Fencing Federation Appoints New Director of Communications

(ATR)- David Nowak is the new communications chief at the International Fencing Federation.

The newly-created position inside the FIE is designed to broaden the sport’s appeal and attract new audiences from around the world.

Nowak, 35, started in the role at FIE headquarters in Lausanne on Thursday.

A former Associated Press editor Nowak’s responsibilities will include media and public relations, the FIE website, and TV rights and distribution.

"It is extremely exciting to take up this role with FIE at such a crucial time in the sporting calendar – the run-up to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro - and in the evolution of the fencing as a whole," Nowak said.

Based in Moscow for more than a decade, the British national is a former AP writer and chief editor for the English sports service at RIA Novosti, the host news agency for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

His fluency in Russian will be crucial in helping the FIE’s billionaire president Alisher Usmanov communicate fencing’s new developments in Olympic circles and to the sport's global fanbase.

Nowak tells Around the Rings he will aim to tailor the FIE’s communications strategy to traditional print, online and broadcast media, as well as to sports fans around the world via rapidly evolving digital platforms.

"This really is a cut-throat age of digital content consumption," he said.

"Fencing must keep pace with new media trends as we look to consolidate the existing audience base and win over new digitally savvy fans."

At its annual congress in November, the FIE adopted a revamped code of ethics, modeling its rules on those of the IOC. The federation is also striving to achieve more gender equality. The congress approved a measure to guarantee at least 30 percent of the executive committee be comprised of women.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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