The LiGHT Book 2 ebook edition in English

The LiGHT Book 2

Leaders’ insights for leaders based on true stories

E-book edition in English

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The Light Book 2 is much more than just a book

The second edition of the The LiGHT Book is an opportunity to meet unique leaders from various fields, who share their successes, failures, and thoughts on the key topics related to leadership.

We present 52 stories that describe the experiences of leaders from all over the world.

Stop and reflect on the questions asked by the authors and then put your conclusions to practice, so that you can follow the path of self-development and conscious leadership.

Why read The LiGHT Book 2?

"An insightful and thought-provoking exploration of leadership from around the world! The Light Book brings together incredible stories and practical approaches to grow your team and organization in every way."”

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is the Thinkers50 #1 Executive Coach and New York Times bestselling author of The Earned Life, Triggers, and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.

“Even though everyone builds their competences on the basis of their own experiences, it is definitely a good idea to draw on the experiences of other leaders. The LiGHT Book offers this opportunity. Let’s read and get inspired.”

Marzena Atkielska. President of the Board of the Santander Bank Polska Foundation.

„In a world that is increasingly volatile, confusing, and convulsed by change, great leadership has never been more essential and has never been more difficult—whether it is leadership of giant companies, small teams, or one’s own family. The Light Book offers great resources for all of us to reflect deeply on our own leadership skills and values; and the essays gathered in the book can offer the kind of wisdom that can help us to become more effective leaders. ”

Chris Lowney - chair of board of CommonSpirit Health; author of the bestseller Heroic Leadership

“The Light Book has intrigued me. It shows how different personal reflections on similar topics can be. A story that may not be surprising at all when read for the first time turns out to have an unexpected impact on you thanks to the summary questions that require the reader to draw conclusions. You come back to the story and rediscover it.”

Marilin Perez-Mazan, Director of the Motorola Solutions Product Development Center in Kraków.

Inspiring leaders, credible authors

Marshall Goldsmith

John Baldoni

Chris Lowney

Anindita Mahapatra

Marcus Buckingham

Eddie Turner

Marek Kamiński

Ewa Jochheim

Paweł Motyl

Michael Hyatt

See everyone

The LiGHT Book 2 close up

Valuable experiences of the authors, important lessons in leadership

The LiGHT Book 2 is not an ordinary book about how to be a good leader. We give you 52 personal stories from the authors we invited to collaborate because we believe that utilizing the experiences of others is one of the best and fastest ways to develop.

What is the most important thing in being a good leader? How to overcome crises? What is the price you have to pay for success?

The LiGHT Book 2 offers an opportunity to see a leader’s true face: no make-up and no masks.

We are positive that the stories in the book will provide answers and inspiration to take up the challenges you face every day.

Inspiring leaders

For The LiGHT Book 2 project, we invited 52 outstanding leaders that represent various sectors, cultures, and approaches to leadership.

By reading their stories, you can delve into the world of start-ups, small companies, big corporations, psychology, and sport.

All of the authors are practitioners and charismatic leaders. Some of them are globally recognized experts in leadership, others are heroes who make the world around them a better place. Regardless of how well-known they are, they all share an important part of their life, encouraging readers to reflect deeply.

Become a co-author of The LiGHT Book 2

The path of every leader is different—this is why there are no two identical copies of The LiGHT Book.

You decide about the final form of the book you are holding in your hands.

Answer the questions asked by the authors, write down your thoughts, and become a co-author of this edition. There are 52 stops waiting for you, which will bring you closer to the goal of making your leadership smart, conscious, and efficient.

BUY E-BOOK THE LIGHT BOOK 2

How to read The Light Book?

Our intention is to provide you with a tool for a whole year.

This is why we propose that you use The Light Book leisurely. Read a new story once a week, answer the questions asked by the author, and think how you could translate this experience onto your own career.

We are deeply convinced that this weekly habit of getting inspired by the stories of other leaders is a good ritual that leads to working more smartly.

Free chapter

You don’t have to buy right away. You can try beforehand. Enter your contact details to receive a free book chapter to your e-mail address.

