Polish Market No.259 /2017

PU B LISHED SIncE 199 6 No. 259 /2017 :: www.polishmarket.com.pl

SPECIAL EDITION

BEATA DRZAZGA President of the Board of BetaMed s.a.

powerful

business woman

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BUSINESSWOMAN

“WONDER WOMAN”, BY GROSSING USD240 MILLION IN JUST A FEW DAYS, BEAT THE ALL-TIME BOX-OFFICE RECORD FOR AN OPENING WEEKEND. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL – WITH A BUDGET OF USD149 MILLION, IT IS NOW THE MOST-EXPENSIVE AND HIGHEST-GROSSING FILM DIRECTED BY A WOMAN, BREAKING THE HOLLYWOOD “GLASS CEILING”. OR DID IT? Soon after the premiere of this “half-naked Amazon” epic, feminists and gender researchers had to curb much of their enthusiasm. Although the money put in by the producers did pay off, the movie is hardly likely to resonate with sentiments held by the general public. On the other hand, the road to the cinema hall of fame does not necessarily have to be paved with money. An example here is the recent world premiere of “Loving Vincent” by Dorota Kobiela, which has already been hailed as next year’s Oscar nominee in the Best Animated Feature category. Critics particularly admired the movie’s innovative technique which gave life to 65,000 brilliant paintings (by over 100 Polish and foreign painters) created in oil and employing a technique once famously used by Van Gogh himself. And if anyone were to read the notion of “glass ceiling” into this, it would have to be on a rebours basis, much as was the case with Marie Skłodowska-Curie, the Polish two-time Nobel laureate, and the only person to receive the award in two different disciplines (physics and chemistry), of whom one commentator said with admiration: “It takes a woman to sift through three tonnes of uranium with a teaspoon”.

Of course, despite the progress of globalisation, discrimination against women in both the private and public domains continues to linger as one of the main social problems. While in many corners of the world it has established itself as a doctrine through the local moral and religious models, researchers have revealed that in the last decade or so the women’srights equality movement has gained momentum, with much good happening in this regard. For several years “The Economist” has been analysing the equality of labour rights in the OECD countries, using these data to publish the “glass-ceiling index”. The results of this research should not come as a surprise. This year, as always, Scandinavia took the lead, but what is especially interesting is that Poland ranked fifth, and this is not the first time our country has secured such a high position.

According to “The Economist”, Polish women have it better at work than their female colleagues not only in France, Denmark or Belgium, but also in Germany and the USA. A similar trend can be observed in public life. Even with no parity laws formally introduced, over the last twenty five years Poland has seen three females become Prime Minister, the country’s highest executive position. At least one third of every Cabinet were women, including in ministries in charge of such key sectors as finance and the economy. In business leader rankings, most women act not as mere heiresses or spouses but genuine originators of success in business. It has become a sort of tradition for Polish women to lead in scientific research, even in disciplines believed to have an “unfeminine” profile (physics, mathematics in sciences, surgery in medicine, etc.). To give an example, Professor Agnieszka Zalewska has caught the global eye running the CERN Large Hadron Collider, whereas Professor Maria Siemionow has entered the list of the most prominent transplant surgeons. Polish women have also marked their presence among the world sports and show-business celebrities. Agnieszka Radwańska’s decade in the WTA Top 10 means the most spectacular tennis experience in the world. Garnering two (as yet) gold medals in the Olympics, Anita Włodarczyk sent a message to the young generation that excellence at sports can be achieved even if you were to train “under the bridge”. And then there’s Anna Lewandowska (a European karate champion, a fitness coach, and a blogger) who proved that being married to a football superstar does not mean giving up one’s true self or showing off in a world of scandals.

The examples above are not intended to show that the Polish “woman’s world” is totally faultless. It is much harder to assess and appreciate the work of women who on a daily basis remain out of the public eye. We all know how much must still be done to guarantee similar wages for the same work, a due place in public life, and equal rights in the family. Yet, we need and can address these matters. Even the Polish Parliament, feuding as ever, deemed it appropriate to discuss this topic, and commemorated the 100th anniversary of women’s voting rights in Poland. On 8 June, all parliamentary groups voted in favour of declaring 2018 the Year of Women’s Rights.

Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek Editor-in-Chief President of Rynek Polski Publishers Co. Ltd.

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CONTENTS

3. WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT: ELŻBIETA RAFALSKA, Ministry of Family,

24. ELŻBIETA RADZIKOWSKA, MD, Head of the Plastic Surgery Ward,

4. ELŻBIETA ANNA POLAK, Marshal of Lubuskie Province: DETERMINATION AND PASSION IN ACTION

25. IWONA ŁUGOWSKA - OUTSTANDING WOMAN AT THE HELM OF SCIENCE

Labour and Social Policy – one of the most appreciated ministers

6. NEARLY HALF OF POLISH COMPANY BOARDS ARE ALL-MALE 8. WOMEN’S LABOUR AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP - THE POTENTIAL TO BE

USED IN POLAND

9. URSZULA CIOŁESZYŃSKA, Founder and President of Embassy for Women Entrepreneurship Foundation, Ambassador of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day in Poland: WOMEN’S SOLIDARITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT 10. PROF. ELŻBIETA MĄCZYŃSKA, President of the Polish Economic Society

Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration in Warsaw: THE CANONS OF BEAUTY ARE CHANGING DRAMATICALLY AND INDUSTRY CENTRE

26. MARIA CZWOJDRAK, President of Średzka Spółdzielnia Mleczarska

Jana: EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED, EXCEPT FOR THE MILK PLANT ADDRESS CHANGES AT EVERY PRODUCTION STAGE

27. SYLWIA MOKRYSZ, Commercial Representative of Mokate SA:

ORIENTED TOWARDS FUTURE GENERATIONS RATHER THAN ONLY PROFIT

28. Cultural Monitor: LADIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

(PTE): ECONOMICS PUTS PEOPLE FIRST

30. Maciej Proliński: WOMEN WITH PEARLS

14. ELŻBIETA PEŁKA, General Manager, Pełka 360, President of the Board

33. ANNA STASIAK-APELSKA, President of the Board of Krakowski Teatr

15. MAŁGORZATA SZTURMOWICZ, Idea Bank Board Member: THE MAIN

34. ANNA MATUSIAK, journalist: MANY COLOURS OF FEMININITY

of Polish National Sales Awards: NEW LESSONS ARE LEARNT FROM EVERY CLIENT FACTOR MOTIVATING WOMEN TO SET UP A BUSINESS IS AMBITION AND A SEARCH FOR SELF-FULFILMENT.

16. KRYSTYNA BOCZKOWSKA, General Manager of Robert Bosch Sp. z o.o.,

Komedia: THEATRE FOR BUSINESS, BUSINESS FOR THEATRE AND A THEATRE WITH AN EMBLEM

36. STANISŁAWA MISSALA, owner of Quality Missala Perfumery: WOMEN ARE FOREVER YOUNG!

representative of Bosch Group in Poland: GOOD MANAGER HAS NO GENDER

38. NATALIA GOLD - UNIQUENESS, DILIGENCE, STABILITY

19. KAROLINA TOKARZ, President of the Board, Chief Executive Officer at

39. HALINA ZUBRZYCKA, MD, owner of the Wellness Centre Raj Villa

Promag SA: AN EQUAL PARTNER IN BUSINESS

20. ELISABETH LÜRENBAUM, President of the Management Board

and Villa Aurelia Hotel & Spa: RAJ VILLA ELEGANT AND ROMANTIC PLACE IN THE VERY HEART OF NAŁĘCZÓW

at Solvadis Polska Sp. z o.o.: BEING SUCCESSFUL AND AWARDED MEANS SEIZING NEW PERSPECTIVES; COMPANY PRESIDENT - THE IRON LADY

40. KLICZKÓW CASTLE

21. ANNA TRYFON-BOJARSKA, Ph.D. Candidate, Head of Innovation

owners of Godai Studio: PERFECTION IN EVERY INCH

& Technology at Skanska SA: DIVERSITY IS SKANSKA’S STRENGTH

22. BEATA DRZAZGA, President of the Board of BetaMed SA: BUSINESS DOES NOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE SEXES

SPECIAL EDITION

President: Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek

Writers/Editors: Maciej Proliński, Jan Sosna, Janusz Korzeń, Jerzy Bojanowicz, Janusz Turakiewicz,

Vice - Presidents: Błażej Grabowski, Grażyna Jaskuła

Translation: Sylwia Wesołowska-Betkier, Agit

Address: ul. Elektoralna 13, 00-137 Warszawa, Poland Phone (+48 22) 620 31 42, 652 95 77 Fax (+48 22) 620 31 37 E-mail: info@polishmarket.com.pl

Contributors: Agnieszka Turakiewicz

Publisher: Oficyna Wydawnicza RYNEK POLSKI Sp. z o.o.

(RYNEK POLSKI Publishers Co. Ltd.)

Editor-in-Chief: Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś redakcja@polishmarket.com.pl Marcin Haber m.haber@polishmarket.com.pl

Graphic design: Godai Studio Agnieszka Andrzejczak, Joanna Wiktoria Grabowska Sales: Phone (+48 22) 620 38 34, 654 95 77 Marketing Manager: Magdalena Koprowicz m.koprowicz@polishmarket.com.pl

42. JOANNA WIKTORIA GRABOWSKA AND AGNIESZKA CHARUBA, 44. THE GLASS CEILING HAS BEEN SHATTERED

Cover: Beata Drzazga, President of the Board of BetaMed SA Photos on issue: www.shutterstock.com

DTP: Godai Studio www.godai.pl Printing: Zakłady Graficzne TAURUS – Roszkowscy Sp. z o. o., www.drukarniataurus.pl

Oficyna Wydawnicza RYNEK POLSKI Sp. z o.o.

Nr KRS 0000080385, Sąd Rejonowy dla m.st.

Warszawy XII Wydział Gospodarczy Kapitał zakładowy 80.000,- zł.

REGON 011915685, NIP 526-11-62-572 Published articles represent the authors’ personal views only. The Editor and Publisher disclaim any responsibility or liability for their contents. Unso-licited material will not be returned. The editors reserve the right to edit the material for length and content. The editors accept no responsibility what-soever for the content of advertising material.

Reproduction of any material from this magazine requires prior written permission from the Publisher.

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BUSINESSWOMAN

WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT ELŻBIETA RAFALSKA – ONE OF THE MOST APPRECIATED MINISTERS

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lżbieta Rafalska, a politician, local government member, senator in the 6th term of the Polish parliament and a member of the lower house of the parliament in its 6th and 7th term, has been involved in national and local politics for many years. At the beginning of her career, she worked in education. She was an academic teacher at the University of Physical Education in Poland’s western city of Gorzów Wielkopolski and then a school inspector at the education office. In 1998, she became director of the Regional Office for Social Assistance and in 1999-2002 worked as director of the Department for Social Affairs at the Lubuskie Province Office. She lectured at the PWSZ college in Gorzów Wielkopolski. In 19942005, she was a councillor in Gorzów Wielkopolski. From 2002 to 2005, she held the post of head of the Family and Social Affairs Commission in the City Council and then deputy head of the Council. She was also head of the councillors’ group of the Law and Justice (PiS) party. She is a deputy head of the Lubuskie Province Council of Law and Justice. In 2005, she was elected to the Senate on the PiS ticket. She was head of the Senate Committee on Local and Central Government. From June 6, 2006 to April 5, 2007 and again from August 24, 2007 to December 3, 2007 she held the post of deputy minister of labour and social policy. In 2013, she became a member of the Political Committee of Law and Justice.

In the Beata Szydło government, she is head of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. These issues are important for society, though often go against economic trends. Elżbieta Rafalska is responsible for lowering the retirement age, in line with public expectations, and the

government’s flagship programme of child benefits called Family 500+. It is this programme that earned Minister Rafalska great popularity and gratitude from millions of parents for the monthly payments supporting their family budgets.

The programme was launched on April 1, 2016.

Under its provisions, a child benefit of PLN500 a month is granted for every second, third and successive child in a family. If the family’s net income per person is below PLN800 a month the family is eligible for the benefit for their first child as well. For families with a disabled child the income threshold is PLN1,200. The Ministry estimates that Poland’s population may grow by 1.7 million by 2050 thanks to the Family 500+ programme.

“The demographic crisis is a fact,” Minister Elżbieta Rafalska said at a press conference. “Population decline has continued for at least 25 years.

The fertility rates are dramatically low so it was necessary to try and change this state of affairs.

The 500+ programme does so.” Minister Rafalska believes that the programme will significantly contribute to a rise in Poland’s population. “It is an encouragement for Polish families to have more children, to change the existing family model. It means building financial security for the families.”

In an interview for the “Gazeta Prawna” daily, the minister responded to the criticism that the Family 500+ programme contributes to a reduction in women’s participation in the labour market.

“The 24,000 women who have become economically inactive is a small number compared to the remaining more than 2 million mothers,” she said.

“I recommend you to see an NBP [central bank – ed.] report, according to which a reason behind economic inactivity is also the need to take care of elderly members of the family. Let us talk about

the full picture. Have a look at CBOS research. 4% of those surveyed said that thanks to the benefit they can afford crèche expenses for their children while another 5% said that the 500+ programme have given them a chance to return to work. No one said they do not want to work because of the benefit. So let us talk calmly, without perpetuating the opinion that the 500+ programme makes hundreds of thousands of women economically inactive. It is no problem for me if a women who has four or five children and earns little decides to be economically inactive for a short time and as a result does not take leaves to take care of the children and does not use crèche services because she herself provides the children with the best care.

Asked whether women should be encouraged to return onto the labour market after their maternity leave, she replied: “Of course. This is why various mechanisms should be used to support their economic activity and help them return onto the labour market if they are unable to return to their previous workplace. Although, in my view, we will see a different phenomenon in a few years’ time. Women will not want to stay at home. One can already see that they are young, educated and want to work. What annoys me with such discussions is that we talk about women becoming economically inactive while the topic of men’s inactivity is not raised. With women, it is often the question of reconciling duties in various spheres of life while there is a great number of men who simply do not want to work.”

The government wants to create the best possible conditions for families and for bringing up children. This includes housing policy, better health care and also an improvement in the system of care of the elderly.

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DETERMINATION

PASSION IN ACTION AND

ELŻBIETA ANNA POLAK, Marshal of Lubuskie Province, talks to “Polish Market.”

You are the only woman in the post of province marshal in Poland. And Lubuskie is the most feminized region in Poland. Is it easier to work with women?

Gender plays no role when you build a team. What counts is experience, knowledge and competence. The strong participation of women in public life, especially in local government, is necessary because women can see what is invisible to men. But we would lose if we watched life through a window. We have to believe that we can shape reality. And then, nothing is impossible. Returning to the marshal’s post, I set the bar very high because, since I am in a position of power, I want to build the future in a bold manner and without inhibitions.

PM

Lubuskie has again proven that it knows how to spend EU money. In this EU financial period, the province is one of the leaders is absorbing the money under the Regional Operational Programme – it crossed the 30% mark long ago.

How do you do that?

We have already accounted for the money spent in the latest financial period – Lubuskie’s efficiency has reached 136%. We are not going to leave the podium. We have a good Regional Operational Programme. We have written it not only in keeping with European Union directives, but also on the basis of the regional development strategy and our innovation programme where we indicated fields for our smart specialization: bioeconomy, health and quality of life, and innovative traditional industry. It is coherent and has a major influence on selected priorities of the province’s investment programmes in various areas.

We try to invest EU money in a systemic and predictable way.

PM

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We are building a radiation therapy centre, air ambulance base, the Mother and Child Hospital and operating theatres in a nocontest system. One of our main priorities is making the province highly accessible in terms of transport and telecommunications. This is why the construction and modernization of roads and bridges of regional importance is carried out on the basis of the province’s programme without contests.

What are the priorities for this year?

The most important one is the construction of a bridge in Milsko, which will mean no need to use a ferry to cross the Odra river in the area. Among the priorities are also ring roads of Drezdenko and Rzepin, and many kilometres of regional roads linking the region with the S3 road and the A2 and A4 motorways. Surveys on the quality of life of our region’s residents show that the most important thing for them is health.

In Zielona Góra [the capital of the province – ed.] we are building the Mother and Child Hospital because the province has no proper paediatric ward, not even an intensive care unit dedicated to children. In the north of the region, an air ambulance base will be built, apart from the radiotherapy centre I have already mentioned. We already have a helicopter, for which we fought in Warsaw for a long time. The flight statistics prove that it was indeed very needed. A few days ago, we signed a notarial deed establishing a university hospital. This means an additional PLN40 million for the contract for the hospital and around PLN4 million for the faculty of medicine, which we have consistently supported for years. We take care of our cultural heritage – there are 252 castles, palaces and manor houses in Lubuskie.

PM

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Our two theatres and philharmonic in Zielona Góra will be modernized. We have already started to implement a very important project in vocational schools – it is a real revolution.

Where do you draw energy from to break the waves and even go against the tide?

From my local government experience and sense of responsibility. In the past, such opportunities and chances were absent. It was only in Free Poland that there appeared hope. I remember well the elections of May 27, 1990. I went to a polling station with my whole family. My four-year-old son received a ballot paper and before casting it asked: “What is it?” I replied: “It is our ticket to freedom, son. We will win these elections and we, the ordinary people, will now govern.

And we will build a playground in your kindergarten.

