The substantive segment was opened by a presentation from Mr. Pawel Zuk – Board Chairman of the Medical-Diagnostic Centre and Mr. Pawel Kikosicki – Director of the Centre for e-Health, under the heading “Digital innovations as key components in the healthcare system”. They discussed topics relating to computerization and digitization of the healthcare sector. Building of the e-health ecosystem in Poland according to prelegates relies on digitization and cybersecurity, interworking  and communication, sharing and exchanging data and new technologies. A lot of attention was focused on the fact that thanks to digital solutions such as e-prescriptions, we were able to prevent about 1 million deaths during the pandemic. Concepts such as central e-registration and e-blood system were proposed.

The next part of the program was a presentation by Mr. Pawel Stefanski – General Manager at Balluff, titled “Curiosity is the first step to….?”. During his presentation he generally discussed comprehensive solutions in the range of sensors, identification and processing of the overview of technological networks. He said that it is important to introduce modern solutions into companies, making it easier for clients to access the so-called digital world, which is an absolute must. Speaking of introducing innovations, especially in organizations that already have a history of doing so, we frequently speak about cultural transformation, because the most challenging task is changing our habits.

After two presentations came the first discussion panel about innovative organizations. The moderator for this panel was Lukasz Sztern, Supervisor of the Innovative Brokers Department at the Centre for Innovations and Transfer of Technologies, from the Warsaw University of Technology. Taking part were: Krzysztof Dziegielewski, an attorney, Board Member at the CEFARM Pharmaceutical Centre, Agnieszka Hrynkiewicz-Sudnik, Finance and Innovation BL Director at Ayming, Dariusz Jasak, Board Chairman Seen Technologies, Grzegorz Slomkowski, Board Member at Polish Investment and Trade Agency, Janusz Szulik, Board Chairman at TU INTER Polska and TU-INTER LIFE Polska, Dr. Albert Tomaszewski, Researcher of entrepreneurship  and innovative strategies at the SGH school in Warsaw. Topics such as DNA innovation in the organization’s body and the need for maximizing financing sources, by this also increasing the level of innovation in our country were tackled. The pharmaceutical industry was called one of the most innovative and fastest growing, and Polish companies were encouraged to take more confident actions in searching for innovative solutions. It is important to invest and implement innovations in your companies and not be afraid. We also got to know topics relating to the dual model of sales, which envelopes technological aspects and aspects relating to direct contact with people.

After the first discussion panel, Dariusz Kwiecinski, Board Chairman at Fujitsu Poland led the first case study entitled “Digital Transformation in practice”, during which he discussed rules for implementing a successful digital transformation. Despite the fact that 90% of companies declare implementation of digital strategy, two thirds admit that they do not have this strategy. Uncertainty of change is natural, but it can be overcome through presenting data and arguments. It is important to not rely on just abstract examples of implemented models. A solid output analysis of clients needs and realistic assumptions is the best recipe for reluctance to change.

Next came the second discussion panel, moderated by Dominika Bosek-Rak, supervisor of post-diploma studies of Digital Transformation, adjutant at the Department of Theory of Management at SGH. Among the panelists were: Mateusz Bartoszcze, Deputy Director at EIB Krakow, legal counsel, Academic Professor, Ireneusz Borowski, Country Manager at Dassault Systemes, Jacek Figula, Chief Commercial Officer at Billon Group, Jedrzej Kowalczyk, Board Chairman at FANUC Polska, Dariusz Kwiecinski, Board Chairman at Fujitsu, Boguslaw Los, Director at the Technological Solutions for Business at APN Promise, Michal Zwyrtek, Financial Director at APA Group. Panelists discussed actions that an organization must take to optimize operations and increase productivity and the role of digitalization in scalability of business. Moreover, there was mention of the biggest challenges in the process of digital transformation and the influence of the current economic, geopolitical, environmental and social situations on the trends in digital transformation. The panelists devoted a lot of time to blockchain technologies and her implementation in corporations.

After the lunch break, Ewa Giniewska – Business Development Executive at MTWO Poland,  was the next speaker and she presented her “MTWO Construction Cloud – the driving force behind digital transformation in the construction industry”, she discussed the most important matters related to new age technologies that are being used in construction. At the introduction Mrs. Ewa pointed out that innovation is a woman that is able to surprise a great deal. In her presentation she also talked about challenges in the construction industry, that being: inflation, raising interest rates, price increase of materials, disturbances in the chain of supply and shortage of staff. As Mrs. Ewa pointed out, automation of processes influences the increase in productivity, a transfer of knowledge and synergy of actions between investors is key to even quicker market growth and promotion of innovation.

After the presentation came time for a special panel titled “Leadership of women in the era of innovation”. The moderator was Professor Rafal Ohme, CEO at Digital Emotions. Participants in the discussion were: Sylwia Bilska, General Manager at Edenred Polska, Anna Heimberger, Marketing Director at InPost Polska, Barbara Kozierkiewicz, Executive Director at Global Clinical Solutions, Deputy Director at AstraZeneca Pharma Poland, Aleksandra Kucharek, Director of Development at Panattoni, Malgorzata Milczarek-Bukowska, Senior HR Executive, Ewa Wernerowicz, Board Director at Soonly Finance, Marta Wojciechowska, Board Chairperson at Fiberhost. The panelists began their discussion with a presentation of research results conducted using artificial methods, designed to disclose what we really think, not what we declare/ 82%  of those questioned think that women are more suited for supervisory positions, but only 27%  actually believe it. Despite this, the role of women in business is constantly being solidified because  innovativeness demands variety, and variety has influence on creativity. A homogeneous group shares the same experiences, thinks alike and it is very difficult to come up with something innovative. Conclusions derived from the debate present science and technology with a serious challenge: we need a sensitive artificial intelligence.