Meet all the authors of The Light Book

New York Times best-selling author
Marcus Buckingham

Polish explorer, philosopher, and entrepreneur
Marek Kamiński

Founder and chairman of Full Focus
Michael Hyatt

President of the Management Board of VIVE Management
Agnieszka Servaas

President of BP in Poland
Bogdan Kucharski

Bestselling Business Author
Chester Elton

Executive Director of the Discerning Leadership
Fr. David McCallum Sj

Co-Founder & CEO of Infoshare
Grzegorz Borowski

Engineering Director at Ocado Technology
Grzegorz Cempla

President of the Management Board of Austrotherm Sp. z o.o
Anna Śpiewak

Head of Technology Center at Hitachi Energy
Krystyna Pietrzykowska

Lean is for People
Krzysztof Dobrowolski

CEO at Nextbank | CEO at Miquido
Krzysztof Kogutkiewicz

Lean Enterprise Institute Poland
Małgorzata Jakubik

Member of the Management Board of Exorigo-Upos S.A
Marcin Zimnicki

Director of the Motorola Solutions product development center in Kraków
Marilin Perez-Mazan

President of the board of the Santander Bank Polska Foundation
Marzena Atkielska

Psycholog i trener biznesu
Przemek Gawroński

CEO LEANPASSION GROUP
Radosław Drzewiecki

Founder and chairman of the strategic board of ASTOR
Stefan Życzkowski

General Manager of Grand Parade Poland
Tomasz Manugiewicz

CEO Golden Apple Institute
Wojciech Kowalewski

Leadership Expert

Marshall Goldsmith

A member of the Thinkers 50 Hall of Fame. He is the only two-time Thinkers 50 #1 Leadership Thinker in the World. He has been ranked as the World’s #1 Executive Coach and Top Ten Business Thinker for eight years. Marshall was chosen as the inaugural winner of the Lifetime Award for Leadership by the Harvard Institute of Coaching. Dr. Goldsmith, a New York Times #1 bestselling author, has written or edited 51 books which have sold over 3 million copies, been translated into 32 languages, and become bestsellers in 12 countries.

Leadership Expert

John Baldoni

Is a member of 100 Coaches and a leadership keynote presenter. He has been recognized as a top 20 leadership expert by Global Gurus, a list he has been on since 2007. He is also ranked as a Global 100 Leader and Top 50 Leadership Expert by Inc.com. John is the author of 15 books. His leadership resource website is www.johnbaldoni.com.

Leadership Expert

Paweł Motyl

The only Polish person on the TOP30 Global Gurus list, and in two categories: in 2021, he was named the world’s number five in terms of supporting start-ups and in 2022, he was ranked seventh in modeling organizational culture. Author of the Schrödinger’s World: The Chronicle of an Unpredictable Future bestseller and of Labyrinth. The Art of Decision-Making, which has been translated to a number of languages. An expert in leadership and decision-making, an experienced conference speaker, a coach, and a consultant. His professional career of 25 years now started in international advisory companies; for many years, he was also the CEO of the ICAN Institute, the publisher of Harvard Business Review Poland.

Bestselling Author

Chris Lowney

Once a Jesuit seminarian, he later served as a Managing Director of J.P. Morgan & Co. in Tokyo, Singapore, London, and New York before leaving the firm in 2001. Chris currently Chair of board of Common Spirit Health, America’s largest faith-based healthcare system. He has authored six books, including the bestselling Heroic Leadership, which has been translated into eleven languages. He has also authored Pope Francis: Why He Leads the Way He Leads; and, most recently, Make Today Matter, which won an Independent Press Award and an Illumination Award.

Mercedes Benz

Anindita Mahapatra

Anindita Mahapatra – has over 20 years of industry experience in building technically competent teams, collaborating between geographically distributed cross functional teams, and leading successful execution of large software solutions for industrial and automotive sectors. Having grown from a software development background, she believes that the leaders in this fast paced technology era must be adaptive to change and leadership means to influence teams and peers to collaborate effectively and solve problems. Presently, she is responsible for the Base Software Department at Mercedes Benz Research & Development India.

