Advisory Board

The PKO Bank Polski Management Board President since October 2009, with appointment for a new term in 2011. Prior to this he was the Pioneer Pekao TFI S.A. Management Board President for nearly nine years. Also, within the global structure of Pioneer Investments he was responsible for the CEE region distribution. In the late 1990s he was, among others, active in establishing PKO/Credit Suisse TFI S.A. investment funds company, in the function of its first Vice-President. In his more than ten-year long career in the financial markets he can be credited, among other things, with:

Successfully steering PKO Bank Polski through the critical period of turmoil in the international financial markets, while strengthening the Bank’s position of leadership in terms of assets, equity funds and earnings in Poland and the CEE region;
Development and implementation of the PKO Bank Polski’s strategy for the years 2010-2012, which resulted in strong efficiency gains as measured in terms of ROE, ROA and C/I ratio as well as in increased interest in the company among domestic and international investors (PKO continues to lead the market in terms of the value of its free float and as a major corporate debt issuer );
Adjustment of PKO Bank Polski to the requirements of the ever more competitive financial market through increased attractiveness of its product offer and quality of its customer service;
Refocusing of the PKO Bank Polski Group’s operational model toward its core activity of providing financial services.
Zbigniew Jagiełło is actively involved in development and promotion of the most demanding financial market standards in Poland. He is a member of the Council of the Polish Bank Association and of the prestigious Institut International D’Etudes Bancaires, which brings together the international banking community. His previous functions included, among others, that of the Chairman of the Chamber of Fund and Asset Management. A graduate of the Wrocław Technical University, School of Computer Science and Management, he also completed Postgraduate Management Studies at the Gdańsk Foundation for Management Development and the University of Gdańsk, with Executive MBA certified by the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. The President of the Republic of Poland decorated him with the Officer’s Cross of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland and he was awarded the Social Solidarity Medal for promoting the idea of ​​corporate social responsibility. His is the Deputy Chairman of the Programme Council of the PKO Bank Polski Foundation, an entity formed at his initiative in the year 2010. Chosen the CEO of the Year 2011 by Parkiet daily; the recipient of the Wektor 2011 granted by the Polish Employers’ Chapter and of the Golden Banker in the Personality of the Year 2011 category; he was also lauded the Manager of the Year 2011 in a competition ran by Gazeta Bankowa. In the year 2012, Bloomberg Businessweek Polska singled him out as one of the Top 20 Managers in Crisis. In 2013 Zbigniew Jagiello was honoured by Bank monthly with the title of “The Innovator of Banking Sector 2012”, and received the title of “Visionary and Man of the Year” from Brief monthly and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily in appreciation of his contribution to financial sector development, his consistency in strengthening Bank`s position of market leadership and determination in changing its image.

After graduating from the Warsaw School of Economics (1976 – M.A. Degree in Economics, Faculty of International Trade, 1983 – Ph.D. Degree: Financial management of the international subsidiary of the transnational enterprise), Kalicki was a research scientist and academic teacher at the International Finance Department of the Warsaw School of Economics. 1989-1990 – assistant professor at the National Bank of Poland, Banking and Money Research Department. 1990-1992 – adviser to Minister of Finance, then head of the International Department at the Ministry of Finance. In 1994, Kalicki became the first Deputy Minister of Finance. In 1996, he started working for Bank Pekao S.A., where he held the position of the first Vice-President of the Management Board. Furthermore, Kalicki was the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bank Depozytowo-Kredytowy S.A. in Lublin, Member of the Supervisory Board of Bank Handlowy in Warsaw, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bank Pekao S.A. and Member of the Supervisory Board of Mitteleuropäische Handelsbank in Frankfurt. In 1998, he held the position of Member of the Management Board of Deutsche Bank Polska, then in 2003 he was designated for the position of President of Management Board. After merger of Deutsche Bank Polska with Deutsche Bank PBC, he was appointed for the position of President of the Management Board.