The last discussion panel entitled “Startups – how to successfully support growth of Polish innovation?” which was moderated by Robert Lugowski, Directing Partner at Cobin Angels, Board Member at the European Business Angels Network (EBAN). Taking part in the discussion were Agnieszka Jasinska-Kolodziej, acting Director of Commercialization Department at Lukasiewicz Centrum, Bartlomiej Pawlak, Deputy Director at of the Board at the Polish Growth Fund, Seweryna Afanasjew, Board Chairwoman at 4FM, Head of Asset Management at Global Trade Centre, Alicja Tatarczuk, Manager for matters relating to social responsibility of business at Huawei Polska, Ksenia Wojcik-Karasiewicz, Director of the of the Office for Managing  of  Beneficiary Service at the National Centre for Research and Growth, Michal Zdziarski PhD,  Supervisor at the Workshop for Strategic and International Management, Department of Management at University of Warsaw, Founder of Wheelstair and MeWheel. At the introduction the panelists discussed whether young companies can achieve success in startups, under the wings of major corporations, taking advantage of their financing. It is worth remembering that the idea is simply an inspiration to establish companies, success depends on convincing the client that we offer real benefits that are worth paying for. At the conclusion of the panel, the prelegates attempted to answer the question, whether large donations go hand in hand with innovative success of business? It was also highlighted  that it is important to prepare the team to absorb large funds and the importance of understanding that investors’ money is only a form of assistance, and the company itself is the entity that generates value that can be commercialized.

Innovation Diamonds

After the conclusion of the substantive segment, came the evening gala, which was officially opened by Michal Kleiber PhD – President of the Council at Executive Club, President of the Polish Committee to matters relating to Unesco, Chevalier of the White Eagle Medal and Beata Radomska – CEO of Executive Club.

The culminating point of the Gala was the awards ceremony in 9 Contest Categories, which recognized the best companies and most distinguished managers and leaders in business. Additionally two special awards were handed out: Counsel of Startups and Socially Responsible Innovative Company.

Recipients of “Innovative Diamonds”

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: FINANCE

INNOWACJA ROKU: FINANSE

BLIK, PKO Bank of Poland

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: INDUSTRY

Honeywell, Michelin 

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: LOGISTICS

InPost

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: ENERGY

Westinghouse Electric Poland

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: PHARMACEUTICAL

 AstraZeneca Pharma Poland, Pfizer Polska

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: CHEMISTRY

Synthos

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: ECOLOGY

Bioelektra Group

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: PRODUCT

Autenti, BMW

CEO OF THE YEAR: 

Magdalena Dziewguc – Country Manager, Google Cloud Poland

Counsel of Startups

Huawei Polska

Innovative company that is socially responsible

Ekipa Holding

Organizer: Executive Club

Honorary Patrons:

GovTech, Collegium Civitas, Stanislaw Lem’s Polish Future Institute, The Capital City of Warsaw, Warsaw University of Technology, Polish Agency for Enterprise Growth, Polish Chamber of Commerce for High Technology, Polish Chamber for Digital Radiofusion, Polish Business and Innovation Centers Association in Poland, School of Business at the Warsaw University of Technology, Honorary Patron: JM Rector at SGH in Warsaw.

Strategic Partner:

Pfizer Polska

Leading Patrons:

AstraZeneca Pharma Poland, Huawei Polska

Gold Partners:

Dassault Systèmes, Fanuc

Partners: 

APA Group, APN Promise, Apsys, Ayming, Balluff, Billon Group, Centrum Medyczno Diagnostyczne, Coface, Edenred, Ekipa Holding, EIB, Fakro, Fiberhost, Fujitsu, InPost, Inter Polska, National Centre for Growth and Technology, Nokia, Nowy Styl, Panattoni, Polish AGency for Innovation and Trade, Seen Technologie, SoftwareOne, Soonly Finance

Social Patrons:

Demos, Integration Foundation, Siemacha

Technical Partner:

Probrand

Main Media Patrons:

Executive Magazine, Wirtualna Polska, Money.pl, Biznes i Ekologia, Ekonatura

 Media Patrons:

Automatyka Przemysłowa, Warsaw Busines Journal, HalePrzemyslowe.plus, iAutomatyka.pl, InzynierUR.pl – Portal Utrzymania Ruchu, Isbtech, Kapitał Polski, kursy automatyki.pl, manager24, MasterMatch.online, niepełnosprawni.pl, Obserwator Gospodarczy, Obserwator Logistyczny, portalprzemyslowy.pl, Staleo.pl – Stale o Przemyśle, Wiadomości Warszawskie, zrobotyzowany.pl

Artykuł Coverage of the X edition of Executive Innovation Forum! pochodzi z serwisu Executive Club.

