundra to discuss how she scored this opportunity, what her day-to-day responsibilities look like, and what she's carrying forward from the MBA@Rice.

Program: MBA@Rice

Education: B.A. in Economics, Business/Sports Management and Policy Studies from Rice University

What is your role supporting the FIFA World Cup?

I’m a deputy venue logistics manager for the Dallas Stadium, which will host nine matches, including a semi-final. Day-to-day, my role is to make sure everything the stadium needs to operate is delivered, stored and in the right place at the right time.

That ranges from coordinating truck deliveries and managing hundreds of pallets of equipment to supporting multiple functional areas like broadcast, media, hospitality and competition. It’s a mix of planning and real-time problem solving — making sure operations stay on track in a very fast-paced environment.

What’s a behind-the-scenes moment that most people watching the World Cup would never realize? 

One thing most people don’t realize is how tight the margins are. For example, we’re managing more than 350 pallets of equipment and coordinating roughly 18 trucks during a short build window, all within limited storage space and strict security protocols.

There’s no room for delays. If one delivery is late or misplaced, it can impact multiple teams at once. A big part of our job is constantly adjusting in real time to keep everything moving, even when conditions change. That level of coordination is what really keeps the tournament running smoothly behind the scenes.

How did this opportunity come about?

It came together in a pretty organic way. Brandon was building out the team and reviewing a large pool of candidates. I ended up connecting with him directly on LinkedIn.

Josh Obregon (my fellow Owl and coworker) and I joined Brandon’s team through different channels, but both had similar experience in operations and large-scale environments. From there, it was about demonstrating that we could handle the pace, complexity and responsibility that comes with an event like the FIFA World Cup.

What role did the MBA@Rice network play?

The MBA@Rice network is what made the opportunity visible to me. Brandon Nimmers, a current MBA@Rice student and FIFA logistics manager, posted about the opening on LinkedIn. Because we share a network, that post surfaced on my timeline — I reached out to him directly and he encouraged me to apply.

My Rice connection didn’t come up in the interview process, nor did it need to. What got me the role was my background: years of youth sports operations running a grassroots basketball program, my leadership in Houston’s sports community as membership chair for WISE Houston, and direct prior engagement with FIFA World Cup 26™ — including moderating a panel in 2022 that featured the president of the Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee, the CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority and FIFA’s own chief strategy and planning Officer. I had been immersed in the operational and strategic conversation around this tournament years before the posting appeared.

The network cracked the door open. My resume walked through it.

What do you think made you a strong candidate for this role?

My background sits at the intersection of finance, operations and large-scale event execution — and this role required all three. As vice president of finance and operations at the Houston Botanic Garden, I didn’t just oversee the business side, I ran our major on-site events, managing the full operational complexity that comes with producing high-attendance, high-visibility programming. That, combined with planning and executing large golf tournaments and running a grassroots basketball program, gave me a proven track record in event logistics that translated directly to what FIFA needed at the venue level.

And having already been in the FIFA World Cup 26™ operational conversation years before this job opened, I didn’t just look good on paper — I came in with context most candidates wouldn’t have.

How did your MBA@Rice experience prepare you for this opportunity?

My MBA@Rice experience really gave me the confidence to step into opportunities like this. It reinforced the importance of leveraging your network and not being afraid to try something new…even if it feels like a pivot.

Like the MBA, this role started in a fully virtual environment, so a big part of my experience was learning how to build relationships, communicate effectively and establish trust remotely. That foundation made a huge difference once we transitioned on-site.

Now that we’re working together in person, there’s a level of independence and efficiency because we’ve already built that trust and understanding, which allowed us to get up and running quickly.

Ultimately, Rice helped me be bold, be authentic, and trust that I have the skills and background to succeed in high-pressure environments like the FIFA World Cup.

What advice would you give current students?

I would say stay open to opportunities, even if they don’t look like a traditional path. Roles like this often come from being willing to apply your skills in new environments.

Also, the Rice network is incredibly valuable. Don’t hesitate to reach out, build relationships and have conversations. That’s how doors open. And finally, focus on developing strong problem-solving skills, because that’s what really sets you apart in high-pressure roles.

In one sentence, what has this experience meant to you?

It’s a full-circle opportunity to apply my Rice foundation on a global stage and be part of something that brings the world together.

Anything else you would like to add?

One of the things that makes this experience really special is the Rice connection across our team. To have a group of people with that shared background working together in such a high-stakes environment is pretty unique.

And knowing that Rice is also playing a role in the tournament locally makes it even more meaningful. It’s a great example of how the university shows up at multiple levels of something as global as the FIFA World Cup.
 

Chaundra Frank is an alumna of the MBA@Rice program.