New York Times best-selling author

Marcus Buckingham

Is a global researcher and New York Times best-selling author focused on unlocking strengths, increasing performance, and pioneering the future of how people work. He is the author of two of the best-selling business books of all time, First, Break All the Rules, and Now, Discover Your Strengths, and his tenth book, Love + Work (Harvard Business Review Press) is being heralded by Forbes as one of the ten must-reads for career and leadership in 2022. Marcus’ 2019 Harvard Business Review cover article, “The Feedback Fallacy,” was selected by HBR as one of the most influential articles of the last 100 years, and Marcus’ strengths assessments have been taken by over 10 million people worldwide. Building on two decades of experience as a Senior Researcher at The Gallup Organization, Marcus leveraged his data-based discoveries to build a $100 million tech company focused on helping people find and contribute their strengths at work. He currently guides the research agenda of the ADP Research Institute as Head of People + Performance.

Leadership Expert

Eddie Turner

Is an in-demand leadership development expert recognized as one of the Top 10 Motivational Speakers in the world as ranked by Global Gurus. Forbes called him the Preeminent Authority on Emerging Leaders, and he is one of the Top 30 Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2022. Connect with Eddie Turner and follow him on your favorite social media platform.

Polish explorer, philosopher, and entrepreneur

Marek Kamiński

Polish explorer, philosopher, and entrepreneur, as well as the founder of the Kaminski Academy, Kaminski Foundation and the Makami Publishing House. He was the first person in the world to reach both poles of the Earth in a single year with no outside assistance, for which he has been entered into the Guinness Book of Records. Author and co-author of 20 books, as well as co-producer of movies.

CEO RMP Polska

Ewa Jochheim

Co-author of the Management by Individualization concept, which is based on the need to have an individual approach to employees, teams, and entire organizations. She described this approach in her book, Chcieć. Móc. Potrafić. Dlaczego ludzie nie robią tego, co powinni? She introduced the Reiss Motivation Profile (RMP) tool in Poland as a form of measuring the internal needs of humans. In addition to that, she develops technological solutions for individual and remote management based on artificial intelligence (AIA Concept).

Founder and chairman of Full Focus

Michael Hyatt

Is the founder and chairman of Full Focus. He is also the creator of the Full Focus Planner, which has sold over a million copies, and author of several New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling books, including Platform, Living Forward, Your Best Year Ever, Free to Focus, and The Vision Driven Leader. With his daughter, Megan, he is coauthor of Win at Work and Succeed at Life. He’s living the Double Win with his wife of forty-plus years, five daughters, and nine grandchildren.

President of the Management Board of VIVE Management

Agnieszka Servaas

Entrepreneur | President of the Management Board of VIVE Management | Business advisor and mentor | Certified coach
Believes in well-being in life and business. Has been supporting and co-creating businesses for 25 years. By implementing circular economy in the fashion industry, builds an ecosystem that supports the planet. Manages the VIVE Group. Initiator of the Textile Upcycling approach, a form of recycling textile waste. She has expanded the sales of the VIVE Group on 70 markets all over the world. Likes to share her passions and experience with others. Initiator and co-founder of the VIVE Women Association, a member of the board of the LeaderShe Association, and a member of the board of the Pro Bono Leaders Coalition. She accompanies leaders in building leadership based on values. Engaged in initiatives intended to support the development of children and the youth and designed offer financial assistance to amazing talents. Passionate about psychology. Loves to travel. In 2019, she ascended the Roof of Africa: Kilimanjaro.

CMO Gamfi

Anita Wojtaś-Jakubowska

Is a marketer with 20 years of professional experience, specializing in (and in love with) HR Tech. A women’s mentor in the Digital University and LeaderSHEp in Tech programs. One of the “25 LinkedIn Female Champions” selected by Forbes Women Poland. A graduate of the Leadership Psychology Academy at the School of Business of the Warsaw University of Technology, of the University of Warsaw, and of the Warsaw School of Economics. Loves people, open organizational culture, and… plants.