On 17 June at the Sheraton Grand Warsaw Hotel the 9th edition of Executive Club – Executive Innovation Forum took place. The substantive part of the event included three panel discussions and six speeches, and in the evening, during the Gala, the results of two competitions “Diamonds of Innovation” and “Sustainable Economy Awards” were announced. The announcement of winners was followed by an evening banquet.

The conference was inaugurated by the speech of the Guest of Honour, Marek Niedużak, PhD, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Development, Labour and Technology. The speaker pointed out that the economy should be opened to new solutions, emphasizing that an estimated 2/3 of economic growth in developed countries is associated with the implementation of innovations. The Undersecretary of State also drew attention to the fact that Polish entrepreneurs must reckon with the risk and acquire the ability to draw appropriate conclusions after a failure. The speaker pointed out that the European Union formatted the funds for rebuilding economies after the pandemic with the assumption of two transformations: green and digital. In both areas, innovation is the foundation, and the key to the desired outcome in innovation are innovators who boldly and openly take risks.

Next on the agenda was the speech of Special Guest, Magnus Penker – a world-renowned expert in innovation, digitalization and business transformation. Magnus Penker pointed out the most important factors of organization success, emphasizing that innovations are within the reach of every entrepreneur and every leader can become an innovator. The speaker encouraged people to make bold decisions and take more control over their lives. Magnus Penker, based on his experience, gave the audience tips and advice on how to take care of the organization and introduce innovations. He considered the most important aspects to be cooperation and openness to others, setting a goal and persistence in achieving it.

Another guest speaker at the conference was Professor Witold Orłowski, economist and lecturer at the Warsaw University of Technology Business School. In his speech entitled “Economic Outlook 2021” he discussed the most important economic issues of the country. The professor pointed out the volatility of the condition of the country, noting that despite the elimination of one problem and a theoretical return to the state before the pandemic, new problems await us – rising inflation, or problems with finding workers. The economist also warned against too much certainty and conviction that the pandemic is over, urging to observe the development of the situation. According to the Professor, we should first of all keep in mind the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution and the upcoming changes.

After the first speeches there was time for a panel discussion on digital transformation of business, which was moderated by Professor Grzegorz Mazurek, DSc – Rector of Kozminski University. Among the panelists were: Sylwia Bilska – General Director, Edenred Polska, Ireneusz Borowski – Country Manager, Dassault Systèmes, Dariusz Kwieciński – President of the Board, Fujitsu Poland, Jerzy Kwieciński, PhD – Vice President of the Board, Bank Pekao SA, Mariusz Pełechaty – President of the Board, Koda Bots and Grzegorz Słomkowski – Member of the Board, Polish Investment and Trade Agency. The discussion focused on the transformation and all its challenges. The discussion covered the issues of persisting trends and remote work in Poland. The speakers pointed out the complexity of the digital transformation process and emphasized that it does not consist only of the implementation of instant messaging. At the same time it was pointed out that in addition to all the implemented solutions, it is necessary to ensure the correctness of communication and creativity, because along with the dynamics of change, people’s sensitivity to the way of communication is deepening. The panelists agreed that the era of cheap costs is coming to an end in Poland and the only way to compete is through innovation and employee qualifications. The panel ended with a series of expert advice for all entrepreneurs on the path of digitalization development in organizations.

After the first panel discussion Dariusz Kwiecinski, President of the Board, Fujitsu Poland conducted a case study entitled “Digital transformation is not IT transformation” in which he convinced the audience that transformation should not be treated as changes in technology. Emphasizing the role of technological solutions, he pointed out that they do not belong to the leading element in the whole process. The most important thing is business growth, and it is growth that determines a successful transformation. The recommendation from the speech is to be open and ready to cooperate with outsiders – this is the way to avoid failure and surprises. The CEO also discussed the use of hybrid cloud, emphasizing that it does not have universal application and depends on the nature and culture of the company.

After the presentation and a short networking break a discussion began, which was moderated by Professor Tomasz Szapiro, DSc – Rector of Warsaw School of Economics in the term 2012-2016. The panelists included: Magdalena Burzyńska – Managing Director, Ayming Poland, Aleksander Jakubczak – Director for 5G solutions, Huawei Poland, Robert Kałuża – COO/Co-founder, Billon Group, Bartosz Sokoliński – Managing Director for Innovation and Technology, Industrial Development Agency (ARP), Prof. Janusz Lewandowski, DSc, Eng. – Professor at the Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology and Dr. Tomasz Nasiłowski, Eng – President of the Board, InPhoTech. The discussion began with a summary of Poland’s place in the rankings of innovation and the opinions of Poles. The experts tried to indicate what could improve the country’s position and what are the threats and barriers associated with the involvement in the development of innovation. The speakers stated that the contracts between business and universities should be extended and strengthened, and stressed the importance of cooperation, openness, and the protection of intellectual property.

After a short break, it was time for the case study “Use of artificial intelligence in cervical prevention”, prepared by Jakub Barbasz, DSc, co-founder of Digitmed. The speaker pointed out the need to improve interpersonal communication skills and highlighted the problem of women in Poland skipping screening tests, which is the result of many years of neglect of the system, especially the prevention program. We need a system that will influence women’s decision-making and the performance of examinations. Artificial intelligence is a solution that will improve the quality of the process. The professor emphasized that the system must be appropriate for everyone who is affected by the system – both the doctor and the patient and intermediate persons. The development and implementation of an appropriate system will increase the detection rate, save time waiting for the result and reduce the number of ambiguous results and increase the availability of prophylactic cytology.

