Jacky is an interdisciplinary researcher applying qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate leadership, sport diplomacy, and diversity related issues in sport management theory and practice.
After her first degree in Sport and Event Management at the University of Applied Science Europe in Germany, Dr Mueller became part of the inaugural cohort of MSc in Sport Business and Innovation students at Loughborough University London. She remained with Institute for Sport Business for her PhD, which investigated the impact of congruence in Implicit Leadership Theories on team cohesion and advice sharing in professional team sport settings. Before re-joining Loughborough University (in 2022) as Lecturer in Sport Business and Leadership, Dr Mueller held teaching and research positions at Sheffield Hallam University and the German Sport University Cologne.
Aside from academia, Dr Mueller has been working as a leadership consultant. In this capacity she has delivered executive leadership workshops for the German Football Association (DFB) the European Handball Federation (EHF) and four National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in Eastern Europe. She currently is the youngest elected Board Member of the European Sport Management Association (EASM) and sits on Sustainability Board of the European Handball Federation.
Dr Mueller is editing the Handbook of Sport Leadership, to be published by Edward Elgar in 2026. Her research on leadership and team dynamics has previously been published in the Journal of Sport Management, Sport Management Review, as well as Managing Sport and Leisure. She has further co-edited the second edition of "Research Methods for Sport Business" published by Routledge and collaborated on various book chapters with leading academics in the field.
In 2024 Dr Mueller was awarded a UEFA Research Grant to explore differences in youth development philosophies in English and German football academies. Previously (in 2023) she was a finalist for the ESMQ New Researcher Award and came in second place.
Jacky has experience as lead as well as co-supervisor on a range of PhD and Master Dissertations. Current and former PhD students include:
- Dr Maylin Stanic. Former Athlete, Future Leader: On- and Off-Field Implicit Leadership Theories of Athletes – A Phenomenological Study on Leadership.
- Chris Toronyi. Nation Branding Through Sport Diplomacy - The Role of Football Supporters.
- Vladyslava Kravchenko. Sport Diplomacy and Peace: The Athletes’ Perspectives on International Olympic and Paralympic Committees’ Policies in Times of Crises.
- Matt McKeen. “Blissfully unaware”? Exploring the role of the coach-athlete relationship in sport coaches’ awareness of their coaching behaviours.
- Guo Yu. Metaverse Adoption in Sports – Investigating Enablers and Barries.
Dr Mueller has developed a strong foundation in delivering high-quality teaching at both postgraduate and professional levels. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in fostering student engagement through innovative, student-cantered learning. She has designed and taught a variety of modules at Loughborough University London, including “Leadership Diversity and Change”, “Organizational Behaviour”, and “International Human Resource Management”.
Jacky has a strong passion for Women's Sport and is a big handball enthusiast.