President of BP in Poland

Bogdan Kucharski

The president of BP in Poland for a number of years now; at the same time responsible for strategy, business development, and the expansion and transformation of fuel stations in Europe. In his career, he has dealt with sales, logistics, procurement, finance, strategy building, and operations, performing a number of regional roles, living and working in Poland, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK. A member of sector organizations and associations of employers. Managed a number of large, transformation-oriented business projects. Keen to share his experience with others, helping them become better leaders. A speaker at a number of business congresses, specializing in energy transition.

President of PeopleKeys

Bradley Smith

Is well recognized as an expert in the development of human behavioral and skills assessments and the technologies that deliver the materials with 24×7 access. Dr. Smith has served as the Director of Development for The Institute for Motivational Living since 1997 and as President and Co-Founder of sister company, PeopleKeys, Inc., since 2004. Previously, Dr. Smith was the Executive Director for the International Center for Real Life Education, a corporate entity specializing in developing and delivering learning and behavioral materials for education and business. Additionally, Dr. Smith has owned and operated several successful software and consulting companies specializing in this field.

Keynote Speaker

Brendan Hall

Is one of only 10 people in the world to lead the winning team in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race – an epic 40,000 mile ocean sailing race around the planet where the strongest teamwork always wins. Brendan is an award-winning speaker, author, coach and consultant who helps create high performance cultures for teams and organizations. Acting as a creative catalyst, he unlocks the latent potential within teams, helping develop resilience, connection, collaboration and better leadership.

Bestselling Business Author

Chester Elton

#1 Bestselling Business Author, Organizational Culture, Employee Engagement and Team Work Expert. Chester Elton has spent two decades helping some of the world’s most successful businesses engage their employees to execute on strategy, vision, and values. He has been called the “apostle of appreciation” by Canada’s Globe and Mail, “creative and refreshing” by the New York Times, and a “must read for modern managers” by CNN. Elton is co-author of multiple award- winning New York Times and #1Wall Street Journal bestselling leadership books including All In, The Carrot Principle, The Best Team Wins, and Anxiety at Work. His books have been translated in more than 30 languages and have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

CEO Uxtivity

Damian Lewandowicz

The founder and CEO of Uxtivity, a digital agency. Entrepreneur, marketer, supervisory board member and Philosopher. An ambassador of the scientific approach to marketing and the client-focused method of doing business. An enthusiast of personal productivity according to David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” methodology and Michael Hyatt’s “Free to Focus” approach.

Director of Tougher Minds

Dr Jon Finn

The best-selling author of The Habit Mechanic and founder of the award-winning Tougher Minds consultancy. He has three psychology-related degrees, including a PhD. He has worked in performance psychology, resilience, and leadership science for over 20 years. Having trained and coached over 10,000 people, Dr. Finn and his colleagues work with global businesses, high-growth start-ups, individuals, elite athletes, coaches and teams, leading educational institutes, families, the UK government, and think tanks. For podcast episodes and free resources, visit: tougherminds.co.uk.

Executive Director of the Discerning Leadership

Fr. David McCallum Sj

Is the Executive Director of the Discerning Leadership Program, which provides formation for senior leaders in the Catholic Church in Rome and internationally. Previously, he served as the Vice President for Mission Integration and Development at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY, USA.

Albrecht&Partners

Greg Albrecht

An entrepreneur, advisor, and investor in the technology sector. He has more than 20 years of practical experience in building businesses and working with company boards, which he has been translating into management tools. He is the founder of Albrecht & Partners, a company that supports business owners and managing teams in optimizing business strategies and developing leadership competences. He is a Certified Coach of the International Coaching Community and a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach.

Co-Founder & CEO of Infoshare

Grzegorz Borowski

Co-Founder & CEO of Infoshare – cyclical annual Tech and Startup conference, the biggest event of its kind in the CEE region. The last edition held in October 2022 gathered more than 4500 participants. Co-Founder of infoShare Academy – a company helping people become software developers – infoshareacademy.com Co-Founder & CEO of Infoshare Foundation – a non- profit organization established to organize Infoshare conferences and spread knowledge about new technologies, media, and startups. Member of the Advisory Board of Startup Poland foundation. Member of Digital Academy (Digital Poland Foundation). He has served as WP.PL senior tech & product manager being responsible for the development of many services such as the biggest Polish e-mail service (over 11 mln active accounts) – poczta. wp.pl poczta.o2.pl; search and adserver technology.