The moderator of the third panel discussion “Innovative power industry” was Waldemar Szulc, PhD, Eng. director of the Polish Power Plants Association. The panelists included: Dariusz Bliźniak – Vice President of the Management Board, Respect Energy, Adam Kostrzewa – Managing Director, Environmental Projects Division, Bank Ochrony Środowiska SA, Krzysztof Ławrywjaniec – Director of the RES Department, MAAT4, Adam Pantkowski – Member of the Management Board of VH Invest AG, Artur Pollak – President of the Management Board, APA Group and Paweł Urbański, PhD, Eng. – Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Columbus Energy, Director of the Warsaw University of Technology Business School. The panelists focused on the future of the energy sector, engaging in a conversation about the necessary means to improve innovation. Awareness of the society is growing and in parallel the number of pro-environmental choices is increasing. The experts admitted that a transformation for which the Polish power industry is ready is inevitable. The panel discussion was summed up by the statement that Poles expect clean and cheap energy.

After the content-related part of the conference the Evening Gala began, during which “Innovation Diamonds” and “Sustainable Economy Awards” were handed out. During the first ceremony, companies that have achieved success in implementing innovations were awarded, while the “Sustainable Economy Awards” went to the most deserving companies in the field of sustainable development. Nominations for each category were indicated by members of the Competition Chapter, who, after deliberations, selected the winners. After the awards ceremony, a presentation entitled “For Good. Movement – Time for Change” was delivered by Sylwia Bilska, General Director, Edenred Polska. The evening ended with a concert of “Cookies Band” and a networking banquet.

“Innovation Diamonds” Winners:
Innovation of the Year: Finance – BNP Paribas Bank Polska
Innovation of the Year: Industry – Grupa Tubądzin
Innovation of the Year: Industry – APA Group – distinction
Innovation of the Year: Logistics – Panattoni Development Europe
Innovation of the Year: Energy – Ekoenergetyka-Polska
Innovation of the Year: Pharmacy – AFLOFARM Farmacja Polska
Innovation of the Year: Chemistry – BASF Poland
CEO of the Year: Rafał Michalski, CEO of Blachotrapez

“Sustainable Economy Awards” Winners:
Sustainable Construction Leader – Spółka biurowa Skanska w CEE
Sustainable Production Leader – Unilever Polska
Green Power Engineering Leader – Schneider Electric Poland
Ecology Leader in Power Generation – Polish Oil and Gas Company (PGNiG)
Technology Leader in Sustainable Development – Robert Bosch
Business Ethics Leader – Kompania Piwowarska
Sustainable Financing Leader – Bank Ochrony Środowiska
Leader in Consulting for Sustainable Development – EY Polska
Social Responsibility Leader – Jeronimo Martins Polska
Visionary of Responsible Business – Piotr Miroslaw – CEO of Lyreco Poland

Artykuł 9th Edition of Executive Innovation Forum pochodzi z serwisu Executive Club.

On July 8, at the Sheraton Grand Warsaw Hotel, we had the pleasure to organize the VIII edition of the “Executive Forum”, which theme was: “Entrepreneurship – Expansion – Innovation”. The program of the event was divided into two parts, the first – substantive, consisting of 3 speeches and 3 discussion panels, and the evening part, which was the “European Leadership Awards” gala.

The conference was inaugurated by the first special guest, who was Nancy Giordano – one of the best futurists in the world and curator of TEDx in Austin. The theme of the presentation was the enterprise of the future, and the futurist focused on its technological, social and ecological aspects. Nancy Giordano emphasized that rapidly changing technology, growing information and cultural changes require high adaptability from companies and people. The latest data shows that societies are polarizing economically, the pandemic has redefined many businesses, and scientists estimate that 1/3 of existing plants and animals on Earth could die out in the next 50 years. Ask yourself: how will we have to adapt, what will the future bring and what will it require from us? Will artificial intelligence soon replace GPs? You will find the answers to these and many other issues by watching our Special Guest’s speech at this link.

After an extremely interesting presentation, the time has come for also interesting panel discussion about the enterprise of the future, moderated by prof. Piotr Wachowiak – Vice-Rector of Science and Management at the Warsaw School of Economics. The panelists included: Robert Kasprzak – Managing Director of the Product Management Division, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego; Łukasz Marcinkiewicz – General Director of LH Engineering and Lafarge Infrastructure Solutions in Poland; Jacek Pawlak – President, Toyota Motor Poland; prof. Piotr Płoszajski – Professor in the Chair of Management Theory, Warsaw School of Economics; Karolina Radziszewska – Vice President of HR and Administration at the Skanska office company in the CEE region. To the first question “can company think not only about profit?” panelists agreed that companies can not think only about profit. During the discussion, it was found that companies guided by a long-term strategy, wishing to employ the best specialists and attract aware customers, first of all must include sustainable and responsible development in their strategy, which is why a large part of companies’ profit is currently invested in environmentally friendly technologies. One of the development technologies are perovskites, which, covering the building layer, allow its self-sufficient energy production. Another technology of the future enterprise mentioned during the panel is a zero-emission hydrogen drive. Thanks to the discussion on this topic, we learned that hydrogen-powered cars already exist and that hydrogen charging stations will soon be built in Poland. Hydrogen buses and trains are increasingly appearing, and at the moment intensive work is also underway on aircraft that would use the same technology for propulsion. Finally, it was emphasized that the enterprise of the future means also a great openness to clients and their ideas, which enables them to co-create the company’s strategy. The conclusion from the panel may be that most companies already have “in DNA” operating in an environmentally friendly way, and that the company of the future is eco.

