CEE’s Digital Challengers: Do IT with us

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CEE’s Digital Challengers: Do IT with us

CEE’s Digital Challengers: Do IT with us

CEE’s Digital Challengers (Debate) – Panel Discussion at Polish House Davos 2023

The digital economy has historically been a key growth driver for Poland, outpacing the region’s growth – with digital commerce being the main source of it and outperforming any previous predictions. Now, it’s time for Poland to leverage its momentum and take it to the next level, by moving from a supplier of inexpensive IT labor to a country known for advanced IT products and talent. The challenges are great – from a shrinking talent pool to a drop in STEM graduates – but the opportunity that lies ahead could propel Poland towards immense value and rapid future growth.

Moderator: Tomasz Marciniak (McKinsey & Company)

Speakers: Wiktor Schmidt (Netguru), Kate Smaje (McKinsey & Company), George Szlosarek (neutrality.one), Rafał Kozłowski (Asseco Enterprise Solutions), Łukasz Rzeczkowski (Trustedoctor, Further Group)

Tomasz Marciniak photo rounded
Wiktor Schmidt Netguru photo rounded
Kate Smaje McKinsey and Company photo rounded
George Szlosarek photo rounded
Rafal Kozlowski Asseco Enterprise Solutions Photo Rounded
Lukasz Rzeczkowski Trustedoctor Photo Rounded

Tomasz Marciniak photo rounded

 

Tomasz Marciniak

McKinsey & Company

 

Tomasz is a Managing Partner for McKinsey in Poland. He is one of the Leaders of our Electric Power & Natural Gas Practice in Central Europe, and a co-leader of our work on Transmission and Distribution Service Line across the whole of Europe. Tomasz serves clients in the power and gas-distribution, as well as the mining and fuel supply sectors. He advises senior leaders on issues including strategy, regulation, sector transition plans, renewables development, digitization, smart grid, operational transformation, asset-management optimization, and excavation-planning strategy. Examples of his recent client projects include the following: serving a leading energy player in the Middle East on a complex performance transformation program design and end-to-end implementation supporting one of the largest power utilities in Central and Eastern Europe with strategy development, including optimizing the power mix and asset portfolio and implementing the master plan serving a PE-owned power grid operator on the design and implementation of its value-creation program, from M&A support, first 100-days, transformation design, rollout to execution and capability transfer helping a leading German power utility with vendor due diligence, the definition of a value-creation plan, and implementation launch advising a European electric-power sensors technology and equipment provider on its smart-grid and network-automation strategy working with a distribution system operator to develop and implement a new integrated digital field force operations automation serving one of the global digital utility leaders in designing its next level digital vision and aspiration delivery roadmap In his years with McKinsey, Tomasz has served more than 25 different power- and gas-distribution operators in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malaysia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. He has authored a range of reports including „The perspective on offshore wind power development in Poland”. Tomasz is the partner sponsor of recruiting for McKinsey in Central Europe.

 

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Wiktor Schmidt Netguru photo rounded

 

Wiktor Schmidt

Netguru

 

Wiktor Schmidt is the Executive Chairman at Netguru, a company he co-founded in 2008, and a technology enthusiast, investor, and connector. Netguru builds digital products that let people do things differently. We have changed the way people listen to music, learn languages, and rent bicycles. Netguru’s clients’ products have been covered by New York Times, Business Insider, TechCrunch, and Wired. Our mission is to help innovators and entrepreneurs shape the world through beautiful software. With more than 900 people on board, over $60m in revenue and 600+ completed projects, Netguru became one of the fastest growing companies in Europe under Wiktor’s leadership, and it has been recognised by the Financial Times, Deloitte, and Forbes. As the Executive Chairman, Wiktor is responsible for the company’s external presence, co-running key initiatives such as supporting diversity in the company, developing Netguru’s social footprint and implementing sustainable growth strategies. He is also an active angel investor in several technology startups and a board member of Ten Square Games, a free-to-play game studio. Wiktor loves connecting people: with each other and with innovative ideas. He is active in the startup/technology/leadership community through organisations such as YPO, Endeavor and others. Wiktor believes in workplace transparency, diversity, and equality. Netguru culture’s is a natural realisation of his drive to build a workplace he’d personally would like to work at.