Because in Warsaw they do not know that there is no playground in your kindergarten.” And we succeeded! We built not only the playground. Over these 27 years it was us, local government members, that have really changed Poland. We have witnessed a leap forward. Lubuskie has doubled its GDP. But this is not enough for me. For eight years I have organized the Lubuskie Women’s Congresses – I promote tolerance and the European Charter for Equality. This is why I also support the Przystanek Woodstock festival. After all, it is Lubuskie that is the most open and tolerant region in Poland. I build with determination and passion the “green land of modern technologies,” remembering about our tradition and heritage. An example of this is the 35-hectare vineyard and Centre for Viticulture in Zabór on the Trail of Wine and Honey. Our standard is predictability and consistence, faith in the effectiveness of hard work, but also in miracles.

• PM

Photo: Piotr Chara

WE HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN SHAPE REALITY. AND THEN, nothing is

impossible.

polish market Royal Castle in Międzyrzecz, surrounded by a moat, is one of the region’s tourist attractions

Chycina Lake is famous for its clear waters and Lubuskie province is called Land of 500 Lakes

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NEARLY HALF OF POLISH COMPANY BOARDS ARE ALL-MALE The research agency Kantar Millward Brown has conducted a survey designed to find out about the perception of women who sit on company boards or aspire to top posts. Ordered by the Women Leadership in Business Foundation (FLB), it is one of the few surveys of this kind in Poland.

According to the report “Too Few Women in the Boardroom. Why Nothing Changes,” the board in nearly half of the surveyed companies is composed exclusively of men while on another 37% of boards most members are male.

IS YOUR COMPANY’S BOARD COMPOSED OF: ONLY MEN 46% MAINLY MEN 37% MAINLY WOMEN 14% ONLY WOMEN 3%

Source: Kantar Millward Brown survey for the Women Leadership in Business Foundation

Over one fourth of those surveyed think cultural factors – tradition and stereotypes – are the main reason behind the allmale and nearly all-male boards. Another reason, cited by 17% of the respondents, is the “maleness” of the sectors where such boards predominate.

COMPETENCE AND GENDER The survey shows clearly that the opinion on what competencies are needed to manage a company depends on gender. Men believe that women’s most important competencies are soft skills.

In turn, what women value in men is their expert knowledge and the ability to look at business in a strategic manner.

“The complementarity of these traits is a guarantee of the efficient functioning of boards in organizations,” says President of Women Leadership in Business Foundation Agnieszka Maciejewska. “Diversity is key to an organization’s success so companies would be more efficient if the boards were really diverse.”

HOW DO YOU ASSESS THE COMPETENCE OF FEMALE MEMBERS ON YOUR BOARD? (percentage of the highest two marks) INTERPERSONAL SKILLS FOCUS ON COOPERATION AND TEAM WORK EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION BUILDING RELATIONS WITH OTHERS SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THE TEAM INSPIRING AND MOTIVATING OTHERS TO PUSH THEIR LIMITS

59% 59% 50% 46% 37%

Source: Kantar Millward Brown survey for the Women Leadership in Business Foundation

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More than one fourth of the respondents said their employees preferred to have a man as a boss. Only 6% of those surveyed indicated a female boss while 21% said they had no preference as to the superior’s gender. None of the male managers surveyed wanted to have a woman as a boss. In turn, the surveyed women indicated both female and male bosses (16%).

38% of those surveyed said they preferred male bosses mainly because men are more resolute. Over one fourth of the respondents said they worked in a male sector, 11% said men were more flexible and 7% said they chose a man because of stereotypes.

WHY DO EMPLOYEES PREFER TO HAVE A MALE BOSS?* MEN ARE MORE RESOLUTE AND MATTER-OF-FACT 38% THIS IS A MALE SECTOR 26% MEN ARE FLEXIBLE 11% MEN ARE BETTER-ORGANIZED AND LESS EMOTIONAL 11% STEREOTYPES 7% IT IS EASIER TO COMMUNICATE WITH MEN 6% LESS WOMEN HAVE THE REQUIRED EDUCATION 5% IT IS SIMPLY BETTER AND EASIER TO WORK WITH MEN 5% Source: Kantar Millward Brown survey for the Women Leadership in Business Foundation * respondents – managerial staff

RECRUITMENT When thinking about employing a woman in a high post, men pointed to family duties and the resulting difficulty in carrying out job tasks – this was indicated by as much as 42% of the respondents. 55% of them feared actions guided by emotions and 31% said women were reluctant to take difficult decisions.

When thinking about working in a high post, women said they were not confident about their skills and experience – this was indicated by 45% of the female respondents in contrast to only one third of men employing them. The same was the case with the ability to take decisions quickly – 43% of women and only 29% of men feared that women’s decision-taking would be slower than expected.

Women’s low self-esteem is reflected not only in recruitment processes but also promotions in companies. Women often refuse to move to a higher post. They fear that, despite holding a high post, they will not become an authority for their subordinates (35%) and that they will not be treated as partners (31%).

“The problem of how women are perceived is not just a problem involving men, but to a large extent also women themselves. They exclude and discriminate against other women – they are reluctant to employ women aged 18-30 because of the perceived risk of losing the workers due to family duties, for example a maternity leave,” says Iwona Kozera, a founder of the Women Leadership in Business Foundation. “We have to educate the public that pregnancy is not a disease and that it is possible to balance private and professional roles. And women are excellent at reconciling the two spheres of life. By supporting women in this period companies gain a lot in the long run.”

WHAT TO DO TO HAVE MORE WOMEN IN BOARDROOMS? The Women Leadership in Business Foundation has for years pointed out that there are many ways to increase the percentage of women on management and supervisory boards. Companies should take the initiative themselves by, for example, setting quotas and deadlines for reaching them. The research also shows that women should first of all develop their competence in terms of looking at business strategically, innovative thinking and the ability to take over initiative.

ABOUT THE RESEARCH Axa, Nestle Polska and Siemens were partners in the research. The research was conducted by Kantar Millward Brown in April and May 2017 among the managerial staff of medium-sized and large companies. Individual interviews were conducted in the first stage, followed by 120 telephone surveys in the second stage. The researchers divided the surveyed companies into individual economic sectors. The Zenger and Folkman set of competencies was used as a theoretical basis for evaluating • women and men in managerial posts.

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WOMEN’S LABOUR AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The report on stimulating women’s economic activity states that as many as 4 out of 10 Polish women of working age are unemployed and are not seeking any job. This problem is especially evident in the groups of women younger than 24 and in the 55+ group.

– THE POTENTIAL TO BE USED IN POLAND

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he report entitled “Women’s Labour and Entrepreneurship – The Potential to Be Used in Poland” was prepared by Deloitte CE. It is part of the national programme for stimulating women’s economic activity “Sukces TO JA” (Success IS ME), which Coca Cola Poland Services has initiated jointly with the “Sukces Pisany Szminką” (Success Written in Lipstick) organisation.

The report was first published on 2 February 2017 at the first meeting of the Labour-Market Forum, an initiative established by the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers in response to poor forecasts for the Polish labour market.

The key indicators influencing this situation include the demographics and professional activities of society. As illustrated in “Women’s Labour and Entrepreneurship – The Potential to Be Used in Poland,” given the entire population of Poland (38.44 million) and the number of people of working age (23.98 million), the fact that only 16.1 million people are in employment looks particularly poor. Furthermore, as a result of the population ageing, since 2010 the number of people of working age in Poland has decreased by 1 million. This effect is negative for the economy and is further intensified by the low economic activity rate for women. It amounts to 61.4% and is significantly lower, not only than the average activity rate for men (74.8%) but also than the average activity rate for women in the EU (67.1%) In their report, Deloitte experts present the factors which impact the most on the percentage of working women and female job seekers.

STIMULATING WOMEN’S ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN POLAND As many as 4 out of 10 Polish women of working age are unemployed and are not seeking any job. This problem is especially evident in the groups of women younger than 24 and in the 55+ group. This situation has a very negative impact on the economy. In line with a simulation included in the report prepared by Deloitte experts, if the economic activity rate for Polish women aged 24-60 reached the average level for the EU-15 (an increase by 553,000 in the number of Polish women being economically active), the Polish economy would gain as much as PLN 180.7 billion by 2025.

THE KEY FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ACTIVITY OF WOMEN ON THE LABOUR MARKET In their report, the Deloitte experts present the factors which impact the most on the percentage of working women and female job seekers.

The first is education. Educated women are more active in economic terms. Only 11% of Polish women with lower secondary, primary and incomplete primary education are economically active, while in the group with higher education, this percentage soars to 78.3%. Such a difference is

connected with the fact that educational status has a positive impact on one’s earnings. Interestingly enough, the employment rate of women increases with an increase in educational status also among single mothers.

Another factor which determines the economic activity of Polish women is the number of children in the family ‒ the higher this number, the lower their activity. This a completely understandable situation, especially as the total number of working hours is not decreased. There is, however, a shift from paid labour to unpaid labour, i.e. raising children. The difference in activity in the case of having three and more children and having one child amounts to ca. 20%.

The motivation of Polish women is also strongly affected by the relationship between the salaries of women and men. Men can secure higher salaries in most industries. The greatest pay gap is observed in the financial and insurance industries (36.7%). On the other hand, women tend to earn more when working as assistants or accountants.

Another challenge is women’s attitude to entrepreneurship. Despite being willing and motivated, women experience problems with setting up and running their own businesses, primarily due to the lack of adequate funds (58%), administrative procedures (32%) and fear of failure (24%).

POLICIES WHICH SUPPORT THE RECONCILIATION OF WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE – BEST-PRACTICE EXAMPLES In addition to an in-depth market analysis, the Deloitte and Coca-Cola report includes examples of methods and policies used in countries characterised by some of the highest economic activity rates for women in Europe, i.e. Sweden (83.5%) and Norway (76.2%).

Among measures which could significantly contribute to achieving such high rates, the experts indicated those which support women in relation to their being mothers and employees. These include: • prenatal care for pregnant women, • free and subsidised courses helping women prepare themselves for childbirth, • coaching sessions, • support groups, • the right to have one’s working time reduced by 25% until the child is 8 years old, • free education, • free lunches for children aged 6-19, • the possibility of part-time employment until the child is 12 years old, • the right to 480 days’ paid leave for both parents until the child is 8 years old.

Source:Deloitte

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IMPORTANT URSZULA CIOŁESZYŃSKA, Founder and President of Embassy for Women Entrepreneurship Foundation, Ambassador of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day in Poland

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ominated by the European Commission as Ambassador of the European Network of Women Entrepreneurship in 2009, she decided to continue the project in Poland, organising the Polish Network of Women Entrepreneurship Ambassadors. She went on to establish in Poland two foundations that promote entrepreneurship among women.

A graduate of the University of Economics in Wrocław, she has many years of experience of working in both government administrations and in multinational companies. Since 2003, she has owned the Economic Promotion Agency, a consulting firm, specialising in providing comprehensive advisory services to new and existing businesses in Poland to acquire funding through the European Union.

During her time with public administration, she collaborated with the American Peace Corps volunteers - economic advisors who came to Poland to teach entrepreneurship. A graduate of the International Leadership Exchange, a US exchange programme that she attended in the US, she had an opportunity to take a closer look at practical solutions applied by some US states for the benefit of economic development, including entrepreneurship incubators, career centres and institutions supporting the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises.

She is a co-founder of the Club of Entrepreneurs and Experts under the National Board of the Polish Economic Society.

She is a member of the International Association of Lions Clubs, one of the largest volunteer organisations in the world. In recognition of her international social activities, she was awarded the title of Goodwill Ambassador of Lions Clubs International.

She is guided in her life by the simple principle -”the more you give, the more you get”, and it is not just about money. For her, honesty and responsibility are the values that ​​give meaning to life and are the driving force behind action. She believes

that we are obliged to use our talents to help those who need help.

The appointment of Urszula Ciołeszyńska, in 2009, as Ambassador of the European Network of Women Entrepreneurship was an impetus to create the Polish Network of Women Entrepreneurship Ambassadors (together with a dedicated foundation), which currently brings together more than 300 women throughout Poland.

The Polish Network of Women Entrepreneurship Ambassadors is modelled on the European Network of Women Entrepreneurship Ambassadors, and brings together successful women who focus on providing role models, while running their own businesses.

“It’s better to be your own boss, than to work for someone else,” says Urszula Ciołeszyńska, encouraging women to be more active. “It’s always a good thing to discover new passions, to do what you love and fulfil your dreams. What you should realise is that it’s much easier when you become your own boss, as opposed to when you are dependent on somebody. Our aim in promoting this idea is not to prove ourselves against men, but to become better partners for them. We should support resourceful women who are willing to start their own business. Even more so, we should help women who lack the ideas in this field in finding their inspiration. This is what I believe our Entrepreneurship Ambassadors will be dedicated to in the future,” adds UrszulaCiołeszyńska.

The Women Entrepreneurship Ambassadors are selected in keeping with the principle of diversity, which means that they represent all regions in Poland and various company sizes, industry sectors, entrepreneurs’ backgrounds, ages and experiences.

The mission of the Women Entrepreneurship Ambassadors is to promote enterprise among women as well as to motivate and support them to employ their skills and passions in order to create and establish new values.

In order to promote a positive image of entrepreneurs, one of the prerequisites for being selected as Women Entrepreneurship Ambassador is to abide by ethical standards in business. The Women Entrepreneurship Ambassadors were strongly encouraged to demonstrate the Code of Ethics of the Polish Network of Women Entrepreneurship Ambassadors in their firms as far as possible.

Urszula Ciołeszyńska is a co-founder of the Brussels-based Women Entrepreneurship Platform, which aims to support women’s entrepreneurship based on the five pillars, representing five areas of women’s entrepreneurship which need to be encouraged, supported and promoted: 1. Entrepreneurship Education, 2. Networking, 3. Innovations, 4. Access to Financing and 5. Entrepreneurship-Friendly Government Policies.

Urszula’s action towards international promotion of women’s entrepreneurship has not been passed unnoticed. She was invited to join the group of Ambassadors of the International Day of Women’s Entrepreneurship, as a representative of Poland.

Last year, 19 November was officially proclaimed as the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day - WED. The United Nations established that every year this day will be dedicated to entrepreneurial women, who own or co-own firms, especially family businesses, or who are planning their careers running their own business. As part of WED, special programme was dedicated to female students - Student Ambassador Programme, and to colleges - Education Programme.

Women’s Entrepreneurship Day is not one day in a year, but a global movement promoting entrepreneurship among women. It was launched in partnership with the United Nations and the US State Department. WED’s mission is to empower women and their businesses, as well as gather a think tank of women leaders that amplify their merged message of expanding businesses with public good initiatives in communities around the world. • polish market

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ECONOMICS PUTS PEOPLE FIRST PROF. ELŻBIETA MĄCZYŃSKA, President of the Polish Economic Society (PTE), talks to Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś.

You are going to give a lecture in July on “Global Economic Trends and Their Implications for Poland.” Can you shed some light on the global trends?

The global economy is not doing very well, being struck by an array of complex phenomena which are difficult to control. These are geo-politically conditioned, and arise, among other things, from the progressing global civilisation crisis.

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What is this civilisation crisis?

The industrial civilisation, to which we have got so much accustomed, is shrinking under the influence of digital revolution, which promotes new solutions and patterns. New forms of activities have begun to emerge, based on novel technological solutions, including the Internet of Things. More and more products and services are available free of charge, with access to magazines, books and information being the accurate example. Through socialnetworking sites we are free to contact whoever and whenever we want, at no cost. These goods were fairly unknown two or three decades ago.

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Moreover, new enterprises are being established, such as Facebook, Google and Uber, to name but a few, based on the solutions which did not function in the past.

You have just said that the global economy is not doing well, for example, due to the civilisation crisis. Do new forms, such as the Internet of Things, exert a negative impact on the economy?

It is not a matter of a negative economic impact but rather of certain civilisation frictions. Institutional solutions are poorly adjusted to modern technologies, with uberisation (or the so-called Uberworld) being a classic example. While we have recently experienced a cab drivers’ strike, the uberisation process is hardly limited to cab driving or transport enterprises. In fact, similar trends can be spotted in the accommodation, tourism, financial or other sectors. For instance, by visiting on-line portals, you can rent a flat in almost any place in the world without resorting to hotel management services. Nevertheless, it turns out that

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BUSINESSWOMAN companies operating at the supra-national level, often registered in tax havens, indicate losses and fail to pay taxes in the countries where they operate while still using the infrastructure for which somebody had to pay in the first place. We are thus facing a civilisation clash ‒ due to moving from an industrial to post-industrial civilisation, the institutional solutions and other vehicles commonly applied in socio-economic policies increasingly often prove ill-matched to the new economy standards. This triggers cultural regression, or the lock-in effect as described in the literature on the subject matter. It means being locked inside certain system frameworks, along with specific priorities, solutions and tools adopted throughout decision-making processes, which create a barrier to development. Practically speaking, the tools which have proven effective in fostering socio-economic development in the industrial civilisation are still used despite their limited, and continually decreasing, efficiency. In a nutshell, “the New” is paving its way to reality, while “the Old” is locking in and fighting back.

Is “the Old” going to survive?

Progress is not to be stopped. There is no point in combating such phenomena as uberisation, as they are caused by new technologies and technological advancement. What has begun cannot be undone. Under the conditions of new economy, traditional solutions and tools not only appear ineffective but also increase the risk of erroneous socio-economic decisions being made at various institutional levels.

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How could this problem be solved?

We should introduce such systems that would foster the most socially advantageous use of the potential created by new technologies. Slowing down technological advancement is certainly not an option, since it brings a huge potential for the labour market, society and the economy as a whole. The lack of institutional solutions that would be adequate for new processes appears the most problematic, with the old institutional systems not being receptive enough. Fortunately, this will definitely change and has already begun to evolve. For instance, let us take the crowdfunding, which is likely to take precedence over banks in the financing of certain investments. Obviously, banks will still grant major loans, but crowdfunding may prove useful in financing loans, business interests, etc.