After the first panel, the time came for our next Special Guest of this year’s conference, which was Peter Cochrane – Professor at University College London, a technology and business consulting guru for governments and organizations around the world. The presentation was entitled: “Revolution 4.0 as a key to sustainable development”.

The author of the speech has repeatedly stressed that there is no such thing as waste – there are only misused resources. Excessive consumption means that we use one and a half times more resources than the planet can provide. Being aware that natural resources are limited, and any improvement and increase in efficiency do not neutralize the negative impact of factories on the environment, only slowing it down, appropriate actions should be taken. Peter Cochrane proved that Revolution 4.0 has all the tools to prevent negative effects of excessive consumption and, as a result, huge waste. A good example of development in this direction is the comparison of an internal combustion engine and a new electric motor. The production of the first one is complicated and requires many components, and its impact on the environment is negative. In response to the need to reduce emissions, an electric motor was created – much simpler in design, it can be printed with a 3D printer and is zero emission (as long as the current for its operation comes from renewable energy). There are many more examples and visions of the future in the Special Guest’s speech, with particular emphasis on IoT and cooperation between people and robots, and the whole is available at this link.

The author of the third and last speech that day was Artur Pollak, President of the Management Board of APA Group. The presentation was entitled “Nazca Platform. Polish response to Industry 4.0 ”and concerned Revolution 4.0 in industry at every stage. The arguments presented in the presentation confirmed that Revolution 4.0 is undoubtedly a huge change and we should learn to manage it from the very concept, through the establishment of an independent, dedicated team, to implementation and its effects. What tools are necessary to make such a change, what are the stages of implementation and how to measure its effects? You can find out more about it at this link.

The moderator of the second discussion panel, entitled “New business models in the age of artificial intelligence” was prof. Michał Kleiber – Vice President of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, President of ECCOMAS. Among the panelists were: Sylwia Bilska – General Director, Member of the Board of Edenred Polska; Ireneusz Borowski – Country Manager, Dassault Systèmes; Mariusz Pełechaty – CEO of KODA Bots and co-founder of Hexe Capital; Artur Pollak – Chairman of the Board, APA Group. One of the main topics of discussion was remote work, which, as an alternative to office work, commonly appeared a few months ago, in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. Initially, this solution was very attractive for both employees who could, among others save time on commuting and for employers who could optimize the costs of renting offices. All participants agreed that over time it turned out that we needed stimulation from other people. It turns out that without the contact the social factor processes disappear, and as a result our empathy, relativity and creativity decrease. To sum up, neither of these two modes of operation is good enough and, according to panelists, a hybrid work model would work best, which will probably happen soon. Then, the panslists discussed the human superiority over artificial intelligence. It was found that, above all, people adapt quickly to change. People also have social skills such as creativity and empathy, which artificial intelligence is not able to assimilate, and which prevent certain professions and industries from disappearing. However, the point is not to implement artificial intelligence that would replace man, but to use its potential to streamline many processes and thus relieve the human unit of tasks performed.

After the lunch break, the time has come for the last discussion panel entitled “Road to global expansion”. The discussion was moderated by prof. Roman Sobiecki – Dean of the College of Enterprise Studies, Warsaw School of Economics, and the panel included: Zsolt Fekete – Chairman of the Board, Algotech Polska; Przemysław Janiszewski – Vice President of the Management Board, Polimex Mostostal SA; Jacek Kostrzewa – Chairman of the Board, Skotan SA; prof. Jerzy Pietrewicz – Head of the Department of Market Analysis, College of Business Administration, Warsaw School of Economics; Grzegorz Słomkowski – Member of the Board of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency. “The path to global expansion is not strewn with roses and it is not a racing track”, this statement opened the discussion and allowed to state that from year to year Polish companies see an increasing need for foreign expansion, but firstly it needs several important steps to be taken . It is important in this case to thoroughly explore the market, carefully select local partners, have human resources and plan the stages of this process – all this will help to overcome barriers that can effectively block expansion. It was then found that cultural, economic and administrative differences significantly affect the possibilities of adapting the company’s offer to the foreign market. Language differences, stereotypes about Poland, different styles of communication, force domestic companies to take a number of actions to adapt products to the needs of customers of other nationalities. To remain competitive, Polish companies also had to expand their offer and improve quality. According to panelists, regardless of the strategy of expansion into new markets, one has to face many challenges, which if not taken into account may result in failure.

After the substantive part was over, it was time for the evening gala of awarding “European Leadership Awards”. These awards are granted to honor the best companies, outstanding managers and business leaders who implement the highest standards of leadership, show exceptional commitment to the country’s economic development, adhere to ethical standards in business and pay special attention to responsible business conduct. Nominations for the prizes were selected on the basis of the applications of the Competition Jury, and then its members, after stormy deliberations, selected winners in 7 categories.