Since January 2014 Paweł has been the Director of the Services and Consulting Department and a member of Leadership in the Polish branch of Microsoft. Paweł joined Microsoft almost 5 years ago as FSI Lead in EPG segment. Together with the team he was responsible for serving the largest Polish banks and insurance companies. As a result of his consistent delivery and ability to build sustainable business Paweł was awarded a Platinum Club FY13. Additionally, he proved his seniority and leadership in couple of initiatives e.g. Microsoft Executive Circle or board membership in Banking Technology Forum of the Polish Banking Association. Before joining Microsoft, Paweł spent 15 years on FSI market on business side in Kredyt Bank, Gerling, Zurich Financial Services as Sales & Marketing Director including executive VP/Board Member role in Zurich/Inter. He was responsible for 5 years for sales and marketing in Software AG, leading web Methods division and BPM team and delivered the significant business growth in Poland. During the merger with WebMethods he was responsible for the area of business processes and middle ware.

In 1990-1998 at the position of the Director in the IT Department of Pomorski Bank Kredytowy S.A.
In 1999-2010, he held the position of the Director of the IT Systems Development and Maintenance Department in Bank Pekao S.A., and since 2006 he managed the Information Technology Division of the Bank. His responsibilities included integration of IT systems of four banks: Pekao S.A., PBKS S.A., BDK S.A., PBG S.A.
In 2000 – 2010 he has been the member of the Supervisory Board of KIR and from 2005 to 2010 he was the Chairman of the Supervisory Board.
He was a member of the Supervisory Boards of the companies belonging to the Bank Pekao S.A. Group and to the PKO Bank Polski S.A. Capital Group.
In 2010 – 2016 he held the position of the Vice-President of the Management Board supervising the Area of Information Technology and Services at PKO Bank Polski S.A.
He graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at the Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań.

Doctor of legal sciences, legal counsel, graduate of law at the University of Warsaw and Doctoral Studies at the Institute of Legal Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences
He is associated with the banking sector since 2003. From 2010 to 2020 he served as Director of the Legal and Legislative Team of the Polish Bank Association. Vice President of the Polish Bank Association since 2020. Chairman of the Steering Committee of the National Working Group on Reference Indicator Reform. Chairman of the Committee on Cyber Security of Banks. He has held numerous positions representing the banking sector at the national and European level, also within the European Banking Federation. He has participated in legislative work on numerous pieces of legislation in financial market regulations. Arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration at the Financial Supervisory Council.

Joao Bras Jorge, graduate of the Management Studies at Universidade Catolica Portuguesa and PADE Advance Management Programme under AESE.
He started his professional career as stockbroker in 1990. In the ensuing 10 years he worked in investment banking, inter alia, as Member of the Management Board at an investment bank. He also sat on the Board of the Lisbon Stock Exchange. During 5 years, prior to his move to Poland, he held position of Head of the Retail Banking Customer Division and Coordinator of the Retail Network at Millennium bcp.
Since 19 July 2006 – Member of the Management Board of Bank Millennium S.A., in the years 2006-2008 Head of the Retail Banking Division and from 2009 – Head of the Corporate Banking Area. From 22 April 2010 – Deputy Chairman of the Management Board and since 24 October 2013 – Chairman of the Management Board of Bank Millennium S.A.

Mr. Mariusz Cholewa is a graduate of the University of Gdańsk, the Faculty of Management. In 2005 he obtained his PhD Degree in Economics. He also completed postgraduate studies in Banking and Finance, with the specialisation in Investment Banking, conducted by the London Guidhall University, the Gdańsk Banking Academy and the University of Gdańsk.
In the years 1993 -1998 he cooperated with the Gdańsk Banking Academy, as a Management Board member, participating at the same time in the research on the financial restructuring of enterprises and banks pursued by the Gdańsk Institute of Market Economics. In the years 1995 -2003 he was an associate professor at the Faculty of Management at the University of Gdańsk. In the period of 2007 – 2010 he was the CEO of Bank Rozwoju Cukrownictwa S.A. In 1998 Mariusz Cholewa joined Bank Handlowy w Warszawie S.A. (Citi Handlowy), where he held a number of managerial positions, and till April 2013 he was the Director of the Strategy Department. He was a member of supervisory boards of many companies for e.g.: banks, investment and insurance companies including public granted companies. In the years 2012 – 2013 he was a member of Biuro Informacji Kredytowej S.A. Supervisory Board.
He has been the President of the BIK Management Board since June 2013. He is also the President of the Supervisory Board of BIG InfoMonitor S.A. – Economic Information Bureau.
Since June 2017 he has been the VicePresident of the Management Board of ACCIS (Association of Consumer Credit Information Suppliers) that represents the largest group of credit registers in the world.