PM

While speaking of crowdfunding, we should be aware of certain risks when it comes to corporate financing. Namely, banks are capable of verifying every fact, along with analysing various risks of investments, whereas the crowdfunding option fails to do so.

Indeed! This is why institutions willing to benefit from crowdfunding should provide appropriate legal protection, and oblige all entities joining their venture to ensure their own legal protection. If any institutional solutions of a general character are introduced, they should counteract various abuses. This should act as an incentive for the emergence of new institutions handling new transactions, including crowdfunding.

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of the civilisation crisis.

The legal system seems to evolve in the wrong direction. Lawyers seek to keep up with the reality which is changing at a break-neck speed. It’s like “chasing the rabbit.” The new regulations are developed in a hurry. Members of Parliament, flooded with bills, can hardly read through all the prospective legislation and often vote for regulatory amendments without actually knowing their content. All this leads to the inflation and erosion of law, or legal relaxation. What we get is a legal maze where one finds it easy to hide. This gives rise to legal manipulations, for example, in the field of fiscal law and VAT regulations. Actually, fiscal law has come to resemble a poorly stitched and frequently leaking patchwork. We should bear in mind that the collapse of some nations began with the violation of laws. Creating an increasing number of regulations stands for treating the symptoms, rather than causes. This matter has been brought to our attention by Prof. Ewa Łętowska, a leading Polish law expert. Her opinions on this issue can be found in numerous interviews available on-line, like for example PTE Bulletin 2015, No. 1 – “The Quality of Law.”

IT IS NOT A MATTER OF A NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT BUT RATHER OF CERTAIN

civilisation frictions.

What laws should then be enacted?

First of all, the regulatory relaxation should be stopped. To this end, some countries have introduced a rule according to which a new legal act can be passed on condition that a previous act (or acts) is repealed. It is of utmost importance to develop strong and transparent, as well as non-evadable legal frameworks. The legal maze provides no solution, as the making and interpretation of laws are two different things.

Actually, the interpretation of legal regulations, including especially fiscal ones, is often the bane of entrepreneurs’ lives.

One and the same provision on taxes is frequently interpreted in a different way by various Tax Offices. This poses a major problem, given that an entrepreneur, acting on a long-term basis and taking investment-related decisions, needs legal transparency.

The lack of transparent laws discourages entrepreneurs from investing their funds.

PM

Apart from the civilisation crisis and legal erosion, do you see any other major challenges for the global economy?

The current demographic situation seems to pose a major difficulty, but there are also other issues, such as a glut economy or overliquidity traps.

PM

Let us now focus on demographic trends which currently receive much attention.

The demographic policy ‒ or, more accurately, the population policy ‒ is not a domain favoured by politicians. The world of politics lives under the terror of a four-year election cycle. If certain decisions do not bear fruit in that period, they are hardly seen by politicians as worth making. This was the case with the Polish PM

It therefore seems that the law cannot keep up with the reality. What’s the point of introducing a given act of law if it may as well prove outdated soon after its vacatio legis? As you said, the progress is not to be stopped.

The quality of law enacting and enforcement is definitely a challenging issue, which gets additionally complicated in the face

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population policy in the entire period of transition. Demographic policies are likely to bring effects in about 20 years. In the transition period, this domain of decision-making in Poland was very much neglected, as a result of which our country has begun to depopulate. The fertility rate currently amounts to approximately 1.3, whereas it should reach around 2.2 to prevent a decrease in the population number. This implies that, statistically speaking, every woman should give birth to at least two children. While nobody can be forced to have children, society could be motivated to do so though tailored demographic policies. This appears extremely important in the face of population ageing which can be observed not only in Poland but also in many highly developed countries.

Due to the development of medicine, the average life expectancy is on the rise, and so is the number of elderly people. The latter actually form the only age group whose number has not decreased.

I therefore believe that lowering the retirement age is a wrong decision as it contradicts the current demographic trends. Population ageing is detrimental to the economy. Strictly speaking, people of working age form the most attractive social group for the market, as they have the most developed consumption needs, buy flats, cars and other goods, and are willing to take out loans. The elderly, in turn, have fewer consumption needs and live in a less intensive way. That is why their acquisition for the market appears so important. This constitutes the domain of the silver economy.

Speaking of motivating citizens to have more children, do you think the government was right to introduce the “Family 500+” (Rodzina 500+) programme?

This is a most-needed programme. Even the European Union has recently pointed out in its semester evaluation that 30% of Polish families are threatened with poverty. This implies that every fourth child is at risk of poverty, which may be reflected in improper nutrition, limited educational opportunities, etc. This leads to many talents being wasted. The “Family 500+” programme is therefore a must.

PM

But can it really help to level off the existing social inequalities?

Social inequalities and the distribution of wealth constitute a major global issue. We should nonetheless note that social inequalities are not tantamount to income inequalities. In Poland, the latter are not higher than in the EU, but the real problem stems from the increasing wealth and social inequalities.

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We could say that these are intrinsic to free-market economy ‒ I have more because I work more and better.

By its very nature, the free market fosters inequalities but there should be mechanisms to effectively prevent social eradication and social exclusion, which are far too common. Social inequalities have a negative impact on democracy. It is said that an empty sack cannot stand straight. The concentration of wealth in a narrow group of people exerts a negative influence on the overall demand, leading to the formation of a glut economy. Supplies of goods are abundant, which does not mean that our needs are satisfied. Given the highly asymmetrical distribution of wealth, demand finds it hard to keep up with supply. Due to the technological advancement, goods could be produced in larger quantities and at a faster rate, but there would be no one to buy them.

This is why the choice of social inequalities as one of the leading issues discussed during this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos was by no means accidental. This phenomenon has actually PM

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come to be treated as a serious barrier to the further development of the global economy.

You have used the term glut economy. Do we really have a glut of products?

We do. There is virtually no product which could not be bought, and only income seems to be the limit. It’s not that we should all earn an equal income as we are not equals. For instance, not all footballers are as good as Lewandowski. However, to ensure the economic boost, we should take care of the adequate demand. If the demand is limited, the world can get caught in the so-called liquidity trap, which means that entrepreneurs actually have funds but do not invest them for fear of the insufficient demand for their products and services.

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Polish entrepreneurs do not usually keep savings, or put financial resources aside, which they do not invest.

That’s not true. The Polish enterprise sector struggles with the liquidity trap. Some enterprises have deposits exceeding PLN 200 billion but they are not motivated enough to make investments.

Excessive funds lead to deflation problems which Poland has also experienced in recent years. This year we have recorded an inflation of no more than 2%. Deflation can be considered as having a drowsy effect on the economy. Looking at continually falling prices, entrepreneurs are not motivated to expand production, make new investments or increase employment. This entails the risk of long-lasting stagnation.

PM

You often stress that economics should put people first, not figures.

For a couple of decades, under the influence of the neoliberal doctrine, economics has been put on a par with chrematistics, that is the study of making money, while in fact economics is the study of people in the economic process. People are put at the centre because they produce as well as purchase goods. Neglecting social relations is very much likely to prove detrimental to the economy. The economy is for people and should make their lives better. If the economic growth fails to translate into an improved quality of life, we will face a development barrier.

A steady growth may only be secured when the economic development is accompanied with social and environmental advancement. An economic growth which does not lead to social development can be considered a “wild” growth. The economic growth is measured with the GDP which covers all market transactions and the values they generate, referring to both socially desirable and undesirable transactions. The GDP comprises such domains as crime or drug-trafficking. In his speech in 1969, Robert Kennedy made the following comment on the GDP: “Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country. It measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.”

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Is economics a woman??

Yes, it is. It hates when its principles and rights are violated, and makes you pay in such cases. Nonetheless, the economic rules are still frequently infringed upon.

•

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POLISH ECONOMIC special edition

BUSINESSWOMAN

SOCIETY

The Polish version of the book will soon be available in the online bookshop of the Polish Economic Society (PTE). polish market

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For the full selection of our publications, check www.ksiazkiekonomiczne.pl. Books can be ordered online, in scientific bookshops, or directly with PTE: 49 Nowy Świat St. 00-042 Warsaw tel.: +48 22 551 54 01 e-mail: zk@pte.pl

NEW LESSONS ARE LEARNT ELŻBIETA PEŁKA, General Manager, Pełka 360, President of the Board of Polish National Sales Awards, talks to „Polish Market”.

What do you think is the most important in today’s business?

Nowadays, personality appears of utmost importance, given the fierce competition on the demanding global market. A real competitive edge can hardly be gained by concentrating merely on such parameters as the price or product quality, as these are areas in which we all usually attain the same level, with differences being so marginal that customers are barely likely to notice them.

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Nowadays PR is such a wide notion that it can hardly be captured through a single definition.

Your company has been present in the market since 2001. In this period, the approach to PR has undergone revolutionary changes, also through technological advancement.

The previous and current PR are worlds apart, which is why I’d like to stress that my company operates as an Integrated Marketing Agency. When we set up our business in 2001, we launched major advertisement projects. Back then I already had substantial experience in work for large enterprises where I had implemented, among other things, the first 360-degree campaigns in Poland. The changes which have occurred in this area can be accurately referred to as dramatic. Let’s take, for instance, the PR or advertising agencies which were established in 2001 and are still in business. Their number is very limited. Only those able to adapt to and undergo continuous changes have survived. At the outset we were lucky to win such clients as Super-Pharm and Sanford with Waterman and Parker, PZU, “Rzeczpospolita” daily and OBI brands. Interestingly, we did not even have our own website in the first three PM

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FROM EVERY CLIENT

years, and yet our turnover reached several million zlotys. All this was possible through the positive opinions disseminated by our clients.

for instance, in the production process. That’s why the owner should feel accountable, too.

Along with running your own business, you also hold the position of President of Polish National Sales Awards (PNSA)…

In 2008 I set up an organisation called Polish National Sales Awards. Before that I was the only non-British judge at National Sales Awards in Great Britain. I drafted the organisation’s concept on a napkin, while sitting in a Hyde Park cafeteria, together with Dr Fourali who was my greatest inspiration in the whole project. I knew that such a body was very much needed in Poland. Having evaluated the best salespeople in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, I got a recommendation letter from the Unilever Sales Manager for Great Britain, the National Sales Awards judge, which I presented to his Polish peer. I went straight to the management board to outline the idea for an annual award for the best salespeople achieving their impressive results in an ethical manner. The board decided to establish the first sponsoring fund which enabled me to launch the initiative, with Dr Fourali as the founding member of the management board of PNSA. Since 2008 PNSA has accumulated one of the biggest social capital resources in Poland. It has become a renowned brand in the Polish market, a brand with Polish origins. I have heard it a number of times that throughout those 9 years I was able to leave such a remarkable footprint in the sales sector that it could never be undone. We have succeeded in building a huge social capital at PNSA. • PM

Today’s PR branch does not accept following strict conventions, or does it?

Every client needs to be approached individually. We learn new lessons from every project, being mindful that they are all unique. Every client adds to our knowledge and expertise. It is out of the question for us to take a presentation developed for any of the former projects and, having used the “copypaste” function, present it to a client.

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What has recently attracted my attention is how emergency scenarios are managed by various brands on the Internet. A few minutes seem to be enough to completely destroy the credibility which has been built for ages, but with a well matched response one can gain very much. What’s the secret?

It all depends on the client. When running an agency and getting to know your clients, you can gradually find out which situations may be potentially critical. Knowing this, we develop the so-called Crisis Book which features operational guidelines to be followed in certain emergency situations. It is essential for all employees to know their responsibilities because such circumstances make no room for further considerations and task delegation. Moreover, I strongly believe in the need for the management board to engage. Employees should not be forced to deal with crisis situations on their own as these are rarely caused through their fault and often result from certain decisions or incidents occurring, PM

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BUSINESSWOMAN

The main factor

MOTIVATING WOMEN to set up

a business is ambition and a search for self-fulfilment.

MAŁGORZATA SZTURMOWICZ, Idea Bank Board Member, talks to “Polish Market.”

The stereotyped view that work in finance is men’s domain still persists in Poland. But, being one of the youngest female members of the board in the Polish banking sector, you prove this opinion false.

When I was promoted to the Board of Idea Bank I joined a group of four men. Actually, they worried if I would manage more than I did. After the first quarter of my work they were positively surprised with the results and realised that I would manage in this position. This situation is perhaps an answer to the question why women account for a mere 12% of board members of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Men may not trust women’s competence, on the one hand, while women do not have enough confidence to apply for high positions, on the other.

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Does this mean it is more difficult for women to become established in business?

Men are self-confident, have better negotiating skills and are go-getters. Let’s say it: they are more effective in the fight for jobs. However, leaders’ competencies are evolving as the shape of organizations is changing. As a result, room for women is being created because people have started to attach importance to such traits as emotional intelligence, the ability to build a firm based on values, and communication skills - the ability to bring together various groups of interest. And these are women’s natural traits. Many of us have been born with them.

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As a board member in a financial institution, you often meet entrepreneurs. According to the Deloitte report “Women’s Labour and Entrepreneurship – The Potential to Be Used in

Poland,” women have a problem with setting up and running a business, even if they would like to do so and have the motivation. The reasons are a lack of money (58%), administrative procedures (32%) and the fear of failure (24%).

Based on your experience, do you agree with these findings?

Women are often afraid to invest their financial resources, work and commitment in undertakings where risk is involved. The best example may be one’s own business. Research conducted

by Idea Bank shows that women, to protect themselves in case of failure, usually finance their first business from their own resources or money borrowed from the family. In contrast, men have no qualms to back their apartment to get a loan. But there is one myth I would like to debunk. It is widely believed that women set up their own businesses because they want to be able to divide time between family and work duties in a flexible way.

Our research shows that the main factor motivating women to set up a business is ambition and a search for self-fulfilment. The potential for managing time flexibly is of secondary importance.

Is it women who put restraints on themselves and overestimate their competencies?

My experience shows that these are very frequent situations. The main reason behind such behaviour is a lack of self-confidence, which is women’s intrinsic personality trait: “I do not know if I fit in with the job, I do not know if I will manage.”

A good example is the selection of job offers.

A man will send his CV when he meets 50-60% of the qualifications required in the job announcement while a woman meeting 90% of the requirements PM

will still be asking herself whether she is a competitive candidate. We, women, should remember that when applying for a job we will never meet all the requirements. What is important in a career is the right attitude and readiness to learn.

This way of thinking brings us closer to success.

How do you reconcile your work and private life? How is your day organized?

As every mother, I have better and worse days.

I have three children and a timetable written on a large sheet of paper hangs in my kitchen. Mornings, when the children have to be brought to school and kindergarten, are the biggest logistical challenge. I am on my feet since 5:30 a.m. and I usually appear in the office before 9 a.m.

I like early mornings – it is the moment of the day which I have exclusively for myself. I try to be a “high-calorie” mother, spending with the children as much time as possible. I know these are the moments when we discover the world together and children do not have their own “separate agendas” yet, as it will be the case in a few years’ time. Also, I am a lucky woman – I have a fantastic husband who supports me, which means that these family duties are divided between two persons. At work, I fall into the hurlyburly of meetings – there are many people who want to discuss various issues and I am aware that without these consultations they will not be able to move further with their work. I try to make sure that the door to my room is always open so that anyone can drop in with a short question.

I try to spend the evenings actively to calm down my head and I am learning not to check my mobile every hour.

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GOOD MANAGER HAS NO

GENDER KRYSTYNA BOCZKOWSKA, General Manager of Robert Bosch Sp. z o.o., representative of Bosch Group in Poland, talks to “Polish Market.”

The report “Women’s Labour and Entrepreneurship – The Potential to Be Used in Poland,” published by Deloitte, shows that women have a problem with setting up and running a business, even if they would like to do so and have the motivation. The reasons are a lack of money (58%), administrative procedures (32%) and the fear of failure (24%). It seems, however, that the problem of financing and administrative barriers is similar for women and men. Is it indeed the fear of failure that prevents women from starting up their businesses? Or perhaps women themselves impose constraints on themselves?

This research is interesting and it is a pity that no data is available on the number of men who decide not to set up their own business because of the fear of failure. I do not think the figures for man are significantly lower. Additionally, this greatly contradicts my knowledge about Polish women’s entrepreneurship. Statistics published a few years ago by the “Gazeta Wyborcza” daily show that Polish women are at PM

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Bosch in Poland: Thank You for 25 years together.

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the helm of half of small and medium-sized businesses, which have been established on their initiative, by the way. Looking at start-ups, the presence of women on this market is also very prominent. The situation is quite different in large corporations and large state-owned companies. If someone had asked me just a few years ago if being a women was an obstacle to a career I would have said no. But when I started to be active in the Women’s Congress and other organizations drawing attention to the weaker position of women in Poland I understood that gender was still a great constraint and that it was often imposed by women themselves.

To be able to effectively make a career for themselves in corporations and private firms, women have to get rid of the burdens which are typical of them. I can see three main obstacles.

The first one is the strong need to be liked. I mean the attitude where being liked by other people is a measure of success. But it is clear that if you want to do something special, introduce changes for instance, not everyone is going to like you. Women need to overcome this desire and accept that not everyone will like them, especially in the process of change. The second obstacle is the “cheater syndrome.” It means a sense that “I have gone too high up the ladder and someone will soon discover that I am not fit for the job.” The third obstacle is the “diadem syndrome.” If we work well we hope that someone will notice and reward us. Bosses often think it is a natural thing that a woman works intensively for a long time. They do not realize that she expects to be appreciated. The solution is raising a hand and saying loudly “I did it and I expect recognition.” However, if a women reaches the top in the company she is unstoppable when it comes to her commitment and motivation.

Another report, “Too Few Women in the Boardroom. Why Nothing Changes,” shows that in almost half of the surveyed companies the board is made up exclusively of men while in another 37% most board members are male. You have encouraged decision-makers to seek diversity because it guarantees success in a modern economy.

