Advisory Board

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Since 2008 President of Polish Organization of Commerce and Distribution which associate the biggest international retail and wholesale companies in Poland. 2000 till 2017 Director of the METRO AG Representative Office in Poland representing METRO AG companies Makro C&C, Real and Media Saturn Holding towards state authorities, NGO’s and industry associations. Vice President of Employer’s Confederation Lewiatan. Vice President of the European trade association EuroCommerce in Brussels.
Since 2012 Chairman of the Central Eastern Europe Council, representing modern distribution channel of the CEE region towards EU institutions.

Michał Pieprzny – CEO Poland. Expert in customer value building in B2C and B2B markets. He has an extensive experience in designing and improving business cooperation models, as well as in developing and implementing sales stimulation programs, optimizing product portfolio and company operational effectiveness.
Prior to joining PAYBACK, Michał worked at McKinsey & Company, supporting company boards of multiple companies in Central and Eastern Europe. He also worked for Avon Cosmetics where he was co-responsible for the company’s strategy on 23 markets in Central and Eastern Europe.

Founder and CEO of Answear.com, since 2011. Answear.com is a leading fashion ecommerce, currently operating in Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary. Simultaneously, he’s holding the position of President of the Board Management at ‘Brandbq’ Co. Ltd. – owner of the fashion brand Medicine.

His story with fashion has its beginnings in 1992 when he cofounded “Artman”, launching two fashion brands during the next years: HOUSE and MOHITO. As the President of the Board Management at “Artman”, he was responsible for areas related to strategic management, marketing, brand and product creation, locating production in the countries of South East Asia. Together with his business partners, he led the company to IPO in 2004 and finally sold the company to ‘LPP’ S.A.

Additional information:

• Graduated from Master of Environmental Engineering and Land Reclamation Faculty at Agricultural University in Cracow.

• Graduated from development program management skills Management 2008, Harvard Business School.

• Stock market investor,
• Member of Investment Committee in GD&K Group
• Interested in: e-commerce, strategic marketing, branding.
• Hobby; sport, travel, politics.

From 2007 associated with Barlinek SA, previously with Kronospan. Involved in the development of the long-term sales strategy of Barlinek SA Group. He is responsible for managing sales to 60 countries, including Poland, Scandinavia, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, the Balkan countries, China as well as South and North America. Coordinates the work of a 120-person team. Manages anannual budget. He graduated from Wyższa Szkoła Biznesu – National Louis University in Nowy Sącz.

Head of the International Marketing and Distribution Department at the University of Łódź. For 26 years he has been the director of Polish-French MBA Management Studies, carried out together with the University of Lyon III in France. He specializes in marketing strategies for large retail chains. Author of over 200 publications published in Poland and abroad on marketing strategies and modern forms of distribution. Award of the Minister of Science and Higher Education for the book Trade Development Strategies (2006). He has been a visiting lecturer at prestigious French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian universities. He is also an independent coach and advisor to Polish and foreign companies.

With over 10 years experience in the IT industry, 7 of which have been at Veritas (and Symantec). Lukasz has long service with the company and insight into both Channel and End User facing sales in 3 different European countries.
Lukasz has worked In the UK, Ireland and Poland most recently in various roles from Inside Sales, to Product Specialist, to End-user Sales and Channel Manager.
Apart from Veritas, Lukasz has also worked directly for Oracle and Symantec but also indirectly indirectly for CA Technologies, Dell and Lenovo.
Recognized with several awards during his career. Including UK Channel Partner of the Year in FY15 and Partner Success Manager of the Year for the Emerging Region in FY18