Teresa Czerwińska is a Professor of Economics at the Warsaw University specialising in finances and risk management.
Prof. Teresa Czerwińska was appointed the Vice President of the European Investment Bank in March 2020. She is supervising InvestEU – joint programme of EIB and European Commission. She is responsible for EIB investments in areas of innovation, digital economy, also areas of science and education. In this role, alongside looking after the constituency countries (Poland, Hungary and Croatia) she is overseeing Eastern Partnership countries as well as Central Asia, China and Mongolia.
She is a graduate of the Faculty of Management (1998) and the Faculty of Social Sciences (1997) of the University of Gdańsk. From the beginning of her professional career, she has been associated with the financial sector in academic, business and supervisory dimensions. She is an author and co-author of several dozen scientific publications in the field of risk management of financial institutions, financial system stability and investments.
Prior to becoming EIB Vice-President, prof. T. Czerwińska was a member of the management board of the National Bank of Poland, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Poland. She was also a Governor of the European Investment Bank, a Governor of International Monetary Fund and a member of the board of Asian Infrastructure Bank. Earlier she held the position of the Undersecretary of State being responsible for the state budget at the Ministry of Finance. Before, in the years 2015 – 2017, she was the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. She was a member of The Insurance and Reinsurance Stakeholder Group (IRSG) at the European Insurance Supervision (EIOPA).

Elzbieta Czetwertynska Managing Director Citi Country Officer Poland / CEO Citi Handlowy Elzbieta Czetwertynska was appointed Citi Country Officer Poland / CEO Citi Handlowy in June 2021 and in June 2022 received additional responsibility for Ukraine. Prior to her current role, Elzbieta was Citi Country Officer for Switzerland, Monaco and Liechtenstein, based in Zurich. She assumed that role in March 2019, after a five-year stint in Latin America. Before moving to Switzerland, Elzbieta was Citi Country Officer, and Corporate and Investment Banking Head in Ecuador. Elzbieta has been at Citi for 29 years, working in different countries in Europe and Latin America. She joined Citi Ecuador as corporate bank relationship manager in 1994. From 1999 to 2003, she was Head of Transaction Services, Asset-Based Finance and the SME segment in the Dominican Republic, before moving to the United States for a year as internal auditor covering corporate credit for Latin America. In 2004, Elzbieta moved to Europe where she joined Citi Handlowy’s risk management team in Poland and was appointed Senior Credit Officer a year later. Her last four years in Poland she led the Commercial Bank business. Elzbieta returned to Latin America in 2013 as Head of Citi Colombia’s Treasury and Trade Solutions business, where she successfully developed and executed a dynamic growth strategy. Elzbieta holds a BSc Hons in Food Science, Economics and Marketing from the University of Reading, England. She is a certified coach in leadership and sales programs and has facilitated several risk management trainings. She served as President of the Board of Directors for Amcham Ecuador, as well as board member of the Ecuadorian Banking Association and Junior Achievement Ecuador Foundation. In Switzerland Elzbieta was a board member of the Association of Foreign Banks in Switzerland. At present, she is in the Board of Amcham Poland, the Polish Banking Association, and she serves as President of the Board of Citi Ukraine.

In her capacity, Bożena Graczyk has been CFO at ING Bank Śląski S.A. in Poland since 2017. Previously, from 1994 she was associated with KPMG, where she held the positions of Head of Accounting Advisory Services, and then Head of the Financial Risk Management Team. She became Partner, Financial Services in 2001.

Bożena Graczyk is a graduate of the Foreign Trade Faculty at the University of Lodz. She holds an Executive MBA in International Business from the University of Bristol, UK and École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, France and is also a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at the IESE Business School. She is a certified auditor.

Aged 52, Mariusz C. Grendowicz is the CEO of Polish Investments for Development, the newly-founded Polish infrastructure sovereign wealth fund. A banker of almost 30 years, Mr Grendowicz started his international banking career in 1983, when he joined Grindlays Bank (subsequently taken over by ANZ Banking Group) in London. In 1991 – 1992 he worked at Citibank in London, following which he joined ING Bank, at which he held senior managerial positions in Poland (1992 – 1995) and in Hungary (Deputy CEO, 1995 – 1997). From 1997 until 2001, he was the Deputy CEO, and later the CEO, of ABN AMRO in Poland. From 2001 until the end of 2006, as the Deputy CEO of Bank BPH, the then third largest bank in Poland, he headed the bank’s Corporate and Real Estate Finance Division. From early 2008 until late 2010, he was the President and CEO of BRE Bank, the third largest bank in Poland. An independent director, sitting on a number of company boards, the Polish Aviva subsidiaries, Arctic Paper and Globe Trade Center among them, Mr Grendowicz read economics at the University of Gdansk and qualified as an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in the UK.