Winners of the “European Leadership Awards”:

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

ML System

TECHNOLOGY LEADER

Dell Technologies

GLOBAL SUCCESS LEADER

Oknoplast

ECOLOGY LEADER    

Skanska

FAIR PLAY COMPANY OF THE YEAR

PGNiG

CEO OF THE YEAR

Jacek Pawlak – President of the Board, Toyota Motor Poland

VISIONARY ENTREPRENEUR

Leszek Gierszewski – President of the Board, Drutex

The evening ended with a concert of the “Boogie Night” band and a networking banquet. The stream from it can be found at this link.

Artykuł 8th Edition of Executive Forum pochodzi z serwisu Executive Club.

The 7th edition of European Executive Forum was held on April 4 at the Sheraton Warsaw Hotel. During the several hours of intense discussions, we had the opportunity to learn about the challenges faced by modern companies and get to know the winners of „European Leadership Awards”.

The Guest of Honor of the conference was Jerzy Kwieciński, Minister of Investment and Development, whose opening speech focused on the growing employment rate in Poland, decreasing level of debt, and record low budget deficit. The Minister also pointed to the rapidly developing innovation sector in Poland. In his speech he emphasized the high level of funding for research and development as well as the growing number of startups emerging in Poland, which is currently the highest in the world.

How to win in the era of AI, robotization, and automation? This question was the theme of the first panel discussion, which was led by prof. Jarosław Arabas, Director of the Institute of Computer Science, Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology of the Warsaw University of Technology. The panelists included: Michał Góra – President of the Management Board, Alfavox; Artur Pollak – President of the Management Board, APA Group; Prof. Krzysztof Obłój – Professor of strategic and international management, Kozminski University; Mariusz Sudoł – Operations Director CEE, Hitachi Europe Limited, and Dr Paweł Urbański – Director of the Warsaw University of Technology Business School. The panelists first focused on the effectiveness of artificial intelligence. According to Adam Góra, before the implementation of AI in a company it is advisable to perform thorough analyses to make sure that the investment will be beneficial. Another topic discussed was the areas in which the application of AI should be most extensive. The speakers agreed that the areas that would benefit most from the implementation of AI are progressive robotization, companies from the financial industry, and the production of autonomous cars. The discussion also included the topic of machines taking over more and more responsibilities of physical workers. The first debate was summarized with a statement that artificial intelligence is just a technology, and it is up to us to decide how it should be used.

Next on the agenda was a speech of a Special Guest – Nicolas Colin, Co-founder and Director of The Family. The speaker started with a brief introduction presenting a historical outline of previous technological revolutions. According to Nicolas Colin, we are now in the fifth revolution, which includes the development of digitization and digitalization. According to the futurist, the development of new technologies has a great impact on enterprises and the economy and resulted in the creation of digital economy. The speaker stated that in this type of economy more power is located outside of enterprises, as they are created primarily by users. One example is Facebook, which currently has over 2 billion users who decide what they do and do not like and whether they still want to use its services. A lot depends on customer experience, which should be developed at all levels of business operations (not only in the service department). Another interesting example of meeting the expectations of customers is Netflix, which was the first platform to release entire seasons instead of forcing the audience to wait for each episode in a series. Currently, enterprises from the area of digital economy also have a big advantage over the industry, because they do not require initial investments in expensive durable goods, such as airplanes. The very large accumulated capital in the form of savings around the world and the ubiquitous globalization (over 8 billion mobile phones in the world) provide excellent conditions for the development of Internet enterprises. Nicolas Colin said that we live in a time when corporations compete with one another not with assets or access to information, but with entrepreneurship – the ability to create quality goods on an adequate scale.

The moderator of the second discussion panel was prof. Witold Bielecki, Rector of the Kozminski University, who invited the following panelists to the discussion: Jarosław Broda – Vice President of the Management Board for Asset Management and Development, TAURON Polska Energia SA; Nicolas Colin – Co-founder and Director of The Family; Michał Kurzelewski – Director for Medical Affairs, Pfizer Polska; Sylwia Toczyska – Director Client Services, Vistra Poland, and prof. Cezary Wójcik – Founder and Director of the Center for Leadership. The panelists began the discussion from innovation in practice. They discussed the story of the iPod, which was initially designed by Sony. This brand, however, was already producing Walkmans and CD players and was mainly focused on their improvement. Therefore, it decided not to mass-produce the new player. According to the panelists, this resulted from the fear of the innovative solution, which was treated as a threat to the popularity of existing devices. The idea was taken over by Apple, which focused on the production of the new device. Sony lacked a clear strategy, leadership, and answer to the question: if a given organization does not implement an innovation, will it still be done in the future? According to the panelists, the answer to this question is „yes”. They also stressed the role of cooperation between enterprises and universities as the source of innovative solutions. When it comes to the implementation of innovations, the panelists advised against deliberations with the management, which take a lot of time, and preferred the establishment of separate budgets and special purpose vehicles to deal with the implementation of specific changes. There are also companies that have to be innovative because of the very specifics of their industry. In summary, regardless of whether innovations are inside the company or are implemented slightly on the side, they are an inherent feature of all industries.