Engineering Director at Ocado Technology

Grzegorz Cempla

Engineering Director at Ocado Technology, a global technology pioneer on the e-grocery market. Has more than 25 years of experience in software engineering, having worked both in the public and the private sector, providing solutions and services for health care, finance, and telecommunications. He joined Ocado Technology in 2013 in Kraków, where, for the first two years, he was responsible for developing the company’s first software development center outside of the UK. Currently, he is responsible for the development of solutions for the Logistics, Delivery, and Supply Chain areas. Grzegorz is also a member of ASPIRE, an organization that brings together IT companies in Kraków. In private, he has a passion for human development and organizational culture, which he considers to be the fundamental factors in making a business successful.

Dale Carnegie & Associates

Joe Hart

Began his career as a practicing attorney. After taking a Dale Carnegie Course, Joe reassessed his career path and future, ultimately leaving the practice of law, going to work for a top real estate company, and then founding an innovative e-learning company called InfoAlly. After selling that business five years later, Joe became the president of Asset Health, a US-based health and wellness company—all before becoming the President and CEO of Dale Carnegie in 2015. In 2019, the CEO Forum Group named Joe as one of twelve transformative leaders, giving him the Transformative CEO Leadership Award in the category of the People. He is the host of a top global podcast, “Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast,” and he speaks around the world on topics such as leadership, resilience, and innovation, among other things. Joe and his wife, Katie, have six children, two dogs, and one cat. He is an active marathoner, having run many races, including Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, Detroit, and Toronto.

President of the Management Board of Austrotherm Sp. z o.o

Anna Śpiewak

President of the Management Board of Austrotherm Sp. z o.o. A graduate of the Kraków Academy of Economics with a specialization in finance. She has almost 40 years of professional experience, nearly 30 of which was acquired at Austrotherm. She has been serving as the President of the Management Board since 2005. A member of numerous organizations and associations and a vice president of the Polish Construction Industry Association. A winner of prestigious awards and distinctions, including the Polish Hercules and the Polish Business Leader. Decorated by the Polish Minister of Infrastructure with the honorary order of merit for services in the construction industry. For years, she has been promoting the improvement of the quality of construction materials. Married with two daughters and three grandchildren.

CEO RTCK S.A.

Kamil Zbozień

Kamil Zbozień is the founder and captain of RTCK S.A. Also the author of the Art of Lighting the Fire as part of which he offers a training course called the FOUNDATION where he leads the participants through the key strategic elements of a business based on the values and principles of the Art. For 12 years now, he has been developing the participation-based management model. The mission of RTCK and his mission personally is to help people build families, jobs, and lives they LOVE. He is the leader of the RTCK community.

Head of Technology Center at Hitachi Energy

Krystyna Pietrzykowska

Director of the Hitachi Energy Technological Center and an independent advisor supporting companies on their path to transformation. She has more than 20 years of experience in managerial positions in large international corporations. She is also a co-creator of the Slider Consortium – Crisis Coaching & Mentoring and a mentor at Leaders Island where she supports leaders in fighting their crises.

Lean is for People

Krzysztof Dobrowolski

Has 20 years of experience in industry, logistics, services, consulting, and coaching. He works with LEAN, QUALITY, and broadly understood MANAGEMENT. Also the author of PROBLEM SOLVING is for people! His brand is “Lean is for People” — with it, he created the largest and most active Polish community of LEAN enthusiasts and practitioners. He offers free lectures and seminars that are available on his YouTube channel. His practical workshops (both face-to-face and online) are tailored to the client’s needs. He never uses templates or presentations. Works on the examples from the processes actually used by his clients. Offers a maximum of practice and just the necessary bits of theory. Likes to work with people, directly in the GEMBA!

CEO at Nextbank | CEO at Miquido

Krzysztof Kogutkiewicz

An entrepreneur active in the area of new technologies. He built the Miquido software house, which now employs several hundred people and was recognized by Deloitte as one of the fastest-developing technological companies in Central and Eastern Europe. His next company, based in Asia, is a leader in the area of digital transformation of banks in the Philippines. For three years in a row, three different products of the company were named the most innovative solutions globally in FinTech at the Singapore FinTech Festival, which is the largest event of this type in the world.