Grzegorz Ignaciuk has 20 years of experience in the financial market.
He graduated from Warsaw School of Economics – major Quantitative Methods & Information Systems and Finance & Banking, and finished postgraduate studies in Bank Controlling.
>From November 2019, he is Deputy Chairman of the Management Board at Cenatorium, responsible for sales, business development, as well as finance and administration.
Previous, since 2014, he leads independent advisory projects and he has created a credit broker serving individual clients, entrepreneurs and enterprises. In 2006-2013, Grzegorz Ignaciuk was responsible for supervised retail credit portfolio risk management at PKO Bank Polski. He has extensive experience in building models and systems to assess clients’ creditworthiness.
He managed interdisciplinary project teams, which resulted in the implementation of 50+ pro-business, pro-efficiency and credit risk mitigation-related projects. He was also responsible for creation of applications which support credit-related business processes for individual customers and SMEs.
He has also been involved in several due diligence studies and strategy development.
He held the position of Secretary of the Supervisory Board of the Credit Bureau.

Małgorzata Kołakowska started her professional career at ING Bank NV/Warsaw Branch in Warsaw in the years 1993‐1996. After leaving the Bank, she held the position of Finance Director at McDonalds Polska and Director for Poland and the Baltic countries at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). She rejoined ING Bank Śląski in 2006 as the Executive Director heading the area of corporate and financial institutions. In 2008 Małgorzata Kołakowska became the Bank Vice‐President and in 2009 she was appointed President of the Management Board of ING Bank Śląski. She is also the Deputy Chair of the Supervisory Board of ING Securities S.A.
Małgorzata Kołakowska is a graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics, majoring in International trade economics and organisation.

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 (“strong experience in banking regulatory matters”, “deep knowledge and long experience”). He is a pioneer in advising on regulatory issues for the fintech sector in Poland. Among the issues he has advised on are implementation of PSD2 and opening banking, and he has advised on several dozen cases before financial market regulators in Poland and in Europe, on M&A deals on the fintech market, and on court litigation and arbitration cases between financial institutions. He has worked in the most important industry working groups for the fintech sector, such as the EC’s API Evaluation Group, the Polish API team, the fintech innovation development working group for the Polish Financial Supervision Authority, the Ministry for Digital Affairs “Blockchain and cryptocurrency” stream in the scheme “From a Paper to a Digital Poland”, and the Financial Market Development Council working group for implementation of the PSD. 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, and has worked with the Polish-German Banking Law Centre and London Economics. 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.

Dariusz Kucharski is currently the Country CEO of HSBC Poland. In this role, he leads wholesale banking business that provides investment and financial solutions to corporate, government and institutional clients. Dariusz has been with HSBC Poland since 2005 and has held a number of senior roles, most recently as Chief Risk Officer, where he has lead the risk management functions of the country business.
Prior to joining HSBC, Dariusz worked in a range of treasury, audit and risk management roles at ING, Arthur Andersen and Raiffeisen Bank.
Dariusz holds a degree in Finance from University of Economics in Krakow and the qualification of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Professionally involved in the payment sector for 20 years. He has been with Visa since March 2011, where initially, for 3 years, he was responsible for a consulting practice for Central Eastern Europe and carried out many projects related to implementation of new product strategies and optimizing card portfolio management in Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary. Since October 2014, he has been a Country Manager for Poland.

His career began in 2001 with KPMG consultancy, where for five years he managed an array of projects for financial institutions in the scope of internal processes optimization and profitability improvement. In 2006 he took over as credit card portfolio manager at Polbank EFG, with responsibilities covering partnership programmes and increase in credit card portfolio profitability.

