The SportsGrad Podcast #243: From Commercial Lawyer to living the dream at the NFL, IOC & Brisbane 2032 with Tom Hickey
Meet Tom Hickey, Director of Corporate Development and Commercial Legal Affairs at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games.
Tom has an incredible career journey, having worked as a corporate lawyer before leaving for the US with no job where he landed at the NFL of all places.
This lead him to the International Olympic Committee and then back home to Australia where he became employee #6 for Brisbane Games.
You’ll want to hear Tom’s attitude to work and life that has left him with many incredible stories, plus we dive into what’s happening at Brisbane 2032 with 9 years to go.
We cover:
(0:00) - Introduction
(1:53) - Community update
(15:41) - How Tom almost got his first job in sport at FIFA
(20:43) - Why Tom left his job as a Lawyer to move to the US
(23:37) - How a cold message on LinkedIn got Tom inside the NFL
(29:35) - Switching jobs from the NFL to the IOC in Switzerland
(31:25) - Tom’s projects at the NFL
(35:28) - Moving jobs from the IOC to the Brisbane 2032 Committee
(38:11) - The sliding doors moment that catapulted his career
(42:16) - What the Brisbane 2032 team looks like now
(45:33) - How an Olympic games gets funded before a ticket is sold
(49:58) - Ins and outs of building a commercial brand for an Olympics
(53:52) - Final advice Tom would give his younger-self
(56:54) - #ASKSPORTSGRAD
Additional episodes you might enjoy:
#16: Garth Towan (IOC) - How to become a Sports Lawyer for the Olympic Games
#61: Aubrey Walton (NFL) - How to choose the location of the Super Bowl
#177: Nat Cook OAM - How to prepare like an Olympian to work at Brisbane 2032
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This episode is brought to you by Deakin University, the Official Education Partner of The SportsGrad Podcast. Find out why their Master of Business in Sport Management is not one of, but the best one in Australia ranked at #1 at www.deakin.edu.au
Thanks for listening! You’re all legends.
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