The research and its findings have confirmed the continued presence in Poland of strong stereotypes about the role of women. Even worse, the stereotypes are perpetuated by all the companies which have no women on their boards. It is impossible for large organizations to lack women with a managerial talent.

My experience indicates that they can be found at the lowest level of management, but they stay there because of laziness, fear and ignorance on the part of decision-makers. As a result, the company is deprived of the opportunity to exploit its incredible potential of diversity. The companies which base their success on diversity at all levels of the organization achieve above-average results. One reason is that they are credible in their missions, visions and values in the eyes of all employees. In modern economies and companies, it is necessary to speed up the process of women’s advancement and the use of this important asset. A survey conducted by McKinsey in 2011 shows how hard it still is for women in business and elsewhere. According to this research, men are promoted because of their potential while women are promoted because of what they have already achieved. This means that women still have to make more effort to prove their worth and few of them will make their way to the top if the organization does not show it is aware of the difficulty with advancement and does not support women with the biggest potential. I am in favour of the quotas and rates which PM

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THE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WOMEN’S ABILITY TO BUILD EFFECTIVE RELATIONS, DEVELOP TALENTS AND BE LEADERS OF CHANGE IS PARTICULARLY OUTSTANDING. IT IS WOMEN WHO BUILD COMPANIES BASED ON VALUES.

force conservative boards to promote women. And I would like to encourage decision-makers to have the courage to promote women to the boardroom because this way the condition of diversity will be met, which is a guarantee of success in a modern company, and additionally the Board will gain the most dedicated person who identifies with the company.

According to the report “Too Few Women in the Boardroom,” more than one fourth of those surveyed say their employees prefer to have a man as a boss. None of the surveyed men in managerial posts wants to have a woman as a boss. Why is the idea of having a female boss so disliked?

Why are not women preferred as bosses? Does this mean that “feminine traits” are not desirable in managerial posts?

The fear of a female boss proves the continued influence of strong stereotypes, a lack of openness to diversity and even low managerial skills as one can hardly imagine a modern manager for whom gender is a factor playing an important role. Jack Welch has said that for him a good manager has no gender and that only high competencies are a measure of quality. Modern managers for whom the performance of the companies they manage is the most important thing should think along these lines.

It is clear to all those who have read “The Athena Doctrine” and the research presented in the book that there is a huge need for female leadership. The feminine management style described by the authors is not soft and delicate, but wise and determined.

The research shows that women’s ability to build effective relations, develop talents and be leaders of change is particularly outstanding. It is women who build companies based on values. Additionally, they are emphatic, close to the employees and interestingly combine holistic thinking and the ability to go into detail. Women are better at multi-tasking, are more disciplined and devoted to the company. Those of them who reject this perception of women either pattern themselves after men, and thus deprive themselves of this innate advantage, or are not quite aware of what weapon they have at their disposal. I would like male managers to realize that by working with women they prove that they dissociate themselves from stereotypes, think in a modern way and show their managerial wisdom.

PM

How do you cope with stereotypes at Robert Bosch? Are they at all present in the company?

At the Bosch company in Poland we give preference to competence and commitment. One of our mottos is respect for diversity. Consequently, it is not likely to encounter gender-based stereotypes here.

• PM

special edition

BUSINESSWOMAN

AN EQUAL partner in business

KAROLINA TOKARZ, President of the Board, Chief Executive Officer at Promag SA, talks to ”Polish Market”.

Promag SA, as a producer and integrator of complete warehousing equipment, has operated on the market for more than 35 years.

You must have seen enormous progress over this period.

When Promag was at the beginning of its activity the importance of warehousing management was still underestimated. Today, it is one of the most modern and most rapidly developing sectors. Much has changed. Over the years, Promag has also changed. It grew with the Polish economy, trying to keep up with current trends or even be ahead of them.

For hundreds of thousands of our customers we have to be a partner who not only optimizes and integrates internal logistics processes, but also improves their efficiency and guarantees their security and compliance with European union directives and regulations. This means the need to employ specialists in many different spheres and requires more and more flexibility, commitment and competence.

One can say that we have exploited very well the opportunities that the market and modern technologies have given us. We have developed in keeping with the needs of our customers and current trends. As a result, we are now a company relying on modern technologies. And, which is the most important, we have a large number of customers who are satisfied and return to us.

PM

How do you see the future? Does the development of this infrastructure mean full automation? What about man?

Automation triggers great changes throughout the world. The development of modern technologies means that poorly qualified labour force is being rapidly replaced by machines, which are more efficient and cheaper. This process is positive and irreversible. It can be expected that the pace of change will become even faster in coming years.

But is man on a losing wicket? I do not think so. Indeed, machines do outperform man in some tasks. Robots are good at repeatable, routine tasks because - in contrast to us, humans – they do not feel fatigue and a lack of motivation. People will continue to excel in occupations which require PM

creativity and looking for non-standard solutions.

IT specialists, automation specialists and competent engineers have definitely no need to worry.

And not only them. In the long run, these processes will lead to a change in worker qualifications.

Promag has based its success on automation. We offer such solutions as the AutoMAG MOVER automatic warehouse integrated with WMS and warehouse systems based on stacker cranes, which stack and retrieve cargo units from shelves. For years we have also developed automated transport systems for manufacturing plants and added autonomous warehouse trucks to our product line. The Third Warehouse 4.0 Forum, to be organized by Promag this autumn, will be devoted to these topics - the future of automation and computerization in intralogistics.

You have graduated from the Poznań University of Technology and gained your first work experience in a rolling bearings plant.

Since the beginning you have been accustomed to the “male world.” Is this why you have been so successful in business?

I chose studies at the Poznań University of Technology because I wanted to become an PM

engineer and follow in the footsteps of my brothers, who were much older than me and impressed me greatly at that time. At the Applied Mechanics course, which I completed, there was no preferential treatment for women. I knew that to be able to earn a place in the male-dominated technical sector I should not only be highly competent, but also show great commitment.

This is why in the next years I gradually broadened my engineering knowledge and raised my managerial skills as I was promoted to successive posts in companies involved in solving technical problems of customers in the area of production and warehousing. This made me an equal partner in business, a partner having indispensable qualifications and able to successfully cooperate and even compete with men at the highest levels.

From this perspective, my succession to the post of president of Promag SA was a natural consequence of my education, personality traits and career course. But of course the most important thing is to have a good team of associates. And at Promag, the team is excellent.

Every year there are more and more women in high posts. This trend is visible in your industry as well. What is the future of women in Polish business.

I think that many women have become successful company managers, proving their competence. Thanks to their example and the promotion of equal rights for women by the European Union, women are promoted to the highest posts increasingly often. It is common knowledge that we are well educated, diligent and consistent. We like to achieve our goals, which is certainly helpful in business where results are what counts the most.

Of no small importance is female intuition, which often enables going beyond standard solutions and outdistance the competition. In my view, female energy will be increasingly visible • in the Polish economy.

PM

polish market

19

Being successful and awarded means seizing new perspectives

The

IRON LADY

ELISABETH LÜRENBAUM, President of the Management Board at solvadis polska sp. z o.o., talks to Andrzej K. Kazimierski.

And why here??

It is a very important segment of the Polish market, and one which takes various forms – from small companies to international corporations – although these are largely owned by the state. With such centralisation and state control, their operating patterns are often determined by the political situation in the country, which might adversely impact on their growth as individual entities and on business as a whole. When it comes to drafting legislation, certain problems can indeed be observed, often stemming from ineffective cooperation between ministries and businesses. In my view, these mutual contacts should be better. Nevertheless, whatever the difficulties, we continue to grow.

A few weeks ago you received the European Medal, which is yet another award for your company, solvadis polska. Congratulations!

Thank you very much. Yes, this award means a lot to us. First, because it comes from the Business Centre Club, the largest business organisation in Poland. Secondly, it sort of confirms our status as a company operating on the European scale and offering European quality. And thirdly, the award serves to highlight that it’s been 25 successful years since we entered the Polish market. I took over the helm of the Company in 2000.

PM

Then let me congratulate you again, this time on being this lucky in business.

Yes, I do seem to be lucky. With all these problems and concerns which of course come up every now and then, I always deal with them and carry on, doing something cool. The year 2000 still marked a period of rapid growth for private businesses in Poland, a time when they had yet to adapt to European standards. But seeing Polish people, so resilient and quick to grasp everything, I believe that the Polish economy and businesses are on track to become an important part of the European system, and companies such as solvadis polska only confirm this trend. Trading in the distribution of chemical additives and raw materials, we have grown to be a major player on the EU market.

PM

PM

How did you get into the chemical industry?

By accident, I guess. By the time I graduated, I had started my own business which involved projects on the eastern markets, Ukraine mostly. Out of the many partners I worked with, Kloeckner Chemiehandel GmbH offered me a job at their headquarters in Duisburg. I spent three years there, and was then asked to become the head of a Polish company which had run into some difficulties. Those must have been quite serious, because none of the male managers agreed to take them on. I, however, did not hesitate for a moment, and it turned out to be a great challenge. I reckoned Poland would be an exciting opportunity for me. And I was right, although, admittedly, I had my doubts, sometimes not believing I would pull it off. The Polish market was different from the German one, or the Ukrainian, which I knew a bit. It was only after I had found PM

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Can you name any other factors in your market success?

Customer trust would be one of them. Even though occasionally pricey, our products remain the first choice for customers who can be sure that they are getting exactly what they want. We remain faithful to the “Customer is always right” principle, by choosing reliable partners and building longterm relationships. And that’s how I see business.

PM

my way around it that I could launch a reconstruction and development plan for the company. But I wouldn’t have done it all by myself. Our success as a leader in the distribution of chemical additives and raw materials was possible through the combination of my business vision with what had been proposed by my Polish colleagues holding various positions. It was their commitment which became the foundation for our achievements and position on the market.

In this business, just like Margaret Thatcher, you are widely regarded as the “Iron Lady” of the Polish chemical industry, a woman of success?

Yes, I’ve heard, and I must admit it is very nice to be compared to the likes of Margaret Thatcher, because it means people recognise that I’m consistent in what I do and that I push ahead with a programme, whatever the obstacles. But, let me stress again, I enjoy working with those who pursue similar goals, and that’s why, when facing difficulties or challenges which call for joint decisions, I usually try to reach some kind of compromise. This is because, to me, a sensible compromise is one of the key tenets on which business relationships can build, especially in this sector.

PM

I heard you were about to change the Company’s name. Why? That is right, in the following months the Company will be renamed “Solvachem” as a consequence of the changes to our corporate structure. Our operating philosophy, however, remains the same. What’s more, the experience we have gained will be utilised in new, broader and multifaceted perspectives. We want to embark on a new stage in our development by expanding into the Chinese and Ukrainian markets. Of course, we hope for the best but the future • is yet to come.

PM

DIVERSITY IS SKANSKA’S

special edition

BUSINESSWOMAN

STRENGTH

According to research conducted in 2014 by the Central Statistical Office (GUS), construction is the sector employing the smallest percentage of women in Poland (7.7%). More women work in the mining industry (8.4%) and in the transport and warehousing sector (19.8%). The situation looks much better in other countries.

Among the nations which lead the field in terms of the percentage of female workers in the construction sector are Norway (35%), Denmark (25%), Britain (20%) and Sweden (18%). With women’s share below 8%, Poland ranks just behind Holland and France (10%). One should also remember that it was only in 1915 that technical universities in Poland started to enrol women.

ANNA TRYFON-BOJARSKA, Ph.D. Candidate, Head of Innovation & Technology at Skanska SA, talks to Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś.

Is there any need for women to work in the sectors which are traditionally considered to be male?

Yes, definitely, because this introduces a different work culture. Women’s way of thinking is different. Women are very emphatic, they put their own ego aside. They skilfully integrate teams and manage them as leaders thanks to their communication skills, openness to people with different views and seeking compromise.

PM

During the Congress of Women you suggested that “the glass ceiling” phenomenon is not so much a result of discrimination against women as their lack of confidence.

I have seen that women do not have enough faith in themselves and their skills. Women usually apply for a job only if they meet almost 100% of the requirements of the prospective employer. As a result, they often lose a chance of a dynamic development of their career. Men behave differently in this respect. When carrying out a project, a woman wants not only to show others that she is capable of it, but she also wants to prove something to herself. I have the impression that a man simply does a project while a woman does “her” project. She approaches it in an emotional way and identifies herself with her work – she raises the bar for herself.

PM

And how did you find your feet in a sector perceived as typically male? How did you prove your worth? Did you experience any unpleasant situations at the beginning??

Much has changed over the past 10 years.

A woman on a construction site has always created a sensation. But I was asked to join Skanska because PM

I am competent. My strength is my knowledge and the ability to take a broader look at a problem and connect the dots. Thinking out of the box enabled me to break through the walls because I proposed solutions different from any others. I specialize in technology and innovation – building technologies, robotics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence and virtual and augmented reality. This is the knowledge which supports building a competitive advantage.

Women are rare in this segment.

At meetings with business partners or coordination meetings where I am the only woman I can see a smile on the faces of the participants demonstrating their hard-line. But the smile disappears when we start a matter-of-fact discussion.

Since I joined the construction sector and became its active participant the proportions we spoke about at the beginning have been changing in favour of women. I can see that the engineering profession is becoming increasingly popular with them.

At Skanska, women account for around 25% of the workers employed in engineering jobs. Women are increasingly interested in working on a construction site. They conduct many projects as leaders and do so excellently.

Skanska has based its success on diversity. Almost one fourth of the employees are women.

Why does the company want to increase the involvement of women?

At Skanska, diversity in the workplace is important. Skanska’s organizational culture is based on values, including openness and diversity. And we can see that this is well-justified in business terms.

Diverse teams achieve above-average results. We know it and so we introduce innovative solutions PM

in the area of team work. We use, for example, the reverse mentoring method.

What is it about?

We are implementing this concept as part of the Innovation & Digital Champions network. Younger workers, for whom new technologies are part of daily life, support the implementation of these solutions in projects by educating older colleagues, for whom the virtual world is not so obvious. Smartphones, tablets and virtual reality are technologies which seemingly have little to do with construction.

However, they are changing it significantly. The first enable precise geolocation and work on project documentation in real time, which significantly improves cooperation and efficiency. The latter enable experiencing the real threats which workers may encounter on a construction site and teaching them how to behave in such situations. Construction is a very dangerous sector. This is why solutions of this kind are very helpful in planning safe work .

PM

You are responsible for innovation and technology. What can be innovative in such a conventional industry as construction?

Construction is one of the most conservative sectors and this offers tremendous room for change.

The introduction of 3D printing to production will enable precise printing of elements on the construction site and optimizing the delivery chain. Cognitive systems will support decision-making processes and drawing conclusions based on experience gained from past projects. Augmented reality will improve communication among the designer, customer and the team carrying out the project . • PM

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21

Business does not differentiate

between the sexes BEATA DRZAZGA, President of the Board of BetaMed S.A., talks to Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś.

BetaMed has again become an Honorary Patron of the Polish Businesswoman Congress. The conference promotes female enterprise.

I am very pleased that the organizers of the event have again asked me to be an honorary patron. Perhaps by presenting my own story I will encourage women to start up their own business. I am glad, of course, that I can inspire other women and maybe even suggest them how to run a business and how to deal with the resulting challenges, show them the good and bad sides.

PM

After many years of business activity, you still say that passion is important in setting up one’s own business. It is passion that often drives women to start a business. But there are challenges awaiting them, moments of hesitation and the question: “Was it the right decision?” Have you ever had moments of doubt as well?

No, I have never had a moment of doubt. And BetaMed has operated on the Polish and international market for years. BetaMed was established 16 years ago and has since provided long-term care in the patient’s home.

Today, BetaMed operates through its 84 branches in 11 provinces. We employ more than 3,000 people, including physicians, nurses, physiotherapists and non-medical personnel. Additionally, four years ago I opened the Medical Active Care clinic, with emphasis on the word “active”. The clinic offers services in five segments: services by a family doctor, services by specialist doctors, rehabilitation for people of any age, day care and roundthe-clock care for the elderly, and care for mechanically ventilated children and adults.

As I run BetaMed, I can say that indeed passion is a key factor in conducting activity. It is a passion that motivates us to hard work. If our work is our passion we want to develop further. When running a business we often think of making improvements. In the case of my clinic, I ask myself: Which equipment is the most modern? What would give my patients more joy? How can PM

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OUR MOTTO IS “ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL.” WE WORK WITH THE PATIENTS’ FAMILIES AND

I help my staff to feel attached to the firm? And all this is translated into smiles on the faces of both my workers and patients, and their gratitude. I think it is difficult for people to achieve success if their only goal since the beginning is earning money.

And returning to your question, I do encounter problems and challenges, as is the case with every firm. But I focus on solving them, making improvements and making sure that the patients are satisfied. The patients’ gratitude, letters from them and their thanks to us give us strength, offset our stress and motivate us to further work. Challenges are a normal thing and part and parcel of running a business. One should be aware of that.

Why have you decided to set up BetaMed? Since I was young I dreamt of becoming a nurse or a doctor. And I eventually did. Having become a nurse, I often thought it would be good to introduce some modern technologies or solutions and a family atmosphere to help patients recover faster. Hospital is for treating patients and that is all right. But I wanted to do something more for them.

Hence the idea to set up my own firm. At that time, my head was full of ideas, which eventually I have managed to put into practice. At BetaMed Medical Active Care, the elderly have an opportunity to attend a mass in our chapel, and take part in dance parties and physiotherapy exercises. Our latest project is a spa for the elderly living in our centre and people from outside. By establishing BetaMed, I wanted to show what care for the sick and elderly may look like. We pay much attention to how the sick and elderly are treated.

