From International Referee to Sales Leader | George Gansner on Leadership, Sales & AI in Testing

In this episode of Tales of TIC, Antun is joined by George Gansner, a sales leader with nearly two decades of experience across the Testing, Inspection and Certification industry. George shares his unusual route into TIC, starting from a career as a professional soccer referee, including international-level officiating and a near Olympic opportunity, before moving into food certification, health sciences, water management and wider TIC services. The conversation covers: How George entered the TIC industry without a technical background Why sales leaders don’t need to be the technical expert in the room The importance of communication, adaptability and emotional intelligence Lessons from refereeing that translate directly into sales leadership What makes a strong TIC salesperson How AI is beginning to change processes across TIC, sustainability and sales Stories from the pitch, including managing big personalities like David Beckham and Hristo Stoichkov George’s career is a great example of how leadership, people skills and commercial discipline can transfer across industries: and why TIC remains one of the most important industries most people have never heard of. Listen now for a brilliant conversation on sales, leadership, AI and the hidden world of TIC.