From Boardroom to Race Track: An Interview with Adam Brzezinski, Senior In-House Counsel and Motoracing Star

CEEIHM Issue 1.3.
Tools
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Adam Brzezinski, President of the Management Board and Assistant General Counsel Global Employment and EU Privacy at MoneyGram Poland, recently announced that he will be representing MoneyGram International in an amateur motorcycle racing league. CEEIHM spoke with Brzezinski to learn about his plans.

CEEIHM: Tells us about the league and what races you have in front of you.

Adam: Thank you. Before I answer that let me please thank you for taking the time and giving me an opportunity to talk about MoneyGram and my hobby. I appreciate that!

As to the league itself, it is pretty much a series of race events held by different organizers, such as Dafit Motoracing in the Czech Republic. I select the date of the event based on my availability, trying to balance this out with work and family time. I do not know yet if I will have enough time to take part in all races that are a part of the championship this year – or even if the full series of races will be organized, as we still see events being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That being said, my goal is to start with the event held on the Brno circuit on the 12th and 13th of May, 2021, in the Czech Republic. Please keep your fingers crossed for us as we hope we’ll be able to actually participate.

CEEIHM: Was it the chicken or the egg? Is this an old passion of yours and you got your company involved or did you jump on board a company initiative? How did this come about?

Adam: This is definitely an old passion of mine. I have no hesitation in saying that I am an example of a happy employee and that I truly love MoneyGram. As to the origins of the idea, I just thought, “hey why not make my motorcycle a MoneyGram-themed bike.” I am a complete amateur, though the pictures from the events are getting lots of views on social media nowadays. I figured that this was a good way to offer my employer a bit of extra publicity and increase its brand awareness. I reached out to our communications department in the US and presented the idea to them. They loved it. At that point, I contacted my design studio and asked them to design a MoneyGram racing theme. They delivered. The result can be seen in the picture. The bike is getting wrapped as we speak. I am very excited to take MoneyGram on the track with me this May. I can’t wait!

CEEIHM: Have you competed in such a league in the past? What was your best result to date and what performances are you most proud of?

Adam: Yes, I have. I have not won a championship (yet!), but I won a race! It was a race in 2019 organized by Dafit Racing in Brno. Believe it or not, when I close my eyes I can still feel the thrill of getting past the finish line first. It can’t be described, so I won’t even try.

CEEIHM: What was the elevator pitch? How did you convince the company to get involved?

Adam: As I said, they loved the idea right off the bat. There was no convincing work, really. This is partially why I love MoneyGram this much. It is truly a great place to be, and MoneyGram, as an organization, is happy to accommodate employees’ needs and support their ideas, even if they are a bit unusual. Our mission is to connect friends and family throughout the world, in a way that is convenient, by providing a reliable financial connection for life essentials and daily needs. I am proud to represent that mission on the race track!

CEEIHM: What’s it like leading up to a race? How do you prepare for it – both mentally and physically?

Adam: This is a dangerous sport. Every time you get on the bike there is a certain mixture of emotions involved. The beauty of this is that all this goes away once you hit the track and enter the first couple of corners. The joy of riding and the adrenaline take over!

CEEIHM: If you had to point out the one lesson you’ve learned on the track that is most useful in the office, what would it be?

Adam: This is a good one. Track riding is all about precision. You need to break at a certain point, you need to be in a given spot of the track to hit the apex of the corner. It is all about precision. Precision beats power and timing beats speed. Understanding these aspects is very useful in the office. Be precise in your advice as a lawyer, know the pressure points of a case, learn how to solve issues quickly and efficiently. Do not waste business people’s time on issues that are irrelevant to the case at hand or by dwelling on risks that have literally zero chance to materialize. A perfect lap around the track can be like good legal advice, if you think about it.

By Radu Cotarcea

This article was published in issue 1.3 of CEE In-House Matters. The full edition is available here in pdf format, here in e-reader format, and here in electronic format.