Viktoria Schnaderbeck

How Austria’s former captain embeds purpose into her new business   

Viktoria “Viki” Schnaderbeck has played for some of Europe’s top sides – over a decade at German powerhouse Bayern Munich, three-and-a-half years at Arsenal, and half a year at Tottenham Hotspurs. Complementing her illustrious club career, she captained Austria’s national team for nine years. But eight surgeries on one knee forced Viki to think about how she can impact the game off the pitch. 

After hanging up her boots, earlier this month she launched PRO-SPECTIVE – and today is joining Common Goal with her sports marketing agency. 

With her new business, Viki wants to fill a gap she experienced in the market and help professional athletes transition successfully to a post-playing career. Beyond working with footballers, she wants to help those across gender and sport lines – something she says is important for her as a person who stands for diversity and inclusion.  

This is a conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity, with Viki about why joining Common Goal with her new agency helps put purpose at the centre of her business. 

Why did you decide to join Common Goal with the launch of your business? 

I don’t want to join Common Goal for marketing and my reputation. I want to join because this is what I care about and it's what we stand for. If you choose to work with us, you stand for the same topics as Common Goal – racial justice, gender equity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and climate action. It gives you a feeling of who we are. If you choose to invest in us, you invest directly into Common Goal.  

And what do you think about the power of collective action through the 1% pledge? 

I like the idea of the 1%. I like to give a share – everyone comes from a different place and has opportunities and possibilities to give, but everyone can give a little. That’s what I believe in.

 Why is PRO-SPECTIVE pledging 1% to KICKEN OHNE GRENZEN? 

With my agency, I want to help athletes work on their personal growth which is exactly what Kicken Ohne Grenzen does with young people. They use football as a tool to unleash their potential. The overlap in goals made it a great fit. Plus, they work in Austria. It was important for me to work with a local organisation. 

Why is working with a local football for good organisation so important to you? 

Social responsibility is an important part of PRO-SPECTIVE's identity. My thought is you can't only invest, you have to make people involved. I want to give all my employees a day of paid work so they can be socially active and think outside the box. That’s something I always wanted to do if I became an entrepreneur. I think it’s not only inspirational but very important to meet people and see the other side.  

What would you say to other players and businesses thinking of joining Common Goal? 

Joining Common Goal was a no-brainer for me. Football has given me so much and it’s always been important for me to give back to the football community. Common Goal made it easy to do that – the hundreds of organisations in the movement and the projects using football to do good are so inspiring. But the beauty of Common Goal is that it depends on all of us. We all have to do our part. So if you are looking for a way to put purpose into your career or business, I say join the movement.