Brent Nowicki '97Lausanne, Switzerland
CEO/Executive Director for World Aquatics
How did you find yourself overseas and so far from 1180 Delaware?
Sports were always a passion in my life, and when I began my practice as an attorney, I wanted to find a way to combine my passion with my education. As luck had it, early in my career I was given an opportunity to represent a variety of different professional athletes, some of whom competed internationally. Their legal mandates not only took my practice internationally, but they also took my mindset and career ambitions overseas. From there, I tried to focus on various opportunities to grow an international sports practice on a full-time basis. One thing led to another, in 2013, I found myself living in Switzerland, fully immersed in the Olympic, FIFA and international sports market.
How has your career journey transpired?
I graduated from Fairfield University with a BA in English and Concentration in Business in 2001 before deciding to attend the University at Buffalo School of Law, graduating in 2006.
I was hired by Hodgson Russ LLP, a brilliant law firm in Buffalo. It was (and still is) one of my greatest professional accomplishments. The legal skills, attention to detail and focus on the attorney-client relationship that the firm taught me has given me a great skill set that I work off of today. I will forever be grateful.
As a young attorney, I tried to remain patient and just kept working hard. But for the first time, I really started asking myself what I wanted out of my life and career. This period of inward reflection allowed me to accept my shortcomings and maximize the best version of myself. It was then that I realized that I needed to find that intersection between my passion (sport) and my education (law).
This happened in 2013 when I was hired as Managing Counsel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, and later managed the CAS Anti-Doping Divisions at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Pyeongchang (2018). In this role, my eyes opened to a legal world I never knew existed and I just kept pushing on. In 2021, I was appointed CEO of World Aquatics (then Federation Internationale de Natation – FINA).
As the CEO of World Aquatics, my role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities and tasks that revolve around overseeing and advancing the organization’s mission and objectives (and recently, navigating geopolitical issues in global sport) on behalf of 210 national federations across six sports (swimming, diving, open water swimming, water polo, artistic swimming and high diving). Although my career has pivoted away from the law, being a lawyer has never really left me. Lawyers are trained to think analytically, set strategy and solve problems. These three attributes – analytical thinking, defining strategy and problem solving – sum up my job quite well.
How did your time at CHS impact you?
I believe that any success derived professionally has its foundation on the impact CHS had on me as a person. You can start with Canisius’ service to faith and the promotion of justice – a learning embodied in our call to serve others. Once you develop this service mentality, your professional attitude begins to change, as does your own personal definition of success. It took me a while to realize that outward facing success means nothing if, inside, you are not happy. CHS – and I think all my Jesuit education - taught me the value in self-reflection to find the conviction to be the best me, which, in turn, allowed me to help impact others in a positive way.
Your advice for CHS students and young alumni?
Three things: First, if you are going to do something – anything – do it all the way. Second, if you achieve your dreams, they were not big enough. Dream bigger and don’t be afraid to fail, ever. Third, never turn down an opportunity to spend quality time with your family and friends.