CONTEST CATEGORIES
An entity that stands out due to its innovation in the offered financial products and services intended for individual or business clients.
An entity that stands out for its high level of innovation and the use of the latest technologies to increase efficiency and minimise the environmental impact of construction projects.
An entity distinguished by innovation in the process of electricity generation, storage, distribution or sale.
An entity that stands out due to its commitment to research and development, developing and implementing innovative pharmaceutical products on the market.
An entity that effectively implements high-quality innovative technologies that can be utilized in wide variety of industries.
An entity which undertakes intensive activities that contribute significantly to achieving climate neutrality through modern and efficient decarbonisation solutions.
The entity that has developed a new or improved product that differs significantly from the manufacturer’s existing products, as well as from solutions of similar specificity available on the market.
An entity distinguished by its professional, technical and financial support for emerging and growing start-ups and assisting in the commercialisation of innovative products and services.
An entity characterised by a high level of innovation, which focuses on the creation and market launch of innovative products and services and uses the latest technological advances to increase its own efficiency.
A person distinguished by outstanding achievements in building an innovative organization and creating conditions for the implementation of innovative ideas.
A person exceptionally committed to charity and working for the benefit of future generations, utilising innovative solutions not only in the business area, but also constantly looking for new ways to help and support those in need.
FINALISTS
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: FINANCES
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: CONSTRUCTION
Winner: Distinction:
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: ENERGETICS
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: PHARMACY
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: TECHNOLOGY
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: DECARBONISATION
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: PRODUCT
START-UP PATRON OF THE YEAR
Winner:
INNOVATIVE COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Winners:
CEO of the Year:
Bussines Charity Award:
Winner: Distinction:
INNOVATION DIAMONDS Jury
Prof. Michał Kleiber, PhD, DSc
Chairman of the Enterprise, Management and Innovation Council, Vice-president of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, President of the European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS)
He was the Academy’s President in the years 2007-2010, re-elected for the term 2011-2014. Between 1995 and 2002, Professor Kleiber was the director of the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, where since 1986 he has been chairman of the Department of Computational Science and Engineering. In the years 1998-2002 he was member of the Academy’s Presidium and between 1997-2001 he chaired the Board for Directors of the Academy’s research institutes.Prof. Michał Kleiber pursues research in theoretical and applied mechanics as well as information science and applied math. The main subject of his research are applications of state-of-the-art computational techniques in different areas of scientific research, technology and medicine – particularly for modeling, analyzing, simulating and visualizing of complex non-linear thermo- mechanics phenomena. In recent years, he has been actively involved in research and promotion of national innovation policies. Professor Kleiber is an author or co-author of over 240 scientific works and 7 books published by internationally renowned publishing houses. He is a member of editorial boards of 17 leading international scientific journals and the editor-in-chief of the prestigious Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering (Springer). He has also been active in popularizing science by, among others, being a scientific board member for the popular-science journal Wiedza i Życie (Science and Life). Prof. Kleiber is a winner of many awards, including the most prestigious Polish scientific award conferred by the Foundation for Polish Science and the medal granted by the Kingdom of Belgium for innovation achievements. He has been awarded the title of doctor honoris causa by the universities in Lublin, Kraków, Warsaw, Darmstadt (Germany), Mons (Belgium) and The Polish University Abroad, London, U.K. He also holds the ingenieur honoris causa title from the Ecole National d’Ingenieurs in Metz (France). He is a foreign member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in Salzburg and member of the Academia Europaea in London. He is a full member of the Warsaw Learned Society.Prof. Kleiber lectured and did research during long-term stays at a number of renowned universities world-wide: in Stuttgart, Hannover, Darmstadt and Bochum in Germany; Berkeley, CA and Stoors, CN, USA; Tokyo, Japan; Hong Kong, among others.In the years 1998-2001 Michał Kleiber represented Poland in the EU Joint Research Centre as a member of the Board of Governors and in the “Sustainable Growth” Steering Committee in the 5th Framework Programme. Between 2001 and 2005, he headed the Ministry of Science and Information Technology in the Polish government. From 2002 to 2005, Prof. Kleiber was also the chairman of the Governmental Committee for Offset Contracts. In 2005, he was elected member of the European Research Council (Brussels) and chairman of the European Materials Forum (Strasbourg). In the years 2008 – 2010 he was member of the Governing Council Steering Committee of the European Science Foundation in Strasbourg. He also served as the pro bono science and technology advisor to the President of the Republic of Poland (2006 – 2010).