Jakub Papierski has been Vice-President of the Management Board of PKO Bank Polski for 11 years, responsible for Corporate and Investment Banking. He graduated from Warsaw School of Economics and is CFA charterholder.
For over 25 years associated with banking and the capital markets. He worked at Creditanstalt Securities, Morgan Grenfell / Deutsche Bank, he was the President of the Management Board of CDM Pekao, Allianz Bank Polska and the CFO at Bank Pekao.
He is a member of Supervisory Boards of PKO Bank Hipoteczny, PKO Leasing, PKO BP BANKOWY Pension Fund and KREDOBANK in Ukraine
He chaired the Program Council of the PAGA Academy of Capital Market Leaders.

Graduated from the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Wrocław and Postgraduate Studies in Banking and Finance at Warsaw School of Economics. Since 1991 associated with the ZBP as Director of the Office and then Director General of the ZBP. Since April 2003 President of the chamber.
Member of the Bank Guarantee Fund, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Credit Information Bureau. Member of the National Centre for Research and Development. Member of the. President of “Promyk Słońca” Foundation. Vicepresident of “Teraz Polska” Chapter. Founder and co-founder of banking infrastructure enterprises and of Polish Institute of Directors.

Andrzej Przewięźlikowski graduated from the AGH University of Science and Technology in the field of IT the Polish Open University, where he obtained the MBA title. He has been working at Comarch since 1998, among others as a programmer, Solution Manager and Product Manager in the telecommunications sector. In 2005-2006 he was the director of the research and development center and CTO. In 2007, he took the position of Consulting Director in the Loyalty & Airlines team in the service sector, where he managed an international group of consultants in Central Europe, DACH and the USA. In 2009, he became the director of the Loyalty & Marketing Solutions business unit, where he was responsible for the overall business in this area. On 24th of June, 2015, he was appointed by the General Shareholders’ Meeting of Comarch S.A. for the position of the Vice-President of the Management Board of Comarch S.A. Andrzej Przewięźlikowski is also a member of the management boards and supervisory boards of companies from the Comarch Group.

Ernest brings over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry within the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region. Throughout his career, he has held positions at reputable companies such as Hypercom, SIA, Capgemini, Sungard, NCR, and currently serves as a key contributor to the business development efforts at Worldline Financial Services. Ernest is based in Budapest, Hungary, and holds degrees in electronics engineering and an MBA. His specialized expertise lies in the domain of “cards and payments,” encompassing a comprehensive grasp on the business and technological dimensions of this sector.

Tomasz Sękalski – banking and fintech expert with a wide knowledge of legal and financial issues. Earlier he has worked as a CEO of Idea Money, Polkomtel Business Development, and Country Director of Lidya, a global fintech offering financing to small and medium enterprises.
Graduate of Law department at Łódź University, he has also finished postgraduate studies at Warsaw School of Economics in the field of Bank Management. He is qualified by the Ministry of State Treasury to sit in the Supervisory Boards of the state-run companies. Privately: husband, father, and Harley Davidson owner.

From April 2020, Leszek Skiba is President of the Management Board managing work of the Management Board.

In 2015, he was appointed Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Finance, where he was responsible for the supervision over macroeconomic policy and tax legislation. He was also supporting legislative works connected with financial and capital markets, and prepared general outline of the budget system reform. Between March 2019 and April 2020 he served as the President of the Council of the Bank Guarantee Fund.

Between 2009 and 2015 Leszek Skiba worked at the National Bank of Poland, at the Economic Institute, where he worked on NBP’s report devoted to the consequences of Poland’s membership of the euro area and prepared analyses of the euro area economy. Since 2009, Leszek Skiba has been running public non-profit activities as the President of the Council and expert of the Sobieski Institute.

Leszek Skiba is a graduate of master’s degree studies at the Warsaw School of Economics, in the faculty of International Economic and Political Relations. He’s the author of numerous publications in the field of his professional work and public activities.

Mr. Skiba has over 25 years of professional experience on Polish banking market. In 1992 he started working in BZ WBK S.A., where he held different managerial positions. He was the Branch Director, the Director for the Region of North Greater Poland and the Director for the Macro-regions of Poznan (since 2002) and Warsaw (since 2008). In 2008 he was appointed at the position of the Vice-President of the Management Board of BZ WBK S.A.
Mr. Skiba graduated from Poznan University of Technology and perfected his studies as a postgraduate at Poznan University of Economics, Poznan University of Science as well as Swiss Finance Institute. In addition, he finished numerous specialized trainings and studies concerning banking, finances and management.