TRY TO

support

them.

PM

Now, a dozen or so years on, do you think your decision to set up your own firm was right?

Can you say without hesitation that you would have taken the same decision again?

Absolutely! Founding BetaMed was the best decision I could have taken. Otherwise, I would not have been able to put my ideas into practice. The commitment of my staff and the joy I can see in the eyes of my patients gives me enormous satisfaction. I am happy that we treat patients with due care and dedication.

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all the time. It is very hard work. You have to develop the right work organization and strategy for the firm, but you also need to be a good psychologist. The boss should have the right attitude towards the employees and clients. I attach very great importance to the attitude of the staff to their work and to the patients.

Equally important is whether the employees are happy to come to work and feel well here. We spend long hours at work, a large part of our lives, so I cannot image my firm without a family atmosphere between me and the staff. Our motto is “all for one, one for all.” We work with the patients’ families and try to support them. Believe me, working in 11 provinces we are able to see various reactions on the part of families. Each of them requires an individualized approach from us. It is no mean feat in running the firm. But making the staff feel part of the firm is an even bigger challenge.

How to do that?

You have to inspire and mobilize them, but also listen to their needs so that they come to work with a smile, to a nice building, provided with good and top quality equipment and are offered excellent work conditions. I am very glad when I hear that my employees feel attached to the firm, feel part of BetaMed. PM

As far as I know, your employees indeed identify with BetaMed. There are nurses who have worked with you almost since the firm’s inception. You employ around 3,000 people.

I am very pleased to have had an opportunity to work with my employees for so many years. Some of the nurses have worked for BetaMed since the very beginning – for 16 years now. I highly value the work of my nurses and their conscientiousness.

But apart from physicians, nurses and the whole medical staff, I also work with around 300 people who manage our branches and coordinate the work of the nurses. These people create with me a “living organism.” The patient receives what we may call an end-product, a service. The whole chain leading to this service is the work of many people, PM

Perhaps this is the secret of success. If someone wants to run their own business because they like what they do they are successful. You do not treat your firm as a money-making machine. Instead, you often stress that it is man that is important.

BetaMed is not a manufacturing firm. We work here with people. At the time when I founded BetaMed I was not aware that demand for home care for the sick was so high. And it still is.

Looking back, I can say that the person running his or her own business, irrespective of how many people they employ, is responsible for the workers and the patients. The owner of the business is “at work” 24 hours a day and thinks about the firm PM

special edition

BUSINESSWOMAN a work which is invisible to the patient. I am incredibly lucky to have surrounded myself with excellent employees. This applies not only to the people in managerial positions, but also the nurses, doctors, physiotherapists and so on. The staff members are very committed, they feel appreciated and we all respect each other. I try to show that BetaMed operates thanks to our joint effort.

Does the fact that you are a woman help you in running the firm?

No, I think it all depends on one’s personality. Whether you are a man or a women, if you run a business you have to take decisions, which are often risky and unpopular. And sometimes I do so.

But at the same time, I am able to remain emphatic and delicate. I can combine the role of a mother and a boss. And I even manage to find some time for myself. Women and men both have their worth.

Business does not differentiate between the sexes.

PM

You attach great importance to how your employees treat the patients.

Indeed. I am satisfied that I employ people who really like their work. I believe that if you want to be a physician, nurse or physiotherapist you have to be aware that you need to have a heart and patience for the patients. You have to listen to them.

This profession is a mission. I know many excellent medical workers. We are all humans and have our problems. But it is best to come to work with a peaceful mind, leaving bad emotions outside your workplace, irrespective of your occupation.

PM

What are the traits of a good manager, a good leader?

The ability to organize time well, responsibility, firmness, intuition and the ability to take risky decisions.

PM

Do you have time for activity other than work?

You are a great fashion enthusiast and have your own boutique.

My passion is often translated into work. I like dancing and travelling very much, though not much time is left for that. But the result of my trips to Las Vegas is BetaMed International. Fashion is also a form of escape for me. A result of my love for fashion and travel is my women’s fashion boutique to which I bring collections from Paris, London and Milan. In turn, my trips to Miami have resulted in the opening of stores with electronics. My passion for reading and learning has led me to complete successive programmes of study. For example, I am about to complete a PhD in economics and in the meantime I have completed an international MBA course.

PM

What should I wish you?

Constant joy, energy, optimism, strength for further activity, and many more outstanding peo• ple around me.

PM

polish market

23

THE CANONS of beauty ARE CHANGING DRAMATICALLY ELŻBIETA RADZIKOWSKA, MD, Head of the Plastic Surgery Ward, Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration in Warsaw, author of the book “W służbie urody, czyli co naprawdę może poprawić chirurg plastyk?” (“In Beauty’s Service: What Can a Plastic Surgeon Actually Do About Your Looks?”).

We are meeting under quite exceptional circumstances – your book is about to be released soon, isn’t it? How did it come about and when will it be available?

Well, the book has turned out to be a nice surprise for me, too, as my original intention was to write something a tad different from the final result. Whilst hosting a programme on Polsat television, in which we helped women who had suffered various accidents and diseases which necessitated breast reconstruction, I encountered a myriad of problems and stories, some truly touching and dramatic. One of our guests was a young woman who at the age of 25 was diagnosed with breast cancer. We showed our viewers her recovery and breast reconstruction process, as well as the support she received from her partner – things which for me as a physician were foreign and outside my interest. Thanks to the programme, I could witness all this transformation process. The idea for the book came about during one of the conversations I had with my friend. I reckoned the audience would find it tedious to read about breast reconstruction only, the process I know the most about. So I decided to elaborate on several patient stories and to offer advice as to when you should consider plastic surgery, at what age, which method is preferred, and which is not, etc. The human body has become just another thing to sell, and our looks are very important, and this often becomes the subject of a regular fight to remain on the market. Physical appearance is also another factor which boosts our confidence. Once you believe you look good, you fare better in the professional sphere. At the same time, though, we need to remember that besides physical appearance there is personality. Even the fairest beauty will lose much attraction if not backed by personality. Just look at the canons of beauty in modelling. Most

also explaining the difference between the two commonly mistaken terms – plastic surgeries and aesthetic medicine – as these are separate disciplines.

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24 polish marketspecial edition 2017

You have said that today beauty is a product. Should a doctor then, if he or she were to release a book, be more mindful of the fact that not everybody needs to have that perfect look?

The problem about aesthetic surgeries stems from their being a bit like a commodity. A new term has even been coined, “medicalisation”, meaning that doctors no longer advise their patients on what they should do about their appearance, but now it is the patients who bring their expectations into the doctor’s office. I, for one, openly say which surgery can be performed and which is absolutely out of the question. Unfortunately, at private clinics, marketing and sales are dealt with by people other than those who carry out the surgeries, so sales figures often take precedence over the medical aspect. This sets a trap for the patients who are led to believe any surgery offered by the clinic will be suitable for them. But there is a fine line which, once crossed, can turn “good-looking” into “ridiculous”. Another problem I addressed in my book is that aesthetic medicine has become almost everyone’s specialty, to the point that doctors switch over to it whenever they fail in their original field, or at least this is how I see it. The truth is, however, that a good anaesthetist, for instance, will be busy enough to not even think of another specialty. All in all, there are great disparities when it comes to the skills of aesthetic medicine professionals. Patients need to be advised on what to pay attention to so that they are able to choose the right doctor. And this is what you will learn from my book.

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of these girls seem to all look the same, which is something I cannot understand. In the 1980s and 1990s the modelling scene had such figures as Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell, who have left a lasting memory. But today the canons of beauty have changed dramatically. The trend is now to draw the audience’s attention to a specific item of clothing, rather than the model. So my book does not talk about surgeries per se, although this might have been interesting to a handful of people. I took a somewhat broader perspective to discuss the matter in more detail,

OUTSTANDING WOMAN special edition

BUSINESSWOMAN

AT THE HELM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY CENTRE

IWONA ŁUGOWSKA, a clinical oncologist, head of the Early-Phase Trials Unit, coordinator of the Center for Research and Development at the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute - Oncology Center (COI) in Warsaw.

I

wona Ługowska, a clinical oncologist, head of the Early-Phase Trials Unit and coordinator of the Center for Research and Development at the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute – Oncology Center (COI) in Warsaw, is a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine of the Medical University of Lublin. In 2008, she received the PhD degree (with honours) for her doctoral thesis entitled “Usefulness of immunohistochemical methods for predicting results of osteosarcoma treatment in children”. In 2017, she was granted a post-doctoral degree in medicine (dr hab. n. med.).

Iwona Ługowska interned in numerous foreign medical centres, including the Gemelli University Hospital of the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

in New York and Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, which deals with early-phase trials with cooperation with the Newcastle Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre. For many years she has taken part as a leader or investigator in national and European research programmes, such as ONCOTRAIL (STRATEGMED II, NCBR), EPTHERON (STRATEGMED I, NCBR), EURAMOS (FP7), IMMOMEC (FP7), CDSS for Oncology (FNP), DermaViewer (NCBR) and ONKOSYS (NCBR).

Iwona Ługowska received the International Development and Education Award (ASCO IDEA Programme) from the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2010. As the only person from Poland, she was a laureate of the Talent in Oncology – GLOW Programme (2010-2012). She received a scholarship from ESMO-ECCO in 2010, a scholarship from the Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences in Rotterdam (twice – Clinical Trials Methodology, NIHES 2010 and Clinical Decision Making Modelling, NIHES 2011) and took part in the ECCO-AACR-EORTC-ESMO workshop on Methods in Clinical Cancer Research in Flims, Switzerland, in 2015. During that workshop, she was responsible for delivering a phase I clinical trial protocol for innovative therapeutics working together with prof.

Johann de Bono from the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, and Dr Susan George, from the Dana Faber Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

She is the author/co-author of scientific articles, the majority of which were published in international peer-reviewed journals, such as “Lancet,” “Cancer,” “European Journal of Surgical Oncology,”“Tumor Biology,” “Paediatric Blood & Cancer,” “Clinical Medical Oncology” and “Expert Systems with Applications.” In recognition of her research conducted during her studies at the Medical University of Lublin, she received the First Prize of the Polish Paediatric Society at the Congress of Medical Students and Young Physicians in 2000 and two honourable mentions at the International Congress of Medical Students and Young Physicians in 2000 and 2001. She also won the James hr.

Potocki Memorial Foundation for the best research paper published in journals of the Polish Medical Society in 2013. She is a laureate of the Best Paper Award in the Area of Human Machine Interaction at the international conference Human System Interaction organized by the prestigious Institute of

Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). She is a co-author of six chapters in books about clinical trials, sarcomas and melanomas. At the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), she is responsible for publications concerning sarcomas, melanomas and cancer immunotherapy as a member of the ESMO Working Publishing Group.

Since 2015 together with Prof. Piotr Rutkowski, she has been responsible for organising the first in Poland oncological Early-Phase Clinical Trials Unit officially opened on June 29, 2017. The unit is a part of the Centre for Research and Development (CNP) that has been established at the Maria Skłodowska Curie Institute – Oncology Centre in Warsaw, which is the leading institution in Poland providing comprehensive cancer care for patients, education, and cancer prevention, as well as the research projects dedicated exclusively to oncology.

Industrial partner of the CNP is Roche Polska – an international, innovative pharmaceutical company involved in oncological drug development process.

In the “There’s no future without entrepreneurship” contest, organized by the daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, the CNP initiative won the first place in the “Best foreign investment” category.

“One of the main objective of the CNP project is the establishing early- phase clinical trials unit dedicated solely to oncology. It will enable access to modern therapies for patients and unique research opportunities for scientists. It will also open a path for innovation in medicine in Poland, as well as is in keeping with the philosophy of changing the economic development model as presented by the Ministry of Economic Development in its Strategy for Responsible Development.”

Iwona Ługowska says.

At present, Iwona Ługowska also works at the Department of Soft Tissue/ Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma at the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute Oncology Centre, the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Institute of Mother and Child, and the Infant Jesus Teaching Hospital to become a specialist in clinical pharmacology. She is a member of the EORTC Group for the systemic treatment of sarcomas, member of the Bioethics Committee at the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute – Oncology Centre and she also represents COI in in two domains: sarcomas and rare skin cancers at the European Reference Network for rare cancers (ERN EURACAN).

• polish market

25

EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED, EXCEPT FOR THE

MILK PLANT ADDRESS

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Changes at every production stage

n the last 25 years virtually everything has changed, except for the address of the ŚSM Jana milk-processing plant. At the beginning of the 1990s, effective measures were taken to introduce a professional raw milk quality approach, providing for milk cooling immediately after the milking process, and the progressive closure of procurement points and production facilities. Dairies have been replaced by direct collection, and the production process has been concentrated in the main plant. Moreover, we have left other milk plants behind when it comes to the quality of raw milk, owing to its gradual improvement.

Aiming at adjusting to EU requirements, a number of measures have been implemented ‒ from infrastructure modifications and techniques and technologies, to an increase in production capacity and performance. The volume of milk processing has ADVERTISEMENT

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seen a three-fold rise in the last 25 years, with an array of commercial contracts being established, including export-related agreements. The plant has also been using a new logo to distinguish its products. A number of changes have been introduced as regards production technique and technology, while preserving the traditional taste of products. The products’ shelf life has been extended, with frequent modifications to packaging forms and sizes. For 25 years the number of suppliers has decreased, despite the significant overall increase in milk production. This implies that the amount of milk received from each supplier has grown materially, and so has the average productivity per cow.

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MARIA CZWOJDRAK, President of Średzka Spółdzielnia Mleczarska Jana

ORIENTED

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BUSINESSWOMAN

TOWARDS FUTURE GENERATIONS RATHER THAN ONLY PROFIT SYLWIA MOKRYSZ, Commercial Representative of Mokate SA, talks to „Polish Market”.

As we established during our previous chat, Mokate is a family enterprise with long-standing business traditions. You seemed convinced right from the start that, by continuing the family tradition, you had chosen the right way. Therefore, the slogan of your new logo ‒ “A Family Business” ‒ hardly comes as a surprise.

The origins of business traditions in our family date back to 1900. This was when Josef Mokryš, our ancestor, opened a store with so-called colonial goods in the town of Dobra (Teschen Silesia, currently within the Czech Republic), selling coffee and tea, among other commodities. In 1927 his younger brother, Alois Mokryš (later Mokrysz), set up a similar store in Goleszów (also Teschen Silesia), providing its customers with the best varieties of tea and coffee.

We are now happy to follow this long-time tradition, not only because Mokate has been run by our family for generations, but also in view of the fact that it often employs two subsequent generations of worker families, who are both devoted and loyal to the business.

PM

Family businesses should be run and managed in line with certain pre-defined principles, which aim at maintaining the balance between business objectives and family prosperity. Does it hold true for Mokate?

Most of all, a family business should both continue for generations and be oriented towards future generations. It is the sense of responsibility for both the forthcoming and the previous generations which makes family-owned businesses very resistant to economic turbulence. The planning process does not adopt the financial-year perspective, but rather the generation-oriented view, as is usually done in a family. Decisions are taken bearing the family’s welfare in mind, focusing on both our own family and the families of our employees. This is a really huge responsibility.

Family-owned enterprises operate according to three underlying principles: flexibility, PM

innovativeness and close relationships with customers. They are more cost-effective, less likely to incur debt, and more willing to diversify. As a result, they create a sustainable and stable business model which is more crisis-resistant. On top of all this, family businesses are usually oriented towards future generations, rather than being merely profit-driven.

Nonetheless, family-owned enterprises must be open to “external” human capital. They should attract well-qualified employees from outside the family. And making them feel that they are being treated as equals to family members appears to be of key importance.

Mokate seems to have succeeded in this objective, given its being selected as the most valued employer in the Silesian Region.

Mokate employs members of numerous families, and even generations. We are proud to have an international staff, including Czechs and Slovaks, who have for many years pursued their professional careers in our Polish and Czech plants. Many of them remember our launching of the cappuccino line more than 20 years ago. Considering all these aspects, it is hard not to feel excited and thrilled.

What is more, the family character of Mokate also has a second dimension to it ‒ almost the whole family is actively involved in the business.

All this makes us pay special attention to promoting self-reliance and creativity, and to providing one another with solid support. As in any family, our staff can always count on assistance from the management board and the owners. We seek to provide all employees with easy access to managerial staff at all levels, including the owners.

PM

PM

Along with your numerous professional duties, you also willingly involve yourselves in various projects promoting women in the business world. Why is it still a matter of attention in the 21st century? It would seem that competence, rather than gender, should come first.

Viviane Reding, a former European Commissioner for Justice, once said: “If instead of Lehman Brothers it had been Lehman Sisters, we would not have such a global mess now.” Nowadays, while the business role of women is expanding, young female entrepreneurs are still forced to struggle with an array of difficulties on their way to a stable job or their own business. This is why supporting women at the outset of their business careers is so important.

As a member of the Polish Network of Women Entrepreneurship Ambassadors, I am taking part in the international “Million Women Mentors” project aiming at women’s development worldwide.

The project focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). The group of mentors, taht is people willing to share their expertise, includes scientists and representatives from the business and political world.

This is a highly valuable initiative, given the fact that creating a global network of mentors who share their knowledge is as fascinating as the ability to benefit from such a vast knowledge resource.

The Deloitte report entitled “Women’s Labour and Entrepreneurship- The Potential to Be Used in Poland” reveals that despite their efforts and motivation women often face difficulties with setting up and running a business. The reasons include the lack of sufficient funds (58%), administrative procedures (32%) and fear of failure (24%). However, it is probable that financial issues and administrative barriers are similar for women and men. Is it therefore the fear of failure which discourages women from establishing their own businesses?