Rafał Bednarek
Vice President of the Board, BIK
Since 2012, he has been the Vice-President of the Management Board of BIK and he has been supervising the Banking and Retail Business Division. He is responsible for business development with banks, leasing and factoring companies as well as for business in the area of individual clients. He is also a member of the Supervisory Board of the BIG InfoMonitor. From the beginning of his professional career, he was associated with banking (Wielkopolski Bank Kredytowy, Bank Zachodni WBK), initially working in the area of investment banking and then in the areas of retail business and credit risk management. He held, among others, the following functions: director of the Capital Department, director of the Mortgage Banking Center and director of the Credit Development and Support Department. He is a graduate of the Poznań University of Technology and postgraduate and doctoral studies at the Poznań University of Economics in the field of economics and capital markets, as well as postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Law of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań in the field of foreign and international service.
Tadeusz Białek, PhD
President of PBA
Doctor of legal sciences, legal counsel, graduate of law at the University of Warsaw and Doctoral Studies at the Institute of Legal Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences He is associated with the banking sector since 2003. From 2010 to 2020 he served as Director of the Legal and Legislative Team of the Polish Bank Association. Vice President of the Polish Bank Association since 2020. Chairman of the Steering Committee of the National Working Group on Reference Indicator Reform. Chairman of the Committee on Cyber Security of Banks. He has held numerous positions representing the banking sector at the national and European level, also within the European Banking Federation. He has participated in legislative work on numerous pieces of legislation in financial market regulations. Arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration at the Financial Supervisory Council.
Piotr Frankowski
Managing Director,
Ayming Polska
Michał Janik
Site Senior Director,
AstraZeneca Pharma Poland
Agnieszka Jankowska, PhD
Chairperson of the Council for Digitization
Corporate & Public Affairs Director,
T-Mobile Polska
Agnieszka Jankowska is responsible for T-Mobile Polska's relations with the public sector in the area of electronic communication and digital policy. Since 2020, she has been a member of the board of directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, and since June 2022, she has served as a board member of the Digital Poland Foundation. From 2010 to 2022, she served as the Director for the Public Sector at General Electric in Central Europe, overseeing the aviation, energy, healthcare, and financial sectors, as well as a board member of GE Poland Sp. z o.o. and a member of the supervisory boards of Bank BPH and GE Company Polska – Engineering Design Center. From 2005 to 2010, she worked as the press spokesperson for the Minister of Development and the Director of the Department of Operational Program Management for Competitiveness and Innovation at the Ministry of Development. Her professional career began in 1999 at the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, where she was involved in the structural preparation of the Agency for implementing programs financed by EU funds under the Cohesion Policy. Since June 2023, she has been serving in a social role as a member of the Council for Digitization under the Minister of Digital Affairs, and since January 2024, she has been the chairperson of the Council. Agnieszka Jankowska is a graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics, where she earned a Ph.D. in Economics, and the National School of Public Administration.
Dariusz Jasak
President of the Management Board,
SEEN Technologie
Graduated from Technical Physics and Applied Mathematics Faculty at Łódź Technical University. Post graduate studies on Medical Images Processing at University College Hospital in London. In 1991 employed by Siemens Sp. z o.o. as a Head of Sales in Medical Department and finally Head of Industrial Solutions & Services Department. Responsible for “turn-key” applications of Siemens solutions for industry. In 2009 offered a position of CEO at Veolia Water Technologies Sp. z o.o., a Polish subsidiary of the French Veolia Environment. In 2019 took a position of CEO at SEEN Technologie Sp. z o.o. the leading company on a water treatment market in Poland.