Cezary Stypułkowski holds a Ph.D. in law from the University of Warsaw. In late 1980s, he studied at Columbia University Business School in New York as a member of the Fulbright Program. He chaired the management board of Bank Handlowy for thirteen years, made it the leader of corporate and investment banking at that time. In 2003 Cezary Stypułkowski was appointed as president of the management board of PZU Group. He successfully managed the organisation with his colleagues for three years. The net result and the valuation of the group trebled as a consequence. From 2006 to 2010 he worked for J.P Morgan in London, from 2007 as managing director of J.P. Morgan Investment Bank in Central and Eastern Europe. Since October 2010 Cezary Stypułkowski manages mBank. From 2012 Cezary Stypułkowski has been a joint chairman of the Emerging Markets Advisory Council of the IIF in Washington. He was also a member of the Deutsche Bank Board International Advisory Board, INSEAD International Advisory Board, a member of the board of the Institute of International Finance in Washington and the Geneva Association.

He has a degree in economics from the City College of New York (1971) and degrees in management and interpersonal relationships from Webster University in Vienna (1983). For almost 25 years worked at Citibank on various positions, inter alia, managerial positions at branches of this bank in Japan, Austria, Great Britain and France. At the beginning of the 90s focused on management activities in Poland. He was an independent consultant co-participating in organizing Citibank in Warsaw. Currently member of the Supervisory Board of Gothaer Insurance Company and KRUK SA. He also sits in the Chapter of the Economic Award of the President of the Republic of Poland. Józef Wancer is a member of the board of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland and a member of the council of the Business Centre Club. In 2005, Józef Wancer was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit for notable achievements in the banking industry during the period of transformation, and in 2011 was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta.

Professor Małgorzata Zaleska is a member of the Management Board of the National Bank of Poland, a member of the Economic and Financial Committee for the Council of the European Union, Vice-President of the Committee on Financial Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Since 2013, Małgorzata Zaleska has been with the Institute of Banking and Business Insurance of the Warsaw School of Economics, acting as Head of the Department of Banking and the Security of the Financial System. She has authored of over 330 academic and popular science publications.
In 1998-2003 Professor Zaleska was an advisor to the President of the Bank Guarantee Fund; in 2000-2002 she served on the Supervisory Board of the Warsaw Stock Exchange; in 2007 – she was a member of the Commission for Banking Supervision. In 2007-2009, Małgorzata Zaleska held the position of the President of the Management Board of the Bank Guarantee Fund. In 2008-2009 she was also a member of the Management Board of International Association of Deposit Insurers and Chairperson of the Research Group of the European Forum of Deposit Insurers. In 2012, Małgorzata Zaleska was elected to the Central Commission for Academic Degrees and Titles within the scope of economics (finances).

From May 2023, Marta Życińska, as general director of the Polish branch of Mastercard Europe, is responsible for business development and implementation of the company’s strategy in the country.

Marta joined Mastercard 7 years ago. Initially, she managed the marketing department in Poland, and then was promoted to the position of vice president for marketing and communications for Central and Eastern Europe, successfully combining business development with marketing activities in 20 markets. In 2022, she took up the position of vice-president for global product and B2B marketing, in particular responsible for the area of ​​Mastercard’s cooperation with fintechs, as well as prepaid services.

She is a business leader with many achievements in managing projects achieving commercial goals in the B2B and B2C areas, in close cooperation with sales, development and product departments. Before joining Mastercard, she worked as the director of the marketing office at the PZU Group, where she carried out the rebranding and was responsible for sales support, communication and digital marketing. Previously, she was associated with the Orange telecommunications company for many years, where she headed the B2C communications department.

Marta Życińska shares her experience and knowledge as a business advisor, working with startups in developing and scaling their businesses. As a mentor, she actively supports diversity and equal rights in the workplace, and participates in initiatives and projects in the area of ​​DEI (diversity, equality, inclusion). She has served on the jury of the Effie competition many times, including Effie Europe and Effie Global. She is also the winner of the Personality of the Year award in the Marketing Director of the Year competition, and her campaigns have won numerous Effie, Golden Drum and Cannes Lions awards.

She graduated from Brock University in Canada, majoring in marketing, and also has an MBA from the University of Management and Oxford Brookes University. Apart from her professional work, Marta, as a philology graduate, is passionate about English, medicine and skiing. She successfully combines her professional career with raising three sons.

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.