The second Special Guest of the conference was Steve Wells – Futurist and COO of Fast Future. The speaker outlined the list of technological challenges and the associated consequences for the next 30 years. When it comes to consumption and production, Circular Economy will be key. This is related to the fact that by 2030 the global consumption of energy will increase by 50%, of water by 40%, and of food by 35%. According to the guest, without taking any action, it will be very difficult to protect the deposits of natural resources and biodiversity on Earth. The futurist is convinced that artificial intelligence will not take over the majority of tasks performed by humans for the next 20 years. He also emphasized that the growth of the world’s population is currently one of the greatest challenges for humanity. It is estimated that by 2030 as many as 5 billion people will live in cities, while by 2050 it will be up to 72% of the global population. These numbers pose huge challenges which we are trying to overcome. An example of this is the construction of a 57-story building by a Chinese company in just 19 days. But there are also challenges that we still do not know how to deal with, such as: increasing unemployment associated with robotization or management of hybrid companies (in which robots take on the role of employees).

The future of money and the financial industry were the main topics of the third discussion panel, moderated by prof. Jerzy Witold Pietrewicz – Head of the Department of Market Analysis, Collegium of Business Administration, Warsaw School of Economics; Jan Krzysztof Bielecki – Chairman of the Council of Partners, EY Poland; Sławomir Grzelczak – Vice President of the Management Board, Biuro Informacji Kredytowej SA; prof. Witold Orłowski – Rector of the Vistula Academy of Finance and Business; Krzysztof Pietraszkiewicz – President of the Polish Bank Association; Dr hab. Roman Szwed – President of the Management Board, Atende SA, and the previous speaker, Steve Wells.

At the beginning the panelists pointed to the fact that the disappearance of physical currency can be caused not only by the development of virtual money, but also by automation. When a factory becomes fully automatic and no longer requires human labor, nobody needs to be paid. According to the panelists, the adjustment of the tax system to the changes taking place on the labor market will also pose a great challenge. The progressing automation prompts people to change their trade and set up their own businesses, based primarily online. It will, therefore, be important to adjust taxation in such a way as to maintain the balance from before these changes. Over time physical money will disappear and people will start using the so-called cryptocurrencies or money issued by central banks. But this will not happen in the near future, because in Poland, despite issuing 40 million payment cards and increasing the number of places where they can be used, cash is still used on an increasingly larger scale. It is also important to implement legal regulations conducive to the development of modern forms of payment. One of them is the regulatory sandbox, in which fintechs can enter the traditional economy to experiment without having to obtain licenses. Another option is the so-called stable coin, or stable bitcoin, which central banks are currently working on.

After the end of the content-oriented part, it was time for the evening gala. Its highlight was the awards ceremony honoring the best companies, outstanding managers, and business leaders who implement the highest standards of leadership. The gala was officially opened by prof. Michał Kleiber, Chairman of the Jury, and Beata Radomska, CEO of Executive Club, who emphasized the importance of developing innovations, as they are the key to success in business. This year 9 awards were granted in 8 categories!

Winners of „European Leadership Awards”:

TECHNOLOGY LEADER

Amazon

INNOVATION LEADER

PKO Bank Polski SA

CEO OF THE YEAR

Piotr Śliwicki – President of the Management Board of ERGO Hestia SA

GLOBAL SUCCESS LEADER

Synthos SA

LEADER IN FINANCE

PZU SA

SUSTAINABILITY LEADER

Kompania Piwowarska SA

VISIONARY ENTREPRENEUR

Jerzy Starak – Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Polpharma SA (winner)

Dariusz Mioduski – President of the Management Board of Legia Warszawa SA (distinction)

SPECIAL AWARD: PERSONALITY OF THE DECADE

Waldemar Dąbrowski – Director of Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera in Warsaw

Artykuł Summary of the European Executive Forum 2019 pochodzi z serwisu Executive Club.

Two days, five discussion panels, thirty speakers, eight hours of Special Guests’ speeches, discussion and Gala – this is how the 6th edition of the international congress on leadership, management and innovation looked like in a nutshell. The event took place on April 9 and 10 at the Sheraton hotel in Warsaw and was held under the honorary patronage of the Minister of Science and Higher Education, Jarosław Gowin. Also once again, the prestigious „European Leadership Awards” statuettes were presented.

Day 1

The first day of the conference was opened by inaugural speech of Special Guest Sony Kapoor – Director of Re-Define think tank, who emphasized the importance of technology development as one of two ( apart from the increase in the number of employees) driving engines of technological revolutions. He also noted that the development which is happening in plain view has both good and bad side. Things that seemed modern 10 years ago today are often useless, and on the other hand, development of artificial intelligence and threat of personal data leakage (as in the case of Facebook) pose a serious threat to human security. The speaker concluded his lecture with statement that it is necessary to respond to the great challenges in many fields that progressive development of technology throws at us.