Prof. Waldemar Kamrat, PhD, DEng
Director of the Nuclear Energy Center, Professor at the Department of Electrical Power Engineering Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Control, Gdańsk University of Technology
Waldemar Kamrat – full professor, Vice-Rector for Education and Development of the Gdańsk University of Technology (term: 2008–2012). Currently, Director of the Nuclear Energy Center of the Gdańsk University of Technology and professor at the Department of Electrical Power Engineering /Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Control, Gdańsk University of Technology. A graduate of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Gdańsk University of Technology (1977) and the Faculty of Production Economics of the University of Gdańsk (1982). General Director of Mining, 3rd degree. He also completed specialized studies in the field of energy policy and efficiency in the USA, obtaining in 1996 a Certificate of the Institute for Young Investigators in Energy Efficiency - Berkeley/Washington DC. His scientific passion is the development of energy and its possibilities to stimulate the development of the economy. Specialist in comprehensive energy, combining three concepts - electricity, heating and gas. He has been associated with the Gdańsk University of Technology for over 40 years, but at the same time he worked in industry for many years in managerial positions, building energy facilities (in Poland and abroad). He held a number of top management positions in the industry, especially in the energy industry (in the management and supervisory boards of large energy companies. Author of 4 monographs and approximately 250 publications and scientific studies in the field of power engineering and energy management.
Prof. Grzegorz Mazurek, PhD, DSc
Rector of Koźmiński University
Titular professor specializing in strategies for digital transformation of organizations, e-commerce and e-marketing. He is particularly interested in the changes that digitalization processes bring about in the higher education sector. He is also the Director of the Digital Transformation Research Centre – CYBERMAN, a member of EFMD Advisory Board for the Central and Eastern Europe region and a member of the Board of the Forum Management Education Association. Since 2020 he has served as President of the International Advisory Board of the French university ISC Paris. In 2016-18 he was a member of the Council for Digitalization at the Minister of Digitalization. His achievements include several dozen English and Polish chapters, scientific articles, books published in the most important journals and publications on management science in Poland and worldwide, including Cambridge University Press, Emerald Publishing, Routledge, European Management Journal, Business Horizons, he is the author of the book “Digital Transformation”. (PWN, 2019) and editor and co-author of the handbook “E-marketing – planning, tools and practice”. (Poltext, 2018), awarded by the Polish Academy of Sciences. From 2012 to 2020, he held the position of Vice Rector for Foreign Cooperation at Kozminski University, responsible for the overall strategy of internationalisation and marketing of the university. He is also the coordinator of the Koźmiński MBA Digital program and post-graduate studies related to digital economy: Internet Marketing, E-commerce, Business Digital Transformation and Manager in Industry 4.0. He was a visiting professor in such centers as, among others, the University of Warsaw: ESCP Europe, SKEMA Business School and École de Management de Normandie (France), ISCTE (Portugal), Nottingham Trent University (UK), Soongsil University (South Korea), Universidad del Pacifico (Peru), Univeristy of Reykjavik (Iceland). Repeatedly awarded for his publication and scientific achievements. In 2015 he was awarded the LUMEN statuette for university management leaders. In 2017 he was awarded the Eduinspirator (FRSE) statuette for those who are active in the field of education, contributing to positive changes in the environment. In 2020 he was awarded the Star of Internationalisation Award in the research category by the “Perspektywy” Foundation. During his term of office, Kozminski University has been repeatedly recognized as the most internationalized university in Poland. Grzegorz Mazurek closely cooperates with the electronic economy environment, including the Chamber of Electronic Economy, Digital Poland Foundation and Interactive Advertising Bureau. He has carried out projects for such brands as: Nokia, Nikon, Polpharma, Egmont, PZU, Michelin, IKEA, Mars Corp., Vivus.