Women’s strength lies in action, rather than bigtime successes. What matters more is their everyday work. Also, don’t forget that women tend to combine their professional carriers with both family life and social activity. This testifies to the unique female energy which is definitely worth being un• leashed.

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CULTURAL MONITOR:

LADIES in the

SPOTLIGHT

There are plenty of amazing things going on in Polish arts. I do not normally tend to categorize them in terms of having a more feminine, or masculine flavour. What I am interested in is whether art brings people together, or sets them apart.

And whether it transforms the realities that surround us. But if we do accept the gender criterion as a starting point, the latest Cultural Monitor comes with women in the foreground, writes Maciej Proliński.

M

usic is generally regarded as one of Poland’s hottest export properties. Already in the first half of the 20th century, works by composer and violinist Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969) gained international acclaim.

She wrote seven violin concertos and seven string quartets. Her “Concerto for String Orchestra” of 1948 is undeniably one of the most outstanding works by a 20th-century Polish composer. It remains one of a handful of contemporary pieces performed at subscription concerts. “Made in Poland,” a new release by the Atom String Quartet and the Leopoldinum Chamber Orchestra, brought out under the DUX label, brings you the latest, bold version of this intricate and truly enchanting work which is deeply rooted in the history of music, and which at the same time is ahead of its time. The conductor is one of Poland’s finest violinists Christian Danowicz. Another DUX release features three works performed by renowned instrumentalists and chamber music performers Karolina Piątkowska-Nowicka and Bogna Czerwińska-Szymula. These three works are not just linked by the fact that they were written for the violin and the piano. One of the works is Bacewicz’s emotionally varied “Sonata No. 4 for violin and piano” which betrays neo-Romantic inspirations.

Among top Polish opera singers whose repertoire spans various eras from the baroque to modern times, three ladies stand out as true institutions of Polish culture. They are alto JADWIGA RAPPÉ, contralto EWA PODLES and soprano

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OLGA PASIECZNIK. Each of their works is

a masterpiece of its own, which is neither a mere copy of earlier performances nor a transformation of any of them.

AGNIESZKA OSIECKA (1936-1997) – was

a poetess who for several decades was the uncrowned queen of Polish lyrics-writing. Even though she died twenty years ago, her lyrics are picked up by successive generations of artists. Some of her previously unpublished, recently discovered, lyrics have been recorded of late by Osiecka’s longstanding friend singer Maryla Rodowicz. This spring saw the release under the Agora label of the “nowOsiecka” (or new-Osiecka) CD. This album, containing fourteen songs inspired by Osiecka’s lyrics, brings the artist’s work closer to the younger generation. It combines the familiar with the new: Osiecka’s reflective mood with youthful flair. Songs with lyrics by the cult Polish artist are performed by Piotr Rogucki, Monika Brodka, Natalia Przybysz, Mela Koteluk, Natalia Grosiak, Justyna Święs (The Dumplings) and Czesław Śpiewa, featuring the Polish-Danish artist Czesław Mozil. The album is complete with a hip hop take on Osiecka’s “Na zakręcie” (Turning Point) by Łona and Webber, and a hip hop composition performed by DJ Feel-X, who earlier worked with the cult Kaliber 44 rap band, teaming up with Piotr Gutkowski, lead singer of the Indios Bravos.

KRZYSIA GÓRNIAK is currently the most distinct Polish guitarist with a longstanding passion for jazz. This unique artist has long been performing

at festivals and played at club venues at home and abroad. Her performing style is described as the work of a subtle feminine virtuoso. She feels at home in a number of music styles and moves freely in different conventions. Pat Metheney thus wrote about her debut release “Tales”: “I have been listening to your CD - and you all sound really good on there!

Nice blend between you and I think it is great that you seem to be working hard on trying to get your own group sound and concept happening!”

Another of her CDs, “Moments,” came out earlier this year under the Polish Radio label. This catchy album with an innovative sound is bound to win the hearts of not just jazz lovers.

Each year more and more ladies join the ranks of top POP MUSIC PERFORMERS in Poland.

DARIA ZAWIAŁOW is the best example of the fact that performing skills are best appreciated by song festival audiences. The singer and songwriter first entered music contests still in her childhood.

Eventually, she became the winner of the 2016 National Song Contest in Opole with her song “Malinowy chruśniak” (Raspberry Bush) in the debut category. A Sony Music Poland contract followed.

This year has seen the release of Daria’s debut pop rock album “A kysz!” (Shoo) featuring eleven of her own numbers. Now she ranks among such leading female Polish artists as Monika Brodka and Julia Marcell. According to music critics, Sorry Boys is one of the bands which have breathed new life into Polish pop by creating quite a stir at a series of

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festivals and on the club circuit. Their history dates back to 2006. The band was formed in Warsaw on the initiative of Tomasz Dąbrowski and Piotr Blak, later joined by lead singer Bela Komoszyńska. Their songs are frequently compared to those by Kate Bush, who is actually one of Bela’s idols. But the similarities end there. Bela’s distinctive voice gives Sorry Boys’ songs plenty of unique charm.

In the world of LITERATURE AND FILM, there are more and more female detectives. They are strong, intuitive and able to win the hearts of thousands of readers and cinemagoers. The trail-blazing writer in this respect was Joanna Chmielewska (1932-2013). She is thought of as Poland’s number one crime fiction writer, but her works are hilariously funny to read at the same time. Today’s queen of Polish crime fiction is Katarzyna Bonda. Originally an investigative journalist, some time ago she decided to devote her career to writing thrillers. Her success is chiefly down to her excellent research and fine writing skills. But there are more best-selling Polish lady crime writers worthy of mention, to name but GAJA GRZEGORZEWSKA, known for her private detective JULIA DOBROWOLSKA series, and MARTA GUZOWSKA. For more than a decade now, filmmaker MAŁGORZATA SZUMOWSKA has gone from strength to strength with her ambitious, often controversially taboo-breaking works. Her 2008 film “33 sceny z życia” (33 Scenes from Life) is one of a few accomplished attempts to deal with the subject of death in the cinema of the younger generation in Poland. Szumowska always remains true to herself.

She can be brutally honest and ironic, as well as lyrical. For her latest work “Body/Ciało” she won the Silver Lion award at the Berlin Film Festival. The movie tells the story of a difficult relationship between a widowed public prosecutor and his anorectic daughter. Each of them tries, in their own way, to cope with the tragic death of someone dear. The film’s beginning is slightly reminiscent of Fellini’s “8 ½” and in visual terms it reminds you of contemporary Austrian cinema. But perhaps surprisingly for the director herself, the film ends on an inspiring philosophical note in keeping with the thinking of Poland’s favourite philosopher, the late Father Józef Tischner.

APRIL 20 SAW THE DEATH IN WARSAW OF MAGDALENA ABAKANOWICZ, one of internationally best-known Polish visual artists. 86-year-old Abakanowicz was one of the most recognisable Polish artists thanks to her unique style in sculpture and installations. Originally a painter, her works included monumental gouaches featuring striking colour schemes, imaginary plants and creatures. As of the mid-1960s, she worked on giant three-dimensional works with the

use of traditional weaving techniques, which were both pieces of sculpture and architectural creations.

They truly revolutionised the world of weaving as an art by breaking with the previously two-dimensional woven surfaces used in interior decoration. Her uniquely shaped works were called abakans, after the artist’s family name. Her works are now part of collections of more than 70 museums all over the world, including Warsaw’s National Museum, Centre George Pompidou in Paris, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, Japan.

WOMAN POWER – THE MOTTO OF THE TRANSATLANTYK FESTIVAL 2017 Transatlantyk (or TransAtlantic) is a festival which describes the world today through film and music.

“Part of the 7th Transatlantyk Festival will be devoted to Woman Power. We will showcase movies by eminent Polish and international female filmmakers, films dealing with problems facing women in the 21st century. There will be interviews with women and about women at panel discussions and meetings. And it’s all happening in Łódź July 14-21.

In conjunction with the Polówka open air Summer Film Festival, Transatlantyk will offer a Girl Power section. Films on show will directly and indirectly tackle the topic of femininity. Works by Barbara Sass-Zdort (1936- 2015) will be screened. The artist painted some touching and unique portraits of women. However, she never allowed herself to be pigeon-holed as a ‘female director’. She was convinced that gender does not matter when you are a film director. A world at a crossroads, a world in crisis is fine-tuned to the voices of women. You may disagree with them, but you should never ignore them.

When they work hard, act as the keepers of ultimate values, and when they make each moment beautiful and unforgettable,” Jan A.P. Kaczmarek’s invitation to the event reads. Kaczmarek is the Polish composer who won an Oscar for his score to the 2004 movie “Finding Neverland”. He is also the director and driving force behind the Transatlantyk Festival.

LADIES JAZZ FESTIVAL 2017 Europe’s only ladies’ jazz festival will be held in the Polish Baltic port city of Gdynia in July. The city was founded in the 1920s, the time jazz was born. As of its first edition, the festival has developed a distinctive image and sound. It is pronounced, clear, dignified, tactful and alluring. The Ladies Jazz Festival pays tribute to women and fully recognises their no small contribution to the development of jazz. It is a tribute to beauty, good taste and joy. The highlights of the event are soon to be announced. So far those who appeared at the festival included such stars as Randy Crawford, Elaine Elias, Patricia Barber, Candy Dulfer, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Toshiko Akiyoshi and M’Shell Ndegeocello. Often this was the first • venue they played in Poland. polish market

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WOMEN with Pearls

The Honorary Pearls of “Polish Market”, awarded to the most outstanding personalities and institutions in the fields of economy, culture, science, social values and patriotism, whose achievements, experience, prestige and undisputed personal qualities allow to recognise them as ambassadors of the highest Polish values, are presented at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

T

Maciej Proliński

he Honorary Pearls are awarded by a Jury composed of individuals enjoying great authority and recognition: Prof. Jerzy Buzek, Member of the European Parliament; Tadeusz Donocik, President of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice; Grażyna Jaskuła, Vice-President of the Publishing House “Polish Market”; Prof. Janusz Lipkowski, President of the Jury; Prof. Ksawery Piwocki, Former Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw; Prof. Andrzej Rottermund, former Director of the Royal Castle in Warsaw; Adam Szejnfeld, Member of the European Parliament; Janusz Steinhoff, President of the Council of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice and President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce, Prof. Andrzej Wiszniewski, Former Minister of Science and Higher Education; Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, President of the Publishing House “Polish Market” and Editor-inChief of “Polish Market.”

In the years 2006-2016, the Honorary Pearls were awarded to the following 14 ladies: in the category of culture - Urszula Dudziak, Małgorzata Walewska, Anna Maria Jopek, Krystyna Janda and Maryla Rodowicz; in the category of science (industrial design) - Czesława Frejlich and Ewa Gołębiowska; in the category of science - Alicja Chybicka and Maria Siemionow; in the category of social values’ promotion - Janina Ochojska, Bożena Kazanowska, Bożena Walter (and TVN Foundation “You Are Not Alone”), Małgorzata Żak (and Polsat Foundation), Irena Koźmińska, Ewa Ewart and Natalia Partyka.

URSZULA DUDZIAK is the first lady of Polish

jazz. She always adds a unique element in the collective work of the band. And she worked, in the studio

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and on the stage, with artists like Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Bobby McFerrin, Krzysztof Komeda, Michał Urbaniak. She was a soloist with Gil Evans’s orchestra. She recorded about 50 albums.

When we started touring, it was said that sings as if “she was continuously smiling.” And it is until today the essence of her performance. A scene is a sacred place for her. “Wszystko gra” is her last year’s excellent new album, which consists of compositions and arrangements of pianist Jan Smoczyński.

Jazz is mixed here with quite perky and lively music from around the world. Everything is transparent like in Mozart. The primacy of melody makes you quickly memorise the song, and within a few minutes, you can capture the incredible joy of that art in its final, though so greatly improvised, shape. The sounds of this album offers a sheer pleasure. This precision combined with swinging freedom! These are beautiful unisons and compositions, arranged with great flair and immediately perceptible space.

MAŁGORZATA WALEWSKA is considered one of the foremost mezzo-sopranos of our times, acclaimed in operas around the world. She graduated from the Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw in the class of Prof. Halina Słonicka.

She participated in many international competitions: in 1992 she won the first prize in the Alfredo Kraus Competition in Las Palmas and two best mezzo-soprano prizes in the Stanisław Moniuszko International Competition in Warsaw. She was also a finalist of the Belvedere International Singing Competition in Vienna and the Luciano Pavarotti Competition in Philadelphia. While still a student in 1991, she sang Asa in Paderewski’s “Manru” at the Grand Theatre-National Opera. In 2006, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in

New York as Dalila in “Samson and Dalila” (with José Cura as Samson),. In 1999, the British magazine “The Time” called Walewska one of the “bright stars who will lead Poland into the next millennium.” In 2014, she was appointed as Artistic Director of the Ada Sari International Festival and Competition of Vocal Arts.

ANNA MARIA JOPEK is one of the most

important Polish jazz singers and one of the most charming ambassadors of Polish jazz in the world.

Her first album - “Ale jestem” - was released almost 20 years ago, namely in 1997. The music and colourful, stylistically diverse arrangements by Mateusz and Marcin Pospieszalski, as well as a distinct, individual style of Anna Maria, made her debut a well-deserved success. Since that time, she collaborated with the major figures of Polish and world jazz: Branford Marsalis, Richard Bona, Tomasz Stańko, Leszek Możdżer, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Marek Napiórkowski and the above mentioned brothers Pospieszalski. In 2002, Anna Maria Jopek realised a common project - an album and concerts - with Pat Metheny, the world’s greatest jazz guitarist. It was one of the most important projects in the history of Polish jazz, and Polish music at all so far.

KRYSTYNA JANDA is no doubt one of the bus-

iest institutions of Polish theatre and film. Actress, director, and for almost a decade also head of Polonia Theatre, a private venture combining the audience success with the artistic one. “Theatre seems today one of the cleanest, in terms of ideas, happiest and safest places in the world. A place where people under the miraculous agreement, which have some enter the stage and others listen to them and watch, still wonder about the major concepts

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BUSINESSWOMAN of humanity: love, morality, truth, friendship, humanity,” says Janda, who from the inception of her foundation fantastically enriches the capital’s cultural offer. Robin Hawdon, one of the most popular writers of English comedies and farces, wrote especially for Krystyna Janda “Weekend with R.” staged with great success in Warsaw. Thanks to Janda, creator of important stage events, we could see in theatre and with her participation such plays as: Chekhov’s “32 Faints” directed by Andrzej Domalik, “Danuta W.” directed by Janusz Zaorski based on a sensational book by Danuta Wałęsowa. And she directed by herself “Loves of a Blonde,” a story taken from the famous film by Miloš Forman and an oratorio based on the “Dairy of the Warsaw Uprising” by Miron Białoszewski. The actress does not neglect cinema either. Unquestionably, her greatest film achievements invariably include “Interrogation”

by Ryszard Bugajski for which she received the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, and a double, moving and so painfully “not acting-like” role in “Sweet Rush” by Andrzej Wajda.

MARYLA RODOWICZ is an icon of the Pol-

ish musical scene. She has about 2,000 songs and 30 albums in her catalogue. She has never stopped to catch her breath for several decades. The greatest masters of Polish song have written for her Agnieszka Osiecka, Ernest Bryll and Jonasz Kofta, and she has worked with such prominent composers as Katarzyna Gaertner and Seweryn Krajewski.

A total of 15 million albums of Maryla Rodowicz have been sold to date. She has toured all over the world – in Europe, Russia, America, Australia and Asia. She won many awards and took part in many international festivals, e.g. in Oklahoma, or Los Angeles.

What do we appreciate most about her? Her repertoire, of course: thrilling and moving songs - you can hardly find among them something you would

URSZULA DUDZIAK

not want to listen to, something you would not want to come back to - deep lyrics and enjoyable, captivating melody. And, last but not least, her amazing vocals. Strong, full of energy, her very own timbre.

“This award is a surprise. Never in my life would I expect to receive the Pearl of ‘Polish Market’! My career started in 1967 when I won the first prize at the Student’s Song Festival in Kraków. I believe that this Pearl will propel me into another 50 years of my career,” she told us in 2013.

PROF. CZESŁAWA FREJLICH is a gradu-

ate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. Until 2000, she was an active industrial and functional graphics designer. She also excels in ergonomic design. She has authored a number of publications on design and ergonomics. Her greatest achievement in the field recognized by our distinction is the initiative started in 2011 to open and write for “2+3D”, the best Polish design quarterly. This is her personal initiative: she raised funds, found editors (herself being the chief editor), and organises many associated events. And it was for all that work - spreading information and bringing artists and designers to the leading design events in the world, and enabling the industrial implementation of the achievements of our designers – that she was awarded.

EWA GOŁĘBIOWSKA is the originator and,

since 2005, director of the Silesian Castle of Art and Enterprise in Cieszyn. In the years 2005-2007, she was a coordinator of “Silesian Design Network”, the first comprehensive programme for the promotion and implementation of design in Poland. The programme, considered to be the best example of implementation of regional innovation strategies, brought a marked improvement in the use of design by businesses and local governments not only in Silesia. The castle itself is a successful example

MAŁGORZATA WALEWSKA

of revitalisation. Within a few years, it has become a popular and highly regarded meeting place for design and business communities, inspiring the development of similar initiatives elsewhere in Poland. The castle was a venue for dozens of exhibitions, symposia, meetings and workshops. Students of the Academies of Fine Arts from all over Poland were involved in these projects, and some of their designs found interest from manufacturers.

The activity of the Cieszyn Castle helped many Polish schools to establish foreign contacts both educational and industrial. The commitment and efforts of Ewa Gołębiowska towards ensuring the modern development of Poland, as well as organic work, so needed today, invariably arouse admiration and respect.