VP of Engineering

Krzysztof Raś

Is a software engineer by education and a technological leader by passion. He used to work on the development of IT systems that saved human life; today, he helps others do the same. Keeps expanding his experience in leadership by building engineering teams and organizations. His latest achievement, which makes him especially proud, is building in Kraków a Technology and Innovation Center from scratch for Bitpanda, an Austrian crypto unicorn.

Trans.eu Group

Łukasz Doliński

Specialist, coach, and project management consultant. At Trans Group S.A., he is responsible for software development processes.

Towarzystwa Biznesowe

Maciej Gnyszka

The founder of Business Societies and the first Polish fundraising agency, Gnyszka Fundraising Advisors. Co-owner of the Pracownia Synergii 360 agency. Author of Żyj w obfitości, Fundraising. Pierwszy polski praktyczny podręcznik, Dlaczego networking nie działa i co musisz zrobić, by zaczął.

HR Consultant

Maja Gojtowska

For more than 13 years, she has been advising and supporting companies in building their image and communication style. A promoter of using the agile methodology in HR. In February 2020, she became an ICAgile Certified Professional – Agility in HR. She is also a Design Thinking moderator. Her specialization is building the experiences of candidates and employees. She designs image-related activities in terms of HR and employer branding. Has co-created and carried out more than a dozen campaigns in the areas of external and internal communication and employer branding. Offers consultations, training seminars, and strategic workshops for companies.

Lean Enterprise Institute Poland

Małgorzata Jakubik

Has over 15 years of experience in working as a leader and manager for global corporations, in the paper-making and automotive industries. A varied functional background in HR, Manufacturing Systems, and Quality gives her a useful and broad frame of reference. Since late 2009, she has been with the Lean Enterprise Institute Poland. Currently, as a partner and senior consultant, she is running consulting and training projects andcoordinating lean transformations in the manufacturing environment. An expert in best lean implementation strategies, with her main focus on building a long-term lean culture and ensuring effective application of key shop-floor tools. In her years with the Lean Enterprise Institute Poland, she has worked with large number of companies, from heavy industries, through FMCG, to services.

Sports psychologist

Marcin Kochanowski

The sports psychologist of the Polish men’s beach volleyball national team and a speaker, coach, and initiator. An academic teacher with over a decade of experience (SWPS University, the Higher School of Banking in Poznań, and the Academies of Physical Education in Warsaw and Gdańsk). The subject-matter head of the Psychology in Business postgraduate studies at the Poznań Campus of the SWPS University and the Sports Psychology postgraduate studies at the Academy of Physical Education in Poznań. A practitioner who transfers experience and knowledge from sport to business.

Member of the Management Board of Exorigo-Upos S.A

Marcin Zimnicki

For ten years now, a Member of the Management Board of Exorigo-Upos S.A. With the company since 2004. A graduate of the Advanced Management Program at the IESE Business School. He manages the division responsible for the development of servicing operations, the implementation of projects, and the production of devices dedicated to the retail industry.

Business Mentor

Marek Wikiera

An entrepreneur who has been building and investing in retail and real property companies for more than 20 years. A mentor and a confidant of company owners, management boards, managers, and leaders. He helps them cross boundaries and achieve goals in business, career, and personal life more quickly. He accompanies them in the process of going through change. Shares his knowledge and experience. Inspires, motivates, and infects with energy to act. A fan of extreme ultra-marathons and triathlons. In 2014, as one of the 47 people in the world, he completed the Four Deserts in one year: a series of brutal ultra-marathons taking place on the world’s four largest deserts: the Sahara, the Gobi, the Atacama, and the Antarctica. It was ranked by The Time as the sixth most grueling endurance competition in the world.

Director of the Motorola Solutions product development center in Kraków

Marilin Perez-Mazan

Grew up in Cuba, she graduated in Computer Science from the AGH University of Technology in Kraków. Started her professional career as a software developer, subsequently moving to various leadership roles. Currently, she is the director of the Motorola Solutions product development center in Kraków. A fan of teamwork. Spontaneous, direct, open to new ideas, optimistic, persistent.