Professor, field of sciences: economic sciences, discipline: economics, specialisation: consumption economics. Since 1979, she has been employed at the Faculty of Human Nutrition and Rural Households (currently the Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences) of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences; currently at the Department of Organization and Consumption Economics. Research interests: consumer behavior in the food market; their determinants and development trends in the food market; in this area, she carried out many studies financed from both domestic and foreign sources. Over 150 articles in Polish and foreign journals and over 15 monographs. Since 1979, she has been actively involved in the implementation of classes in the field of: consumer behavior research and problems of household and food market functioning; participates in the dissemination activity, which she has been conducting since 1987 in close cooperation with agricultural advisory centers, and in particular with the The National Agricultural Advisory and Development Center. She conducted about 300 hours of lectures for nearly 3000,000 inhabitants of rural areas. Head and co-author of the program of postgraduate studies on Entrepreneurship in rural areas in the process of integration with the European Union, lecturer at postgraduate studies Rural tourism. Currently a coach in a project co-financed by the European Union within the frames of the Social Fund “Human-being the Best Investment ” titled The Future of Food Development, under which she conducts workshops on the Challenges of the Food Research Market in Poland. Case study on cooperation between science and business. Organizational activity: Vice-Rector for Didactics at SGGW (2005-2008, 2008-2012), Dean of the Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumption Sciences (2000-2003, 2003-2005, 2012 – currently), Vice-Dean for Development (1984-1987), Vice-Dean for Didactics (1993-1997), Dean’s Plenipotentiary for extramural studies in the field of human nutrition and rural household (1984-1987), Head of the Department of Consumption and Household Economics (1997-1999), Head of the Department of Consumption Research (since 2000). MA in sociology – Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Warsaw, PhD in agricultural sciences – Faculty of Economics and Agriculture, SGGW; dr hab. economic sciences – consumption economics – Faculty of Economics and Agriculture, SGGW; professor of economic sciences.

Maciej Herman – CEO of Wedel, the owner of E.Wedel brand. Has been with the company since 2008. Associated with the FMCG market for over 20 years. He gained his professional experience occupying positions in commercial departments of companies such as Kompania Piwowarska, Frito Lay as well as Procter and Gamble.
Over the past few years, Wedel has become one of the fastest growing confectionery companies in Poland and is currently among the 3 largest producers of the Polish chocolate industry. Since 2018, the company`s product portfolio includes also ice cream on a stick and ice cream buckets. For their bold and revolutionary approach to communication strategy, the company has received numerous awards, including golden Effie award for the campaign “W kuchni z Wedlem” (eng. In the Kitchen with Wedel) or a bronze award in Złote Spinacze contest for “Wedel Up!” project. Wedel is also a multiple winner of prestigious product competitions, plebiscites and rankings.

Dr Krzysztof Korus is an attorney with a doctorate in law, and an economist. He is an expert on payment services, new technologies law, and banking law. Every year since 2015, he has been listed as a recommended lawyer in Chambers Europe in the Banking & Finance category. He is a pioneer in advising on regulatory issues for the fintech sector in Poland. He co-authored the “Study Impact of the PSD” and “Principles, Definitions and Model Rules of European Private Law” for the European Commission, and sat on the programming council for the monthly “Banking Law Monitor”. He is a member of the European Payments Consulting Association.He has written several dozen publications, legal analyses, and commentaries and spoken at numerous industry events in Poland, Europe, the US, and Asia. He is involved in legislative work at the Polish and EU level.

Corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, full professor, economist and sociologist, author of over 47 books in the field of management, published in various languages. Lecturer at Polish and foreign universities, promoter of many eminent scholars. He has chaired the supervisory boards of companies. Co-founder and the first long-term Rector of the Kozminski University, currently its President. Decorated, among others with Knight’s Cross, Officer’s Cross and Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Szczecin (2015) and ESCP Europe Business School in Paris (2017).

Agnieszka Kubera is Managing Director responsible for Products Operating Group in Poland. (In her role) She manages a team of top-class experts specializing in the strategic, business and technology consulting in the areas of consumer goods and services; retail; air, freight and travel; automotive; industrial equipment; infrastructure and transportation and life sciences industries. Agnieszka Kubera holds number of client account lead positions for flagship Accenture clients in Poland and Europe.

Manager with many years of experience in the cosmetics, food and children’s categories. During his career, he was associated with companies such as: L’Oreal, Samsung, Danone-Nutricia, Unilever. Currently at Unilever, he is responsible for e-commerce sales and content in Poland and Eastern Europe. He builds a sales strategy and communication with the shopper in modern Internet channels: pure players, omnichannel, market place, e-grocery sales platforms.

He holds over 22 years of experience in the field of retail, purchase and merchandise. For the first 10 years of his professional career worked as a Purchasing Director in Auchan Polska. He spent the next decade working at Pepco Poland, first as a Purchase Director, then as a Member of the Board, which he still holds to this day. From June 2017 – as the Managing Director of Dealz CEE – he is responsible for the launch and expansion of Dealz in Central and Eastern Europe.