PROF. ALICJA CHYBICKA is Head of the Department and Clinic of Paediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation, Oncology and Haematology, Wrocław Medical University. As an outstanding student, she was proposed an individual plan of studies under the guidance of Prof. Janina BogusławskaJaworska. At that time the professor was laying foundations for the development of paediatric oncology in Wrocław. Alicja Chybicka has been head of the clinic since 2000 and president of the Polish Paediatric Society since 2007. She not only fights for children’s health and life, but is also a friend to their parents. She always stands by her patients.

She deals mainly with haematology, oncology and bone marrow transplantation. “Having the honour to treat children in our clinic, I have always been of the opinion that it is them who are the most important and that no one should tell me that money is more important than their life and health. I would like every person who decides to study medicine not to look at its financial aspects. It is the patient that has to be the centre of attention. Everything should

PROF. ALICJA CHYBICKA

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MARIA SIEMIONOW

JANINA OCHOJSKA

IRENA KOŹMIŃSKA

be subordinated to their needs and not the other way round. Not to money, graphs or business. The treatment standards we offer our young patients at our clinic do not differ from those at the best European centres,” she told us in 2014.

Board ever since. In 2004, “Polityka” weekly placed her seventh in the ranking of the most influential women in Poland. She is disabled since early childhood. Through her perseverance and kindness, she became known and admired throughout the country and around the world.

Bożena Kazanowska is a sociotherapist from the Centre for Blind and Visually-Impaired Children in Lublin and founder of the Polish Touch and Feel Book Library, a unique institution offering tactile books for children. The library has its premises in Lublin, and the books are lent and sent free of charge to blind and visually-impaired children, and also children who are unable to leave the confines of their homes over the country. Tactile illustrations are produced on-site and handmade by Bożena Kazanowska and cooperating volunteers. All those involved in the project are working on a pro bono. The establishment of the library marked a breakthrough in access to literature for children with visual problems, bringing an absolutely new quality to the lives of many children and their parents.

MAŁGORZATA ŻAK graduated from the Faculty of Economics, University of Maria CurieSkłodowska in Lublin and the Faculty of Journalism and Political Science, University of Warsaw.

She is the founder of the Polsat Foundation, a nationwide TV foundation, aimed at helping people with disabilities as well as sick children and their parents. She served as president of the foundation until 2012. The Polsat Foundation has created a system of rapid and effective response to assistance requests. Information received from parents is verified and applications are processed according to established criteria. The money is spent on treatments, surgeries, therapies and rehabilitation. The campaign “We Are For Children” is the most recognisable project of the foundation.

The campaign aims to raise funds for treatment and rehabilitation of children-beneficiaries of the Polsat Foundation.

PROF. MARIA SIEMIONOW is a Polish

transplant surgeon who works in the US. She completed medical studies at the Academy of Medical Sciences in Poznań. After emigrating to the United States, she was offered a scholarship and specialised in hand surgery. In 2008, a team of doctors led by Prof. Siemionow conducted the first-ever successful face transplant. In a 22-hour procedure, 46-yearold Connie Culp, who was shot by her husband, had approx. 80% of her face transplanted from a dead donor. The transplantation involved the reconstruction of the face including bone, cartilage and vascular tissues. The US media hailed it as the most revolutionary surgery in recent decades, and Maria Siemionow’s name was cited in the major world media, and she herself went down in the history of medicine. Prof. Siemionow is now working on new therapies supporting transplants so that patients after an organ transplant do not have to take immunosuppressant (anti-rejection) drugs in the future.

JANINA OCHOJSKA is Poland’s best known

humanitarian activist. She studied astronomy at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. After graduation, she worked in the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Laboratory of Astrophysics in Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomy Centre in Toruń. As a student, she was active in the Academic Chaplaincy of Jesuits in Toruń, and in 1976 joined the opposition and was involved in the creation of “Solidarity” in Torun. In 1984, she went to France for a surgery and there she encountered the idea of ​​humanitarian aid. As a volunteer, she worked for a charity “EquiLibre” looking for contacts and coordinating assistance to Poland. In 1989, she was one of the founders of the Polish branch of “EquiLibre.” In 1994, she founded the Polish Humanitarian Action, where she has served as President of the

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BOŻENA WALTER is a graduate of the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the Jagiellonian University, and the Extramural Higher Vocational School of TV Production in Łódź. She started her career in the Polish Television (TVP) in the 1970s; she was a co-host and a co-author of popular TV programme “Studio 2”. It was on her initiative that the TVN Foundation “You Are Not Alone” was established by a TV station TVN in 2001. Bożena Walter served as its president. “The TVN Foundation has a power, which is access to television. All we need to do is to reliably describe things and humbly ask viewers to send money, that is SMS text messages,” she says. The foundation supports a number of projects related to health care, life quality and education. It lends support to people suffering from serious and incurable illness and in need of expensive medical treatment; funds therapies and grants social pensions; helps hospitals, orphanages and rehabilitation centres.

IRENA KOŹMIŃSKA has for years been a promoter of readership among children and adolescents in Poland. She is the founder and president of the Foundation “ABCXXI - All of Poland Reads to Kids”; in 2001 she initiated a social campaign “All of Poland Reads to Kids”, aimed in particular to encourage parents, teachers and other adults to devote at least 20 minutes a day to reading to children. “The campaign ‘All of Poland Reads to Kids’ was inspired by the words of Jim Trelease, the US-born author of ‘Read-Aloud Handbook’: ‘A nation that reads little, little known. A nation that knows little, take bad decisions – at home, in business, in the court at the ballot box. Uneducated majority can outvote the educated minority – it is a very dangerous aspect of democracy.’ The study by IPSOS dated 2011 confirmed the effectiveness of our campaign: 54% of parents reported that they read to their children. Other children, if they are not read to at home or in kindergarten, unfortunately start school without being quite prepared in terms of good language knowledge and thinking skills. That is why we keep reminding about reading!,” she told us in 2015.

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Theatre

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FOR BUSINESS, BUSINESS FOR AND A THEATRE WITH AN EMBLEM

theatre

ANNA STASIAK-APELSKA, President of the Board of Krakowski Teatr Komedia, talks to Maciej Proliński.

This year, for the first time ever, the Teraz Polska (Poland: Now) white and red emblem (in the Services category) was awarded to a theatre – Krakowski Teatr Komedia.

The competition is run by the Polish Promotional Emblem Foundation. What does this distinction mean to you? And another question which naturally comes into mind: Can we already say not only “Poland: Now,” but also “Culture: Now”?

For more than a quarter century the Foundation has awarded the emblem for the best products and services which stand out on the market and can be an example for others to follow due to their technological or utilitarian features. The competition has invariably enjoyed public trust and good reputation. Since its inception it has been a symbol of top quality and a lodestar for consumers. And it is not unreasonable to say that culture is now one of the best Polish brands and one of the best tools of diplomacy. This award is a great distinction and challenge for our theatre.

We are very proud of it. How will we deal with it? I think it is for others to judge.

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What makes your theatre different from other private theatres in Poland?

Krakowski Teatr Komedia has only Polish comedies in its repertoire. Its founder and the main author of plays staged by the theatre is Jan Jakub Należyty, an actor, writer, singer and author of a dozen or so theatrical comedies and lyrics for the most outstanding Polish artists.

Apart from his plays, we also stage classic pieces by Polish playwrights. The one we show now is Aleksander Fredro’s “Mąż i żona” (Husband and Wife), one of his best and most risqué comedies in verse. We do not have our own stage, but we can play practically at any place. Our theatre relies in its activity on actors from Kraków and Warsaw. Among the artists who have appeared in our plays are Ewa Dałkowska, Lucyna Malec, Dariusz Gnatowski, Marek Siudym, Piotr Skarga, Mateusz Damięcki, Anna Cieślak and Jan Jakub Należyty. Our maxim is “theatre for business, business for theatre.” This is why apart PM

from performances for ticket-buying audiences, we offer exclusive shows to business clients in venues of their choosing, like for example a ship.

This summer, Krakowski Teatr Komedia invites theatre lovers for the second time to a series of shows, called Mazuria Comedy Cruise, in the charming summertime atmosphere of the Mazuria Lake District. In July 2017, you will have an opportunity to see us in the Haffner Hotel in Sopot at the Seaside Comedy Festival. And since September we will again perform aboard the Stefan Batory boat in Kraków. Additionally, our potential clients are event companies. We are also open to product placement and other small forms.

Over the past decade, we have paid much attention to exploiting the creative potential of women and their role in the economy. Is it worthwhile at all to make this clear-cut distinction between the masculine and the feminine in managing an institution? What was your road to the place you are in now?

In my view, competence should be the most important criterion when appraising one’s suitability for a job. And this concerns both women and men. It is also true that women generally have it more difficult, especially when it comes to reconciling work and private life. I highly value working with women – they are creative, consistent and diligent. They do excellently in managerial posts. And as for my road to this theatre, I think it was interesting. Krakowski Teatr Komedia has operated for six years. Me and my husband have been professionally involved with it for two years. I am a graduate from the Faculty of Law at the Lazarski University and a PhD student at the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). We have known Jan Jakub Należyty for some time now. Our joint work began when he asked us for legal aid. Then, we came to the conclusion that perhaps we should support him organizationally. And so it stayed that way. At the theatre, my husband is responsible for strategic projects and relations with the business community. I am responsible for legal and financial matters. The fact that I have at all got involved with a theatre is PM

a confirmation that I am still open to new ideas.

I never say no in such moments What are the most important events you are planning for the coming theatre seasons?

Next year, we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining independence in 1918. It definitely was one of the most important developments in our history and now it should be an opportunity for us to be happy and to celebrate our community. We already have an idea for anniversary celebrations by our theatre. It is called “100 Years of Rejoicing in Independence.”

We plan a big project. We are going to produce five new plays, including “Pan Tadeusz” by Adam Mickiewicz and “Zemsta” (Revenge) by Aleksander Fredro, however in a contemporary setting. In 2018, we want to organize 100 theatrical shows with this repertoire in various places in Poland. We are now in the process of attracting partners ready to work with us on this pro• ject and become Patrons of Culture.

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Photo: Katarzyna Piwecka

MANY COLOURS

OF FEMININITY Journalist ANNA MATUSIAK, talks to Maciej Proliński.

You have worked in television and radio for a dozen or so years. When you look at the Polish media market, which is so divided today, do you think it explains the world to us or, to the contrary, manipulates us?

The media world has always had its own set of rules. The media market is so diverse these days – we have public media, private media and the Internet – that in fact everyone can draw their own conclusions after reaching all these diverse and widely available sources of information. I think the media of today do more to help us discover reality than to impose on us a single worldview.

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Polish Radio, where you work, is beyond doubt one of the most important Polish brands. We do not have many of them. And

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so it is worth mentioning the word “mission,” a word somewhat forgotten today. I mean, for example, a mission in the sphere of culture. In commercial media – I do not mean the magazine where our conversation will be published because “Polish Market” has for over 20 years regarded culture as Poland’s best showpiece - culture is usually merely “an addition to advertising.”

I have always deplored that. However, this is the way of the world – show business will always be more alluring than a premiere of even the best theatrical show. But this is what the mission is all about: to make quality win with quantity, to cherish the arts and high culture, even if it does not result in millions of clicks and hundreds of thousands of “likes”.

I remember my first moments in radio, the beginnings of my career. I was just beginning my Polish and theatre studies at Wrocław University, and culture was already very close to me. Asked by my older colleagues in which section I would like to work, I replied: “culture”. They smiled and commented: “Oh, kid, everyone would like to work in the culture section. Forget it.” There was an unfair stereotyped view that if you wanted to work in the culture section you did not really know yet what you wanted to do with yourself.

This is not true. Poland has an unimaginable asset which we should boast about in the world. This asset is our excellent artists in various spheres of art. Thanks to their exceptional talent, we are able to amaze the world. And the world reminds us about this asset on many occasions. I am very

NOW IS A TIME OF WOMEN. WOMEN DO FANTASTICALLY IN MANY COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AREAS – not only in

happy that I have an opportunity to work in the world of culture and art, and meet these remarkable personalities. Here, I am in my element. What is interesting, I paradoxically believe that show business, with which I also deal professionally, helps high culture. It is about contrast. I believe that, just for contrast, we will increasingly want something more.

At Radio dla Ciebie (RDC) station, you host a programme entitled “RDC Women’s Evening.” As the title suggests, it provides a “feminine perspective on important issues.”

What, in your view, is special about this feminine perspective?

Now is a time of women. Women do fantastically in many completely different areas – not only in culture. In the “RDC Women’s Evening” programme I talk to strong, determined, courageous and wise women who inspire others with their life.

The women always give me so much power that it takes a long time for me to get rid of these huge reserves of energy. We present the women to listeners and show them the diverse colours of femininity. This may be a young woman who has quit a lucrative job in a corporation to start travelling and making her most secret dreams come true far away from civilization. This may be a tough businesswoman who knows how to achieve success in business because she has got it in the neck herself on many occasions. And after some talk, this “shark” discovers a little girl in herself, which she has never lost and is not going to hide, because she already knows that both of them are behind the success.

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Can a man see himself in this programme?

I am glad that you have asked this question. I do not divide topics into feminine and masculine. I have tangible evidence that it is not worth making such artificial distinctions. The programme lasts from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The last hour is very often devoted to difficult psychological topics and we invite listeners to the discussions. Do you know who calls us most often? Men do, of course. We also eagerly invite men to our studio, for example as experts and vanquishers of the many stereotypes that divide us. Femininity in this programme is just a catchword.

We have a different gender, but our emotions, problems, reflections and dreams are similar.

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culture.

“new female” occupations has appeared in dynamically developing industries: the IT, telecom and chemical sectors. It is worth observing and describing them.

Do you consider yourself a person shaping a new image of women, for example in the Polish media world?

I am not sure… I would like to have the right to call myself such a person, but I think I feel more like a “student” in this new perception of femininity. A new and old one, because this perception has always been close to me. This is how I perceived my femininity when I started to mature and imagine myself in the future. I think I am quite a strong woman. But I am also sensitive, perhaps even oversensitive, which is not always easy, especially in our increasingly brutal world. But I do not complain because in my profession this oversensitivity gives me something – it enables me, for example, to reach people and open them to viewers and listeners.

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And what is your dream as a journalist? Is there a person you have dreamt of talking to?

I will not give you any name because I have always preferred real man over names. I sometimes wonder how it is possible that a person who has made history sits in front of me and no one knows him or her. It is a pity because these people are the ones from which we should learn how to live, the ones that we should be inspired by. I approach my profession with humility. I see my role as that of a servant. I serve as a link between the listener, topic and its heroes. I have a sense of duty to build a programme, interview and conversation in such a way so that the viewer or listener is able to get an insight into the topic and get to know the hero. It is not me who is the most important here. If at least one person has ever decided to change his or her life, influenced by a media meeting I have hosted, it means my professional life really makes great • sense.

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We have recently devoted quite a lot of attention to exploiting the creative potential of women and their role in economy and culture. You said you do not like artificial divisions.

Are there no typically male and typically female spheres?

Should we remove all these boundaries?

I fear any kind of extremes and stereotypes. An innovative boss - being a creator of pro-development attitudes and pragmatic visionary - can be a person who has the personality of a leader, knowledge and organizational skills. Statistically, it seems more men than women have these traits. To some extent, this may be a consequence of men’s historically shaped role and position in professional life. But today, there is no shortage of women doing excellently in typically male occupations. Women are present everywhere, even in the most complex and difficult technical areas – they design radars and manage important enterprises. The biggest number of PM

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Women are forever young!

STANISŁAWA MISSALA, owner of Quality Missala Perfumery, talks to “Polish Market”.

Quality Missala Perfumery was established in 1991. It was then when you signed contracts with such brands as Chanel, Dior, Guerlain, Lancôme... Weren’t you afraid to go for only select brands in the 1990s? Could Polish people at the time afford a little bit of luxury?

In those times all people simply yearned for luxury! After decades of ubiquitous dullness we longed for change, which select perfumes and cosmetics embodied. They brought optimism and faith that times will change, that the future will be better and more colourful. Knowing that I can contribute to this change filled me with enormous joy and pride in those days.

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Even nowadays the market for luxury perfumes remains small and similar to the one of luxury jewellery. Will we see any change in this trend?

In my opinion, luxury will never belong to the mainstream.

At its core lies limited accessibility and availability, otherwise it would stop being what it is – luxury. The brands which met those conditions in the 1990s currently have become widely available, while retaining their relatively high prices. In the West they are referred to as masstige.

The perfumes which we offer today in Quality Perfumery, with a range of products encompassing more than 80 luxury and niche brands, are created by true artists, who disregard trends and market plans, who are not interested in racing with their competitors. Their creations come from the heart, taking the form and shape of the artists’ visions. The creations closed in perfume bottles are original and artistic in the fullest sense of the word. These pieces are thought-out and perfect, unique, not to be found anywhere else.

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Since the beginning of Quality Perfumery’s activities you have provided skin care and make-up products. Was this your response to customer expectations?

Yes. I always wanted Quality Perfumery to become a fullfledged perfumery, offering not only fragrances, but also creams and make-up products. When my sons and their wives became involved in 2004 in the management of this family-run company, we decided to start selling truly luxurious and niche products.

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We started with perfumes, by inviting Amouage, Creed and M. Micallef to cooperate with skin care brands like Japanese Menard and Swiss Bellefontaine. The range of our products has been gradually increasing, and currently we can offer our customers more than 80 brands of fragrances, skin care and make-up products. We also sell excellent organic laundry products, luxurious toothpastes and gorgeous umbrellas.

You have been running Quality Missala Perfumery for years. Can you specify the preferences of Polish women?

