School of Diplomacy Graduate Balances Global Career and Professional Soccer in Europe

Seton Hall School of Diplomacy alumna Chiara Pucci ’25 is building a unique international career, one that combines corporate leadership with professional athletics.

Based in Vienna, she works as an HR Coordinator at Allianz Central Europe while also playing professional soccer for Austria Wien in Austria’s top league.

In her role at Allianz, Pucci contributes to key initiatives including the company’s Graduate Program, inclusion efforts through the Beyond Network and emerging AI-related projects. Her schedule is dynamic, balancing HR responsibilities with a demanding training and competition routine as a professional athlete.

“There’s no typical day,” she said. “I adjust my work schedule around training while making sure I meet all professional responsibilities.”

Her path to this dual career began at Seton Hall, where she balanced academics with competing on the Seton Hall Women’s Soccer Team. She also gained hands-on experience through an internship with ESA Academy in New Jersey, where she worked in operations while coaching young athletes.

After graduating in 2025, she initially planned to return to Munich for an internship with Allianz Services. However, an unexpected opportunity to play professionally for Austria Wien led her to Vienna, a move that ultimately shaped her current career. With Allianz’s support, she transferred her internship and transitioned into her current role at Allianz Central Europe.

She credits her experience as a student-athlete with helping her stand out professionally. “Sports teach discipline, resilience and attention to detail, skills that translate directly into the workplace,” she said.

At Seton Hall, she found strong support from faculty, including Martin Edwards, Ph.D., and cites Public International Law as one of her most impactful courses. She also points to courses like Negotiation as particularly valuable, helping her navigate cross-cultural communication in her current role working across multiple European countries.

Her advice to current and prospective Diplomacy students: gain as much practical experience as possible and stay open to unexpected opportunities.

“Internships are essential,” she said. “They help you understand the working world and build the skills you need to succeed, especially in a competitive, rapidly changing job market.”

For Pucci, success has come from embracing both structure and flexibility, balancing two demanding careers while applying the global perspective she developed at Seton Hall.

Categories: Alumni, Athletics, Business, Nation and World