President of the board of the Santander Bank Polska Foundation

Marzena Atkielska

President of the board of the I. J. Paderewski Santander Bank Polska Foundation. Has been working in the financial sector for 25 years. She acquired her experience from working in business in many managerial positions at a bank and as an internal and external coach and mentor. Before she became the president of the Foundation, she was a Branch Manager and a Regional Manager at Santander Bank Polska, working with teams in various parts of Poland. For six years now, as the president of the Santander Bank Polska Foundation, she has been implementing the strategy and the vision of the Foundation through programs, projects, and employee volunteering.

CEO Future Processing

Michał Sztanga

Is a member of the board and the CEO of Future Processing, a Polish IT company with a history that goes back over 20 years. He holds a master’s degree in IT from the Silesian University of Technology and an MBA from the Koźmiński University. He also completed postgraduate studies in project management and in business management at the Warsaw School of Economics. As he emphasizes, the most important things for him are goals that are understandable to everyone, honesty, and trust, as this translates to delivering the expected results. He strongly believes in the motto of Future Processing: We put people first. He is also involved in the development of several start-ups.

Hitachi Energy

Paweł Suliński

Vice President, Head of Finance Common Shared Service, Hitachi Energy. Paweł is a graduate of the Kraków University of Economics and has more than 20 years of experience from working in international organizations. This includes managing the finances of organizations, creating a shared services center, and heading transition projects for companies such as Hitachi, Heineken, and Ahold. Paweł is a Certified Chartered Accountant and holds the Advance Global Business Services (CIMA/Hackett) and Prince2 Practitioner certificates.

Co-founder of FORGLASS

Piotr Knast

Originator and co-founder of FORGLASS.

CEO BIGRAM SA

Piotr Wielgomas

President of the Management Board and Founder of the BIGRAM S.A. Group. A graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Warsaw University, he also completed HR internships in the USA and the UK. For 29 years now, he has been managing the company and its strategy. BIGRAM is one of the most active and experienced HR advisory companies in Poland. It is also the only Polish partner of the renowned international networks IIC Partners Executive Search and Career Star Group (outplacement), as well as the Polish coordinator for the global projects of Global Management Challenge and Enactus.

Psycholog i trener biznesu

Przemek Gawroński

Is a psychologist, a business coach, an OD consultant, and an aikido sensei. He supports leaders in development by combining contemporary psychological knowledge and the wisdom of the Far East.

CEO LEANPASSION GROUP

Radosław Drzewiecki

The founder of Leanpassion, a leader in the transformation of LEAN STRATEGY in Poland. His experience comes from working with more 300 companies from Poland and abroad. In his bestseller, LEAN Strategy: Why in GREAT companies people can’t wait for MONDAY, he moves away from the stereotypical perception of LEAN as a set of tools and implementation projects, instead focusing on an original process of strategic transformation. A co-founder of Sherlock Waste, a start-up that developed an application for reporting problems at work and turning them into innovative solutions. The originator and founder of Leanovatica.com, a streaming-based development website.

Honorary consul of Ethiopia

Roman Rojek

A lawyer with a PhD in economics, an honorary consul of Ethiopia, and the last publisher and reader of the Poznaj Świat monthly.

VP SoftServe

Sebastian Drzewiecki

Vice President & Country Manager at SoftServe Poland; a manager with more than 20 years of experience in IT. During his career, he has been responsible for the development of technological centers for companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Hewlett-Packard, and Sabre in Poland, the Philippines, India, China, Malaysia, and Costa Rica. He believes that in managing organizations, proper relations between the key stakeholders, a team built on transparent communication, mutual trust, and a development-oriented work environment are what counts most. After hours, Sebastian gets engaged in his own projects, writing a blog and recording podcasts called The Modern Leader. He is also a mentor and actively supports the development of women in business, for which he has been recognized with the Male Champion of Change award by the Success Written in Lipstick Foundation.