Do they prefer floral scents or light, citrus ones?

According to market surveys, Polish women usually choose floral scents. However, when it comes to Quality Prfumery’s customers, this is not the case. They very much like strong and oriental fragrances. After all, luxurious perfumes, which are created mostly from natural essences and oils, unfold on the skin in a completely different way than those with predominantly synthetic ingredients. Natural perfumes are rich, multidimensional and very long-lasting. Some fragrances can remain noticeable for a few dozen hours, changing over time, evolving beautifully. This effect cannot be attained by popular synthetic perfumes, which often disappear from your skin after only one hour. The majority of customers of the Quality Perfumery are perfume enthusiasts aware of how good scents unfold on the skin. When choosing compositions, they look for long-lasting, evolving and multidimensional fragrances. At present, few people stay faithful to only one scent. We usually select perfumes depending on the occasion, mood or goal we want to attain. This allows us to pick and choose, and have some fun while doing so.

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How does woman’s age impact on the choice of perfumes?

Women are forever young! And on a more serious note, when it comes to our perfumes, it is not age that matters, but experience and a certain familiarity with perfumes. I often meet very young women, true perfume lovers, whose knowledge and intuition concerning fragrances are truly praiseworthy. It appears that over the last several decades a generation of perfume experts has emerged in Poland. They really know what they are looking for and display very mature, professional attitudes. As I am too a perfume enthusiast, this brings joy to my heart. I also hope that this allows me to contribute to the propagation of knowledge of perfumes. We organise fragrance workshops and invite perfume creators to Poland.

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The latest trends are...

Starting last year we have seen an increase in interest in aromatic fragrances. Such perfumes were created by the major luxury brands: Amouage (Bracken) and Clive Christian (Noble VII Rock Rose). This season we see many citrus and green fragrances, such as Eau de Memo by the French Memo and Champs de Provence Eight&Bob as well as innovatively powdery ones, Iris Fauve Atelier des Ors, Intense So Iris Montale and Thé Poudré by Jean-Charles Brosseau. Observing this phenomenon in respect of luxury fragrances is really fascinating, as they set the trends in the global perfume industry. This was the case with agarwood-resin-based scents, called oud. First it was Aoud by M. Micallef, then the Montale series, and since 2008 every self-respecting creator has wanted to try their hand at working with this ingredient. Only recently has it appeared in the products of widely available brands.

To conclude, I would like to boast of a true rarity. The Puredistance Dutch luxurious brand has created the Warszawa perfume, dedicated to Poland’s capital. In addition to the city itself, the “Warszawa” song by David Bowie and Tamara Łempicka’s PM

IT IS NOT AGE THAT MATTERS, BUT EXPERIENCE AND A CERTAIN FAMILIARITY

with perfumes.

paintings served as the inspiration. The composition was devised

by Antoine Lie, who is one of the best French perfumers. We also participated in this project, and are very proud of the result. This elegant and modern perfume will be available exclusively at Quality Perfumeries in Warsaw at Marriott Hotel and Klif Fashion • House by the end of the year. polish market

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NATALIA GOLD

UNIQUENESS, DILIGENCE, STABILITY JÓZEF CZERNIEJEWSKI, owner of Natalia Gold

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olish women increasingly choose luxury jewellery designed and made in Poland. Foreign clients have also noticed that the quality of Polish products not only is not inferior to foreign products, but is even higher in many cases.

An excellent example in this category is Natalia Gold, one of the prize-winning Polish firms in the jewellery sector. Over nearly four decades of its activity Natalia Gold has received more than 130 awards for artistic and business achievements. The firm offers its clients a wide selection of ornaments made of gold, silver and platinum, which combine interesting design and perfect workmanship.

First of all, these are original and unique pieces, designed in short series. But the owner does not neglect less affluent clients.

The jewellery may be worn at business meetings, an important celebration, or simply an ordinary party with friends on any occasion.

While admiring this beautiful jewellery it is worth remembering that its name also denotes a stable firm managed for almost 40 years by Józef Czerniejewski, a master craftsman and artist creating not only designs but also values because this jewellery is more than a noble product.

A woman able to make wise fashion choices will certainly visit one day a Natalia Gold store and the firm’s website (www.nataliagold.pl) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/bizuteriaNataliaGold.

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RAJ VILLA

ELEGANT AND ROMANTIC PLACE IN THE VERY HEART OF NAŁĘCZÓW HALINA ZUBRZYCKA, MD, owner of the Wellness Centre Raj Villa and Villa Aurelia Hotel & Spa

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hat one can say about Nałęczów is that it is one of Poland’s most picturesque garden cities, located between the city of Lublin and Kazimierz Dolny on the Vistula river. Surrounded by two rivers, Bystra and Bochotniczanka, the spa town is famous for its unique microclimate, Spa Park, palace island and nice 18th and 19th- century architecture. Nałęczów – beautiful, quiet and atmospheric, an ideal place where one can recuperate after months of stressful life - welcomes families and individuals looking for a relaxing and calm spot. Twenty five years ago, a beauty and spa centre was set up in Raj Villa on Lipowa Street, an elegant and romantic place in the very heart of Nałęczów. People relaxing there have an opportunity to use a wide range of manual massages, cosmetic treatments, both traditional ones and those relying on state-of-the-art devices, and the full range of aesthetic medicine therapies complemented by laser treatment. By merging the centre with the adjacent three-star Hotel & Spa Villa Aurelia, we have managed to create an excellent place for both treatment and great relaxation. The excellently equipped spa zone, with a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, fitness room and body-building gym, provides an ideal place for relaxation, a place where one can recuperate after months of stressful work and big-city life. We have created this unique place thinking of people who want more from their lives than others, want to take care of themselves and feel great at • any age.

Phone: 508-250-242, 81 501-41-46, www.villaaurelia.pl polish market

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KLICZKÓW Castle

KLICZKÓW CASTLE, located in Lower Silesia, 120 km from Wrocław, at the junction of two motorways near Bolesławiec, and in the Lower Silesian Forest, is one of the largest conference and recreation centres in Poland, situated in a historic residential complex whose origins date back to the 12th century.

Combining the VITAL BUSINESS functions of the Castle with the careful and diligent preservation of its historical values and enduring traditions constitutes a major challenge.

The ever-growing awareness of the crucial human values, such as family life, tradition, healthy food and a healthy lifestyle, have brought a sea of opportunities to Kliczków Castle, connected with creating ATTRACTIVE HIGH-QUALITY RESOURCES for a large number of customers from diverse regions, including both individual and corporate guests.

We have recently launched a beauty treatment line in the CASTLE SPA to meet the expectations of our clients. It is entirely based on an innovative and natural range of products by Illua, dedicated to Kliczków Castle.

THE NOVEL COLLECTION OF COSMETICS PRODUCTS

MAGDALENA PIASECKA-LUDWIN, an art historian, has for several years been involved in the process of transforming the historic Kliczków Castle into an accommodation, conference and recreation facility, with the option of launching new products in order to meet the increasingly growing expectations of the services market.

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features carefully selected active ingredients, combined with essential oils and plant extracts, which make their composition truly unique and inimitable.

The currently PREVAILING TREND towards nature and a healthy lifestyle is consistent with the objectives we have set, promoted and shared with our guests from the beginning of our activities, focusing on a natural and clean environment. Kliczków is situated within the Natura 2000 area, close to the clean Kwisa River, surrounded by an impressive forest complex with a huge moorland, picturesque lakes,

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BUSINESSWOMAN and waterholes hidden among trees and meadows, and the habitats of rare species of birds and many other animals.

We are continually using this wonderful gift by establishing, jointly with local institutions, foundations and other organisations, a unique tourist infrastructure, based on a network of thematic routes, including pedestrian, cycling, horse-riding, water, culinary, historic and nature-exploring routes.

Such a potential can hardly be overestimated, and can be further developed to diversify the portfolio of services we offer to all tourists and guests who are keen to spend their time with us in an active and interesting way.

The support for LOCAL ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT and the acquisition of funds for this purpose have provided an incentive for us, as Kliczków Castle, to actively engage in the establishing of regional organisations: the Lower Silesian Forest Foundation (Polish: Fundacja Bory Dolnośląskie) and the Lower Silesian Forest Association (Stowarzyszenie Bory Dolnośląskie), jointly with local-government bodies and non-governmental organisations in the Lower Silesia and Lubuskie provinces. For over 10 years of our active involvement in these organisations, we have derived much satisfaction and pride from their achievements.

THE FOUNDATION AND ASSOCIATION have jointly succeeded

in obtaining over PLN20 million for the benefit of local communities and undertakings aimed at tourist development and local attractions, coupled with the establishing and development of small family-owned businesses throughout the entire area of the Lower Silesian Forest.

from the very beginning. The reason is simple ‒ the Castle has preserved its 19th century design with virtually no changes, which makes it look as if time stopped here a long time ago. The Castle interior features a wide array of unmodified and original decorations representing various historic styles and periods, starting with mediaeval times, through to the 19th century. This is why the Castle is the seat of the contemporary Syrokomla Brotherhood of Knights, and the local guides wearing historic dresses impress the Castle guests and tourists with stories relating the long and diversified history of this unique place, also during specially arranged and night-time sightseeing tours.

The Kliczków Castle BUSINESS VENTURE, a limited liability company, its structure, organisation, finances, administration, budget and staff, is only one part of the entire initiative.

The second part comprises the never-ending search, creativeness and discourse with the market for tourist, CONFERENCE AND RECREATION SERVICES, continually expecting new products, and also with the history which lies within the Castle walls.

There are no well-developed solutions which can be taken for granted, but there is a constant need to create new solutions and use the impressive ideas put forward by our guests, specialists and ourselves as part of “new product” creations. And this is what is beautiful.

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The funds acquired have also served the purpose of cultivating LOCAL TRADITIONS, including the diverse and most cherished culinary traditions of the various ethnic groups active in this area. This has given rise to the creation of a culinary route and the “Ale Pasztet!” culinary festival, which is held annually in Kliczków Castle.

The funds have been also used to DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT TOURIST ROUTES which now cover a large part of the Lower Silesian Forest. These comprise over 700 km of horse-riding routes, which is creating a huge development potential for this form of tourism.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOURIST-ROUTE NETWORK and the need to embrace family and group visitors, including young people, provided an inspiration for us a few years ago to reconstruct the historic Manor complex situated next to the Castle and to transform it into an additional accommodation and catering base. The facility now offers traditional rural dishes, both local and all-Polish, made from locally grown products, including vegetables and herbs from our own garden. The Manor, just like the Castle, is a wonderful place for all those who seek to explore the local routes and practise horse-riding, with the stable and horses available on the premises.

THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GO HORSE-RIDING have been

invariably connected with Kliczków Castle, starting with major events, such as the Equestrian Gala, to family events, including the Knights Picnic and the Wołodyjowski Weekend. These regular events, which are held annually, have diversified the Castle portfolio, providing the public with a great chance to explore history, not only as spectators, but also as active participants, owing to the skilful recreation of the historic reality by a number of historical re-enactment groups.

The magic of Kliczków Castle, along with the surrounding complex of the MANOR BUILDINGS, THE HISTORIC LANDSCAPE park and the neighbouring village, has been considered an undoubted asset polish market

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PERFECTION IN EVERY INCH

JOANNA WIKTORIA GRABOWSKA and AGNIESZKA CHARUBA, owners of Godai Studio, talks to Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś.

Photos: Agnieszka Charuba

When was Godai Studio set up?

JG: Godai Studio is the result of an extraordinary female cooperation. The idea for that female model was born almost six years ago, when we felt a strong need to create together and we dreamt of a layout studio.

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So the business that you have is simply a fulfillment of your dreams, right?

ACh: Yes, it is true. We decided to unite our passions, strengths and individual experiences. Each of us brought something else, each of us “smuggled” part of herself, her female and male nature. We gave ourselves to our works, using a degree in architecture, musicology, photographic school, graphic courses, in brief a multimedia creative workshop. Since then, we have successfully been working on layouts of letters, albums and books; carrying PM

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out corporate visual identity projects; producing promotional printed and online materials.

Godai Studio - why such a name?

JG: The name of Godai Studio refers to the East Asian traditions that are close to us and is a combination of all five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Energy. This means a perfect harmony.

This harmony is reflected in the art we create.

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You said that you carry out visual identity projects ...

ACh: We know from experience the importance of a unique, consistent image, and graphic form used to express what is meant to be identified with it. We are working out a message between the client and consumers. This can be a logo, but also an extensive business portrait or the entire advertising campaign. We PM

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BUSINESSWOMAN start off with market studies, we sound out the competition and eventually seek to determine UNIQUENESS. With our minds wide open, we design, experiment with forms and colours, looking for inspiration in that very moment of life.

I noticed that your portfolio also includes DTP. It is a kind of art, isn’t it?

JG: In the language of graphic designers, DTP stands for desktop publishing, which in practice means making a layout. The most important is maximum precision. We are working on text parts, but we are attentive to empty spaces, too. We strive to achieve a harmony and a perfect composition. Typography should be given due respect. We can compromise with an “orphan”, but never with a “widow”.

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Sounds intriguing. What does it mean?

ACh: “Orphans” and “widows” are common denominations of typographic errors. The difference is that a “widow” is the last line of a text separated from the rest of the paragraph and stranded at the top of the next page, and an “orphan” is the first line of a text that gets cut off dangling at the bottom of a page.

We are committed to represent top quality in terms of aesthetics, meet all the necessary standards, including for the printing purpose, because it is what determines in the first place whether the work was well done.

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www.godai.pl

WE ARE INSPIRED

BY IMAGE. EACH OF ITS FORMS. WE CREATE IT, AND WE love THIS MOMENT. What is your inspiration?

JG: Everything. We are inspired by image. Each of its forms.

We create it, and we love this moment.

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There is power in women...

JG: Of course. We run Godai Studio in the spirit of partnership and mutual respect. We have the same approach in relation to our customers. It is essential about our work that we fully complement each other at every stage of the creative process. After a couple of years of business experience, we can realise the importance of communication between people. We meet various women who have a passion and a need to develop, but they often lack the courage and confidence to fulfill themselves professionally. Many times, we talked about the “female energy” that cannot be replaced. We are happy to share our knowledge and skills with other women, to motivate them when necessary, and we are always pleased if they are successful. We believe there is an enormous power in women, and together we can only unleash it... • PM

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THE GLASS ceiling has been SHATTERED The Forum of Women in Infrastructure and Transport was held at the Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer Management (CZIiTT) Warsaw University of Technology on May 24. The organizers – Tor Konferencje – had invited to the meeting women active in various segments of the infrastructure sector to offer them an opportunity to present their professional experience, and to speak about changes in attitudes towards women and challenges they still face.

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he panel discussion which opened the conference was about female leaders in the infrastructure sector.

Taking part in the discussion were Monika Borzdyńska, director for communication and promotion and spokesperson for PGE Narodowy, Alina Giedryś, adviser to the Łódzkie Province Marshal, Anna TryfonBojarska, director for Innovation and Technology at Skanska SA, and Dominika Żelazek, member of the Board and financial director at Arriva.

The first and main conclusion of the discussion was that women do very well as managers because they have great ability to manage time, and assign tasks and responsibilities. The role of the mother is very helpful in this respect.

Monika Borzdyńska, who combines her duties as director for communication and promotion and spokesperson for PGE Narodowy with the role of a mother of two daughters, said: “For me taking up this job was jumping into the deep end. It meant combining the management of a large facility with bringing up five-year-old daughters. I think that combining the traits that I have with the role of the mother enabled me to achieve the work organization and orderliness which contributed to successes in my professional and private life, and to how I work today with my team.” Borzdyńska also pointed to yet another aspect, very interesting in that

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discussion: “It is women themselves who create stereotyped views about women and opinions that perhaps they are not fit for managerial positions.”

Another interesting conclusion of the discussion was that the “glass ceiling” problem, which had been talked about for years, is already virtually non-existent today. Many women have already demonstrated that one can overcome this barrier. It is women who now tend to impose constraints on themselves. The panellists said they had witnessed situations where women did not apply for some posts because they thought their qualifications were not good enough. At the same time, men whose qualifications were even lower in many cases, did apply for the jobs. The same is the case with negotiating salaries. Women still tend to be much more cautious in these negotiations. As a result, they often contribute to the stereotyped view that women earn less in similar posts.

Anna Tryfon-Bojarska, director for Innovation and Technology at Skanska SA, raised a very important issue: being a woman in a managerial position should no longer be perceived as something exceptional. Women should become aware of their strengths and situations where they often manage better than men. “We have to act in harmony with ourselves and our femininity. We have many natural traits which will allow us to achieve success.

One of them is the innate ability to empathize.

This trait enables us to build and manage winning teams. We not only can listen to our employees, but we also give them space for discussion. We do not act in an authoritarian manner and are not guided by our own ego,” said Anna Tryfon-Bojarska.

It follows from her observations that the construction projects where women are the managers are completed on time and without any quality issues.

The employees do not work overtime because work is done more efficiently. Alina Giedryś, adviser to the Łódzkie Province Marshal, said it was important to maintain a healthy balance between men and women in a workplace because such a balance enables building well-functioning complementary teams. “What I have always considered to be a very good trait of female managers is respect for people and the ability to pick out talents – young people able to do much greater things than the responsibilities they have been assigned. In my teams people did not move up the career ladder step by step. They were promoted instantly whenever I noticed suitable predispositions in them.”

The conclusions from the discussion are very positive. Women who aspire to managerial posts should become aware of their innate traits helpful in managing teams. It is also important for women not to be afraid to value their work as highly - or even higher if they have better qualifications - as men.

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ANNA MATUSIAK

„Kobiecy Wieczór” piątek godz. 20.00 101 FM