Panel Discussion

“Poland – a tale of two dynamics – developed versus emerging market. Pros & Cons.”

Poland is the first and only country from the post-communist block to be classified as Developed market.

The reclassification represents the undisputable progress of the Polish economy and capital market. The promotion of Poland to Developed market status is significant achievement and the first promotion of a country from Advanced Emerging to Developed market status to occur within the Country Classification scheme for nearly a decade.

Significant growth of the Polish GDP over the past year is caused by growing private sector investment, a decline in public debt and a combination of record low unemployment and high consumer confidence.

Poland’s strong and effectively managed economy has made it a target for investors.

Panel discussion will help to understand all the challenges in front of Poland seen by CEOs of Polish top companies representing various sectors – banking, insurance, IT etc.

Jade Barker

Moderator, TV Anchor Reuters

Reuters broadcast journalist across four continents in a variety of roles. Covering Global Markets including, Asia, Europe, and the US. Has worked as an anchor, reporter, producer, planner and news editor. Specialties: International affairs, France and French politics, Australia, Asia-Pacific.

Michał Sołowow

Owner (Barlinek, Synthos, Cersanit, Homla)

Born in 1962 in Kielce. There he attended primary school, high school and graduated from Kielce University of Technology - MSc in Mechanics. During last 30 years has created and developed from scratch various companies, finalised several dozen M&A transactions, both domestic and foreign. Has been active in various industries: real estate, construction, industrial production, media, chemistry, services, e-commerce, retail and new technologies. Has achieved his position through continuous building the value of his companies without any financial support from external capital or the state. Companies controlled by Michał Sołowow have more than 16.000 employees. It gives sustenance to more than 50.000 people. Since 2011 he has been the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Romania in Poland. In 2014 won the title „The Entrepreneur of 25 years in Poland”. Actively supports and develops Polish science and technological progress of Polish companies.

For many years Michał Sołowow successfully competed in professional car rallies, including most prestigious and challenging WRC and ERC. Built from scratch a professional rally team – Synthos Cersanit Rally Team. Won numerous trophies, e.g. he was: Champion of Poland in S-2000 category (2007), Vice-Champion of Poland (2006, 2010), Vice-Champion of Europe (2008,2009, 2012). After termination of his sport career, together with daughter, has established a foundation „Fabryki Marzeń” (Manufactories of Dreams), which provides scholarships and supports talented children in pursuing their dreams. In cooperation with companies like Cersanit, Barlinek and Komfort, the foundation renovates houses of families in need.

Michał Krupiński

CEO, Pekao

Michał Krupiński, currently serves as the CEO of Bank Pekao, 2nd largest universal bank and a leading corporate and investment bank in Poland. Prior to joining the Bank, Mr. Krupiński held number of senior managerial roles in leading financial institutions. Most recently, as CEO of PZU Group, region’s largest financial group, he repositioned the firm for growth and strengthened its presence in banking. Previously, since 2011, Mr. Krupiński was Head of Global Banking and Markets for Central and Eastern Europe at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, responsible for M&A projects, financings and capital advisory.

Mr. Krupiński has also a broad-based public sector experience. Between 2008-2011 he was Alternate Executive Director at Board of Directors of the World Bank Group in Washington. Prior to this, he served as Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Treasury.

Mr. Krupiński graduated from Warsaw School of Economics, KU Leuven and has MBA degree from Columbia University. In 2012 he was named Young Global Leader by World Economic Forum.

Roksana Ciurysek-Gedir

Vice President, Pekao SA

Roksana Ciurysek-Gedir serves as a Vice President of the Management Board of Bank Pekao S.A., second largest universal bank and a leading corporate and investment bank in Poland. She is responsible for Private Banking and International Expansion.

She has over 17 years of professional experience at leading financial institutions in London including Credit Suisse, Edmond de Rothschild, Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan and EBRD.

She holds Master’s Degree in Management and Economics from Technical University of Gdansk, Poland and completed executive courses at Stanford, Harvard and Singularity University. She is also a CFA charterholder and a member of UK Society of Investment Professionals and Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).

In 2014 she was nominated a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She is a co-founder of the Polish City Club in London, an organization under the patronage of the Polish Embassy in UK.

Jarosław Królewski

CEO, Synerise

Jarosław Królewski is the president of the board/CEO and founder of Synerise S.A., one of the fastest growing technology companies in the world in the field of artificial intelligence and big data. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious national and international competitions and awards, including inter alia: Microsoft Partner of the Year 2017-2018, title of one of the 30 most promising technology entrepreneurs in the world according to Ernst and Young, winner of the New Europe plebiscite for the most innovative companies in Europe, organized by Google, Res Publica and the Financial Times.

Since 2010 he is a lecturer and researcher at the AGH University of Science and Technology (two faculties) in Krakow, where he co-founded award-winning courses of his own authorship, including; Social Informatics, E-Economy (the most innovative course of study in Poland in 2012 according to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education) and Digital Marketing. He is an ambassador of the AGH brand and a mentor in the Polish Development Fund network. He graduated from two fields of study (computer science and sociology), and is currently working on an interdisciplinary PhD. He has been a participant of many conferences and a guest lecturer at Polish and foreign universities. He is also the author of publications, including bestsellers, published as part of the PWN Scientific Publishers.

Event Schedule

Moderator and Speakers

Paweł Surówka

As CEO of PZU SA, Poland’s biggest insurance company with operations in five countries, he heads Central Eastern Europe’s biggest financial group. He is also Chairman of Pekao SA, Poland’s second biggest bank. Under his leadership, PZU has engaged in an ambitious new digital strategy which aims to transform one of Poland’s oldest and most established companies.

Before joining PZU in 2016, he was head of corporate and investment banking in Germany of PKO Bank Polski, Poland’s biggest bank, in which capacity he set up PKO’s Frankfurt branch, the first polish corporate bank outside of Poland. He started his career with Merrill Lynch Bank of America in Paris where he was responsible for the biggest private and institutional clients from CEE. Though most of his career is linked to financial services, he spent two years in the automotive industry, following the call of his former client, the Boryszew Group, one of Poland’s biggest stock-listed industrial groups, to run the restructuring of its German automotive division as Member the Management Board.

He is a CFA Charterholder, holds a Master in advanced studies of Ecole des Hautes Etudes Sociales (Paris), a Master of the Sorbonne Pantheon Paris I University, as well as BA in Philosophy of Hochschule fur Philosophie in Munich.

Having lived, studied and worked in Poland, Germany and France he is fluent in four languages.

He has been named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. In 2019 Harvard Business Review ranked him one of the most effective managers of stock listed companies in Poland.

Enrique Rueda-Sabater is a senior advisor in BCG’s Washington, DC. He works with the firm’s Public Sector, Global Advantage and Strategy practices. He had a long career at the World Bank, where his role was as director of corporate strategy. He also served as director of strategy for emerging markets at Cisco and has been visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development.

Christian Ketels is a chief economist of The Boston Consulting Group and leads the Center for Macroeconomics at the BCG Henderson Institute. Christian has been a member of the Harvard Business School for 17 years where he led the research team at Michael Porter’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness. His research themes include the impact of structural changes in the global economy and business, the role of location for business success, the future of public-private collaboration and growth strategies for locations.

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