Associated with Jeronimo Martins Group (owner of the “Biedronka” chain) from the beginning of his professional career – from 1999. He was, among other things, the Director of the Controlling Department. From 2010 in Portugal, where he became the Finance Director and then the Commercial Director in the Recheio chain. After returning to Poland in 2016 in the role of Financial Director and Member of the Management Board. On January 1, 2018, he was appointed the Director of the Procurement Department. A graduate of the University of Economics in Poznań.

Dr. Olga Malinkiewicz is a co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Saule Technologies. Olga developed a novel perovskite cell architecture allowing for the first time fabrication of the efficient perovskite at low temperatures.
She graduated from the Technical University of Catalonia in 2010 (MSc Photonics). In 2017 she obtained her Ph.D. from the Institute of Molecular Science, the University of Valencia in 2017 in the group of Dr. Henk Bolink, with a thesis on low cost, efficient hybrid solar cells. Olga developed a novel perovskite cell architecture allowing fabrication of the efficient perovskite cells on PET.
For her science achievements, she won the prestigious Photonics21 Student Innovation Award and was mentioned in the Innovators Under 35 ranking, organized by MIT Technology Review.  For her future science and business activities, she was distinguished by the American Chemical Society as one of the top women entrepreneurs in new technologies. 

Michał joined Lidl Polska in 2011 and he was named CFO in 2019. Prior to joining Lidl Michał worked in the assurance department at PwC office in Warsaw. Michał is a certified chartered accountant.

Co-owner of the Dr Irena Eris Group. Vice-president of the Management Board of Dr Irena Eris SA – a “mother” company managing three entities: Dr Irena Eris Cosmetics Laboratories, Dr Irena Eris SPA Hotels and Dr Irena Eris Cosmetic Institutes. Associated with the Lewiatan Confederation: since 2000, Chairman of the Main Council of the Lewiatan Confederation, from 2018 chairman of the Presidium of the Council of Family Businesses at the Lewiatan Confederation. The founder and long-term President of the Polish Union of the Cosmetics Industry. In the years 2006-2011 co-founder and acting as the Chairman of the Board of the Association “Local West Mazurian Tourist Organization”. Member of the UN Global Compact Polska Advisory Board. Decorated with the Knight ’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2004). A graduate of the Faculty of Transport at Warsaw University of Technology.

From January 2021 Anita is acting as the Country Communication Manager for IKEA Poland. She joined IKEA in 2018 as the Public Affairs Manager. Anita has over 20 years of experience in public service and international cooperation. She was responsible for implementation of EU cross-border cooperation programmes in transport, tourism and education. As a Polish diplomat she was developing Polish-Dutch political and economic relations in the Netherlands. Other topics in her portfolio were privatisation, foreign investments or situation of economic migrants.
Anita is fluent in Polish, English and German and has a good command of Dutch. Her background are German Philology, post graduates studies in Management and the Polish School for Public Administration. Privately she enjoys travels, horse riding, jazz and lusophone music. Since lockdown she is a volunteer helping migrant children in Poland in online learning.

Michał has 19 years of banking experience. Over that time he was responsible for (i.a.) development & relationship management with strategic corporate clients, business teams’ management, development & implementation of the sectorial strategies (Food&Agri and TSL). He gained his experience in Rabobank Group, where he worked in Poland (Rabobank Polska and BGZ) and as well as in the Netherlands (bank’s HQs and Corporate Network). In the process of BNPP and Rabobank/BGZ merger was responsible for integration of the strategic and multinational corporate clients, and subsequently Michał became head of Large Corporates Department. He worked also in Corporate Division of Santander Bank, where was responsible for development of TSL sector strategy. Currently is responsible for Food&Agri sector strategy and growth for BNPP Group’s bank in CEE & Turkey. Michał graduated from Krakow University of Economics.

Sales Manager with over 12 years of experience in Insurance, CFM, Marketing SaaS and Logistic Industries​. Joined InPost in 2016 as Business Development Director​ and till today challenge with roles of Global Commercial Director and Interim Managing Director of UK Market.
Currently ​Global Accounts & SME Market Sales Director​ responsible for Polish “long tail” market and Strategic International Partners.