Wojciech Murawski
Member of the Board,
Autopay
Piotr Paszczyk
President of the Board,
APN Promise
Piotr Paszczyk is the President of APN Promise, one of the top Poland IT companies. In 1994 Piotr graduated from the University of Warsaw with a degree in Mathematics, specializing in insurance economics. In 1996 he graduated from the Warsaw School of Actuaries. APN Promise was founded in 1992 by Piotr Paszczyk together with his brother, Stanislaw. At that time, it was one of the first software houses in Poland. By 2009 APN Promise became one of leading IT companies in Poland, with 130 full time employees and has certified as Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and Distributor. Now the APN Promise Group consist of 11 Companies e.g. APN Promise, Sevent., RET-ALL, Alterkom or Supremo with total more than 360 people.
Artur Pollak, PhD, DEng
President of the Management Board, APA Group
Graduated of Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science, on Silesian University of Technology, Institute of Electronics, specialization: computer control systems. For 14 years he has gained experience in implementations and planning controlling systems, for such clients as VW, GM, Daimler and Siemens. He worked as technical consultant during construction of VW factory in Poznań. He was responsible for standardizations and optimization of the manufacturing process in the factory. Currently he is CEO in APA Sp. z o.o. and APA Innovative Sp. z o.o. He is also a member of Program Board of Electric Department on Silesian Technical University.
Aleksandra Przegalińska-Skierkowska, PhD, DSc
Professor,
Koźminski University
Habilitated doctor in the field of management sciences. PhD in the philosophy of artificial intelligence at the Institute of Philosophy of the University of Warsaw. Currently, he is the Vice-Rector for International Cooperation and ESR at the Kozminski University. From 2016, she conducted research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston. A graduate of The New School for Social Research in New York, where she participated in research on identity in virtual reality, with particular emphasis on Second Life. Currently a Research Fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research. In 2021, it will start working with the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard. He is interested in the development of artificial intelligence, natural language processing, machine learning, social robots and wearable technologies.
Beata Radomska
CEO of Executive Club
Graduate of the Catholic University of Lublin and the University of Insurance and Banking. MBA graduate. Possesses over ten years of experience as a manager. Worked at such financial institutions as: Allfinanz, an Austrian brokerage firm, and Skarbiec Asset Management Holding.For several years she has been associated with the personnel consulting industry, especially as a Managing Partner at Cigno Consulting, where she operates in the areas of selection, recruitment, and personnel consulting. Initiator and President of Executive Club, the most elite organization bringing together members of top management. Responsible for the strategy of the club, which integrates business elites and serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas and inspiration for managers of the highest level.
Dorota Rzążewska
Managing Partner, National and European Patent Attorney,
JWP Rzecznicy Patentowi
Prof. Jan Szmidt, PhD, DEng
Rector at Warsaw University of Technology (2012-2020), Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology, Warsaw University of Technology
Professor Jan Szmidt, Ph.D., D.Sc., President of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP) for the current term (2016 – 2020), Rector of the Warsaw University of Technology (2012–2016, 2016–2020), is a graduate of the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology, Warsaw University of Technology (1976), an electronics specialist and Professor of Technical Sciences. In years 2002 – 2005 and 2008 – 2012, Professor held the respective positions of Vice Dean and Dean of the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology. He earned a doctorate at the University in 1985, and in 1995, in reward for his academic achievement and in recognition of a paper titled ”Plasma-generated DLC coatings for applications in microelectronics”, obtained postdoctoral qualification and the title of Doctor Habilitatus. He was conferred the title of Professor of Technical Sciences in 2005. He contributed to a variety of research programmes and did internships at the Institute of Electron Technology, Semiconductor Research and Manufacturing Centre CEMI in Warsaw and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA. His scholarly output includes authorship and co-authorship of two monographs and ten chapters in Polish and English language books, i.a. NATO ASI Series, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Elsevier and over 580 academic publications including 100-plus contributions to such journals as Diamond Related Materials, Thin Solid Films, Journal of Crystal Growth, Chaos Solutions & Fractals, Solid State Electronics, Applied Physics Letters and Surface Science, as well as almost 200 papers delivered at international academic conferences. He has been part of several international research projects, is an author or co-author of 14 patent applications and 50-plus reports from research projects, has been a member of programme and organising committees for a couple of dozen conferences. He has supervised 12 doctoral dissertations and is presently supervising another couple of PhD students. For his achievement, he was awarded the award of Division IV – Technical Sciences PAS (1997) as well as a number of awards from Rector of the Warsaw University of Technology – for academic achievement, organisational effectiveness or teaching process. He collected awards at invention and innovation shows in Pittsburgh, London, Budapest and Damascus. He has reviewed over 26 PhD and postdoctoral (habilitation) theses and a number of title or promotion applications at technical universities across Poland.