 

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Kate Smaje McKinsey and Company photo rounded

 

Kate Smaje

McKinsey & Company

 

Kate Smaje is the global leader of McKinsey Digital, working with clients to deploy the power of data, digital culture and capabilities, and modernized core technology. She has been a core leader of our consumer work for many years, helping leading retailers and consumer-facing companies capture opportunities afforded by new growth platforms, rethink consumer-engagement models, and improve organizational performance. In her work with clients, Kate helps companies understand the full extent of technology disruption on business strategy and leads digital, data, and design transformations as industry dynamics evolve. Throughout, she works with senior leadership teams to help them build the mind-sets, capabilities, and grassroots understanding required to undergo such change successfully and sustainably. She also has firsthand experience as a chief technology officer across core technology, digital product management and innovation, and cybersecurity work. Prior to joining McKinsey, Kate worked in the investment-banking division of a multinational investment bank and financial-services holding company in London, advising on mergers, acquisitions, and debt restructuring in the technology sector. In addition to her work with McKinsey, Kate is a trustee of Tommy’s, the children’s charity.

 

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George Szlosarek photo rounded

 

George Szlosarek

neutrality.one

 

George Szlosarek, a founder and long-time CEO of the international telecom operator Epsilon Telecommunications, has joined the board of directors of Neterra and NetIX group of companies. He joins as a non-executive director where he will assist in setting policy and planning but without participating in day-to-day management. George was excited and highly motivated to get involved, “I see great potential: a talented team of individuals, interesting set of products, a global footprint, with a desire to grow, succeed and make a difference! Having experienced rapid growth and development in the global markets, I look get the Neterra and NetIX brands well-established internationally.” George Szlosarek is well-recognised in the telecom industry; for the past 17 years, he has held the positions of Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Operating Officer for Sales and Marketing (COO), and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Epsilon Telecommunications. He was born, raised, and studied in the UK. His telecommunication career made him a citizen of the world and for the past 20 years he has lived in continental Europe and Asia, and has now settled in Singapore. Highly outdoorsy, George enjoys sports such as cycling, hiking, golf, and loves long walks with his dog, spending time with his family, and plenty of reading. Telecoms is a real passion for him, and is inspired by how this industry connects people and enables companies to continue to operate normally even in situations such as the Coronavirus lockdown.

 

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Rafal Kozlowski Asseco Enterprise Solutions Photo Rounded

 

Rafał Kozłowski

Asseco Enterprise Solutions

 

In December 2020, Mr Rafał Kozłowski was nominated President of the Management Board of Asseco Enterprise Solutions. From June 2012 to March 2021, he sat as the Vice-President of the Management Board and CFO of Asseco Poland S.A., and since August 2021, he has been a director in the Board of Directors of the Formula Systems Group listed on the Telaviv Stock Exchange and on NASDAQ. From May 2008 to May 2012, he was Vice-President of Asseco South Eastern Europe S.A., responsible for managing corporate finance. During this period, he was directly involved in the acquisition of companies from the Asseco South Eastern Europe holding, as well as conducting the IPO process for the same holding on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Between 1996 and 1998, he was the CFO at Delta Software, and next, from 1998 to 2003, a Senior Manager at Veraudyt. In the years 2004-2006, he headed the Treasury Department at Softbank S.A., where he was also appointed VP Finance in the subsidiary Sawan S.A. From 2007 to June 2009, he led the Controlling and Investments Division at Asseco Poland S.A. Mr Kozłowski earned his master’s degree at the Faculty of Organization and Management, Warsaw University, in 1998. He completed the Project Management Programme by PMI in 2004, the International Accounting Standards Programme by Ernst & Young Academy of Business in the years 2005-2006, and The Emerging CFO: Strategic Financial Leadership Programme by Stanford GSB in 2019.

 

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Lukasz Rzeczkowski Trustedoctor Photo Rounded

 

Łukasz Rzeczkowski

Trustedoctor, Further Group

 

Lukasz is a founder of Trustedoctor, a global digital health start-up focused on virtual care services in specialised medicine. The platform infrastructure provides access to leading doctors and hospitals in oncology around the world. Trustedoctor is part of Further Group, which provides digitally enabled critical illness insurance solutions for 3.5mm in 35 countries. In July 2022, Further Group received a strategic investment from AnaCap Financial Partners, a leading private equity player, where Lukasz has completed a partial exit. Before founding Trustedoctor, Lukasz worked in structured credit trading for leading capital markets players in Europe. Lukasz is a board member of the Polish City Club and a governor of the Royal School. He is an alumnus of University of Warwick and London School of Economics and Political Science.

 

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