Founder and chairman of the strategic board of ASTOR

Stefan Życzkowski

Founder and, for many years, president of ASTOR, today serving as the chairman of the strategic board of the company. He also chaired the University Council of the Kraków University of Technology during its first term (2019–2020). A member of the Council of the Future Industry Platform Foundation and the Automation and Robotics Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Since October 2020, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Polish Forum of Automation and Robotics Association of Employers. A graduate of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Kraków University of Technology. In 2022, he was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit for his social activities.

CEO Spacebridge

Szymon Niemczura

Serial entrepreneur. Proud father of two. Aspiring carpenter. Geek. Currently, the co-founder and CEO of Spacebridge. In the past, he started other companies: Codewise (named one of EMEA’s fastest-growing tech startups), Kontakt.io (a leader in the IoT market), and Talent Alpha (a B2B tech talent marketplace). He built their teams, products, and sales channels too. Szymon puts purpose over paycheck and outcome over output. He doesn’t shy away from openly talking about his fuck-ups. For Szymon true leaders and great teams are those that inspire people to take initiative and grow.

General Manager of Grand Parade Poland

Tomasz Manugiewicz

Is the General Manager of Grand Parade Poland. An engineer at heart. A speaker by passion. He has delivered speeches at the largest European IT conferences, also as a keynote speaker. He has had presentations for brands such as Devoxx Belgium, AgileTourLondon, Agile Central Europe, DevDays Europe, and many more. In the IT sector since 2006. He worked as an Engineering Manager and, at the beginning of his path, when he was a Java Engineer, he helped to create the first Polish online banking systems. He also worked for global corporations, including in the banking and telecom sectors. Tomasz is an Agile enthusiast. At the AGH University of Technology, he is a lecturer, supporting young engineers on their way to the world of IT.

CEO Statscore

Tomasz Myalski

The founder and, for more than 15 years, the president of STATSCORE, a company whose goal is to collect all of the world’s statistics in one place. An expert in enterprise management and development and a huge fan of personal productivity and efficiency. The creator of TeamWorkStrategy, an innovative methodology that allows companies to operate efficiently while taking care of customer, employee, and investor satisfaction.

CEO Golden Apple Institute

Wojciech Kowalewski

Loves life, books, travelling, and action movies. His mission is to make others stronger. Always an optimist and a visionary who infects everyone with his enthusiasm. An experienced motivational speaker, a coach, a mentor, a lecturer, a doctor of practical theology, and a pastor at the LiGHT Café in Wrocław. The founder and chairman of the board of the Golden Apple Institute, which specializes in personal, professional, and spiritual development. He is also a member of the board and a lecturer on the mentoring program of leadership development at the Center for Leaders’ Education and a co-founder of the EP Mentoring Academy. A lecturer on the Mentoring and Coaching postgraduate program at the College of Theology and Social Sciences in Warsaw and the head of the Billy Graham Institute at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Warsaw. Engaged as a mentor at the European Leadership Forum and a coordinator of the Generosity Forum in cooperation with the EGCC. Head over heels in love with his wife Agnieszka and a dad to a very special teenager.

CEO True Leader

Wojciech Wereszko

Wojciech „Wery” Wereszko—Founder and owner of True Leader and a former officer of the GROM and Formoza special forces units. Today, the True Leader Business Solution team focuses on areas related to leadership and cooperation, including on building efficient project teams, providing advisory in terms of long-term business strategies, preparing organizations for change, recruitment and selection processes, and risk management in organizations, including the implementation of business optimization processes and efficiency management, mainly in technological, IT, and FinTech companies. Wojciech is a mentor in the Entrepreneurship Development Program offered by the Think Foundation and the Leopold Kronenberg Foundation of the Citi Handlowy Bank. He is a FRIS—Style of Thinking certified coach, an accredited Facet5, ToRQ, and Super Skills consultant, a certified practitioner of The Coaching Maps method, and a business coach at the SET Academy. Also certified in terms of managing Prince 2 projects and MSP programs, change management, and risk management (M_o_R APMG International). A visiting lecturer at the MBA program offered by the Koźmiński University and at postgraduate studies (Agile Leadership at the SWPS University and Program Management at the Warsaw School of Economics).

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