Wojtek is a globally experienced CFO, recently took over the role of General Manager Finance for Polish subsidiary of Media Markt Saturn Group. Before for last 18 months led entire finance operations of Polish subsidiary of Dr Max, the biggest pharmacy chain in Central Europe and Poland.
Vast majority of Wojtek’s career was spent in retail sector, namely with Tesco PLC Group. He has grown within the organization from junior Business Analyst role to regional CFO one he had been performing for 3.5 years between 2015-2018.
He joined the organization in 1999 within its Polish subsidiary and having spent 7 years doing various roles within Finance, he moved internationally to start managing from finance perspective Tesco overseas operations with main focus on its Asian subsidiaries.
After return back to Central Europe region in 2009 he took over CFO role for Czech Republic leading and supporting the business strategy review in the times of retail industry decline and economic crisis. Having performed that role successfully he has been appointed to take over finance leadership over the entire CE region in May 2015, focusing on Finance Transformation programme as well as business strategy development within new, regional model of business management.
Wojtek graduated from University of Economics in Cracow (faculty: Finance and Banking, obtained Master’s Degree in Corporate Finance Management in 1999). He qualified within CIMA in 2008 and became a Fellow in May 2016. Elected for the first time to the Regional Board in 2018 where he was leading one of successful members engagement initiatives in Poland – CIMA Mentoring Programme. Became Co-Opted member of CIMA Council from November 2019, he is also a member of Global Members Engagement Committee.

Economist and statistician. A graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics, PhD in Economics (UW), a Fulbright (USA) scholarship holder. From July 2017, chairman of the Institute of Forecasting and Economic Analysis scientific foundation. Former president of the Central Statistical Office, long-term vice president of the Institute for Market Economy Research and an employee of the Institute of Economics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. World Bank consultant. A guest lecturer at many universities. Expert of the Public Finance Committee of the Sejm, deputy editor-in-chief of the “Ekonomika i Organizacja Przedsiębiorstwa” monthly. He cooperated with many institutions in the country and abroad, chaired the advisory bodies of several ministries, managed research teams, wrote two books. Author and co-author of several hundred reports and articles. Economic columnist.

Karolina holds nearly 20 years of professional experience from various product and commercial roles within the global market research company NielsenIQ working with consumer attitudes, retail sales and shopper trends within FMCG. For the past 6 years prior to stepping into the Managing Director role, she served as a Vice-President within Nielsen BASES with responsibility for international analytical team consulting on new product launches ideation, optimization and activation.

Graduated from the Koźminski University in Warsaw with a degree in Marketing, Management and Finance & Banking. His wide-range knowledge in the field of strategic management he acquired at the School of Economics and Management at Lund University in Sweden. Moreover, he accomplished International Consulting training in Audencia Nantes Management School. He gained his experience i.a. at Frosta A.G. in Bremerhaven, where he reported directly to the Marketing Director. He performed functions of general director of the Association of Frozen Foods, that brings together dozens of biggest producers of frozen food on Polish market, including representatives of global brands such as: Unilever, Farm Frites, Bonduelle. While working in the Warsaw International Fair he has contributed to organisation of three editions of the largest motor show in Poland – Warsaw International Motor Show. Subsequently, he worked in Expomedia Events Warsaw, where he held the position of director for business development and sponsorship relations. The next stage of his career was transition to conference sector.

Economist and financial market analyst. He worked as an analyst and economist at Bank Przemysłowo-Handlowy and at BPH PBK following merger, Chief Economist at the financial consulting company TMS and TMS Brokers, Chief Economist of Internetowy Dom Maklerski, and a lecturer at the Toyota Academy. Currently a lecturer at MBA and post-graduate studies at the WSB Academy and at the Kozminski University; lecturer at postgraduate studies at SGH; lecturer at the MDDP academy. He chaired and currently chairs over a dozen supervisory boards. He was the head of economic advisors to Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, awarded with the prestigious “Political advisor of the year” award. Since 2003, he runs his own business in the area of submitting proposals to finance projects, preparing macroeconomic and market forecasts, analysis of enterprises and financial management. An active investor, also in startup projects. His comments on economic issues regularly appear in the leading media. A graduate of the Cracow University of Economics and the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków.

At Visa, Katarzyna manages a team responsible for relations with acquirers and retailers, and acceptance growth in the region of Central Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary). She has more than a dozen years of professional experience in such sectors as banking, cashless payments and loyalty programs, and also in the FMCG industry. During her career, she has held a number of directorial positions with companies including Raiffeisen Polbank (formerly Polbank), POLCARD, and Premium Club. Most recently she was the President of the Management Board of Paymax S.A., a company providing a solution which enables card acceptance via payment application installed on a phone / tablet and mPOS Paymax card reader.