Piotr Wachowiak, PhD, DSc
Proffesor, Rector,
Warsaw School of Economics
For 26 years he has had connections with business practice while working in managerial positions in various organizations, among others he was Deputy Director of the Board of Municipal Houses Warszawa-Śródmieście, Director of the Department of Municipal Buildings Warszawa-Centrum Municipal Office and deputy director of the District Board Żoliborz- member of the District Board and Chancellor of Warsaw School of Economics. He specializes in the issues of human resources in the organization and corporate social responsibility. He conducts research on: personnel policy in enterprises operating in Poland, negotiations, measuring intellectual capital of enterprises, knowledge management in enterprises and corporate social responsibility. Teaches at full-time, MBA and post-graduate studies. Author or co-author of many publications on negotiations, conflict resolution, human resources management, measurement of intellectual capital and knowledge management in enterprise, corporate social responsibility. Cooperates with consulting and training companies. Practices in development of expert opinions for enterprises and in trainings for managerial staff.
Ewa Wernerowicz
President of the Board,
Soonly Finance
In March 2023, as a result of a management buyout, she acquired 100% of the shares in Soonly Finance (formerly Vivus). She is a manager with many years of experience in international financial institutions and a fintech market expert. She is a member of the Council of Employers of Poland, responsible for the area of cooperation between startups, corporations, and the financial services ecosystem. She participated in the establishment of new financial institutions in the Polish market, including Polbank EFG, Citifinancial, and Vivus, which became the leader in the loan market and redefined the accessibility of online financing. She is an active promoter of the idea of authentic leadership and the development of corporate culture as a source of a company's success. She is a graduate of IESE Business School, the Warsaw School of Economics, and the Maritime Academy in Gdynia.
Prof. Adam Woźniak, PhD, DSc
Vice-Rector for Development of the Warsaw University of Technology (2020-2024)
Professor of technical sciences, academic lecturer and scientist specializing in coordinate metrology. Vice-Rector for Development of the Warsaw University of Technology in the 2020–2024 term. In the years 2012–2020 he was the Director of the Institute of Metrology and Biomedical Engineering, then the Dean of the Faculty of Mechatronics at the Warsaw University of Technology. In 2005–2006, he worked as visiting professor at the Polytechnique de Montréal in Canada. Author of over 150 scientific publications, including 2 monographs and several dozen articles in prestigious international journals. Organizer and manager of several innovative and research projects, also carried out in cooperation with Polish enterprises. He promoted 6 doctors of technical sciences and several dozen masters and engineers. Member of the Metrology Council, expert of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Foundation for Polish Science, as well as many other institutions.
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Contact
Competition:
Mirosław Witkowski
miroslaw.witkowski@executiveclub.pl
tel: +48 510-105-474
Participants:
Joanna Wakulińska
joanna.wakulinska@executiveclub.pl
tel: +48 570-105-421
Partnership:
Aleksandra Łysiak
aleksandra.lysiak@executiveclub.pl
tel: +48 504-296-185
Mirosław Witkowski
miroslaw.witkowski@executiveclub.pl
tel: +48 510-105-474
Joanna Wakulińska
joanna.wakulinska@executiveclub.pl
tel: +48 570-105-421