Panel 1: Technological Horn of Plenty

During the first discussion panel moderated by prof. Piotr Płoszajski (Warsaw School of Economics), speakers debated on the ongoing digitalization of business as well as opportunities and threats posed by the development of digitization and automation. Moderator initiated the discussion by inviting panelists on the stage: Zsolt Fekete (Algotech Polska), Tomasz Gościniak (Microstrategy Poland), Sony Kapoor (Re-Define), Marcin Lewandowski (Grupa GPEC) and Michał Sieczko (Canon Polska). Experts in their discussion raised key issues related to technological development , pointed out technologies that they believe will play a key role in the future, including: digital image reproduction, 3D printing, blockchain and Big Data. They also pointed out industries that are developing simultaneously with the development of technology and those that don’t keep up (healthcare and public administration) with the progressive revolution and every effort should be made to change that. During the discussion there was a statement that can be fully used as a summary of the extremely interesting panel: „Big Data is a new oil”.

Panel 2: Sharing Economy

Discussion on the sharing economy gave tone to the debate led by prof. Witold Orłowski (Vistula Academy of Finance and Business). Prof. Bolesław Rok (Kozminski University) talked about sharing economy as an access economy. He argued that areas where this issue is significantly developing are entertainment accompanied by such services and rentals as Spotify or Netflix and crowdfunding, which causes banks to lose another field to finance various types of projects. Bartłomiej Zagrodnik (Walter Herz) looked at the issue of sharing from the perspective of real estate industry and shared access. He recalled the example of reconstruction of shopping centers in response to new expectations and a change in the perception of spending time. There will be more and more new places which will allow sharing and exchanging your own products, e.g. bookcrossing or breakfast markets. Speakers among whom were also Władysław Grochowski (Grupa Arche), Maciej Panek (Panek S.A. and UAB PANEK) and Dariusz Żuk (Business Link Poland) agreed that the world should develop towards the exchange of knowledge and resources and their more effective use, not in the direction of possessing things.

„EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP AWARDS” STATUETTES PRESENTED ONCE AGAIN

The culmination point of the evening was „European Leadership Awards” Gala, which was held for the sixth time. Its aim was to honor the best enterprises, outstanding managers and business leaders who implement new technologies and innovations, contribute to the country’s economic development and are characterized by special care for the highest standards of leadership.

Industry Leader – MAN Truck & Bus Polska
Innovation Leader – URSUS S.A.
Technology Leader – Canon Polska
CEO of The Year – Jan Motz, Preident of the Management Board Capital Park
Global Success Leader – Maspex-GMW and Nowy Styl Group
Personality of the Year – Joanna Erdman, Vice President of the Management Board, ING Bank Śląski S.A.
Investment Leader – Griffin Real Estate
Financing Leader – Bank Pekao S.A. and Polski Fundusz Rozwoju S.A.
Export Ambassador – Korporacja Ubezpieczeń Kredytów Eksportowych S.A.
Charity Leader – Pfizer Polska

Day 2

The second day of the conference was initiated by Mr. Bernd Lucke – prof. of economy and German MEP. The speech very interestingly outlined the internal situation in the European Union, mutual interactions between countries and current problems of the community. The most serious of them include immigration crisis, Brexit and legislative difficulties that results from previsions of the Lisbon Treaty regarding unanimity during the votes on change/introduction of new legal regulations. All these problems undermine the unity of the organization and lack of leaders who could help with dealing with these problems don’t instill optimism. The solution to these problems according to the MEP is to focus on economic integration through the development of the common market.

Panel 1: Sustainable Growth In Business

The first panel led by Agaton Koziński (Polska The Times) was devoted to issues related to building sustainable development in business and innovative business solutions leading to efficient use of resources. Prof. Michał Kleiber (The European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Science) noted that the greatest opportunity as well as the greatest challenge in creating sustainable business is the use of large data resources flowing from Big Data, which effective use would determine effects of various operation elements in business. Speakers including Jean-Andre Barbosa (Future Pipe Industries), Łukasz Czepiel (Pfizer Trading and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare), Joanna Erdman (ING Bank Śląski S.A.) and prof. Bernd Lucke, together, decided that profit is not the only value in corporations. More and more entrepreneurs pay attention to dialogue with stakeholders such as employees, suppliers or clients, and adjust the company’s conducted activities to their expectations.

The second discussion panel was initiated by prof. Santiago de la Cierva, lecturer at IESE Business School, who discussed the issues of modern leadership. Speaker at the outset indicated that being a leader nowadays is much more difficult and requires from him much more than just a dozen years ago. In the face of the development of social media and entering labor market by millennials, the leader should be versatile and proficient in multi-channel communication.

Panel 2: Visionary Organizations

Guests had the opportunity to listen to the panel moderated by prof. Cezary Wójcik (Center for Leadership), which concerned the building of visionary organizations. Debaters among whom were: Santiago de la Cierva (IESE Business School), Anna Jakób (Grupa GPEC), Piotr Paszczyk (APN Promise S.A.), Anna Poliszkiewicz (Vistra Corporate Services) and Rafał Trusiewicz (Katharsis Development) have jointly noticed that in order to create visionary organizations one must give up power and unleash scattered leadership. President Piotr Paszczyk said „The role of every visionary is to show people directions of development and to convince them that the assumed goales are achievable”. Experts pointed out: visionary, happines, team and strategy as factors conditioning success. Whereas, building trust was mentioned as basis for discovering new business opportunities.

Panel 3: Impact of Robotics and Automation

The introduction to the last discussion panel was the speech of dr Paweł Urbański – Director of Warsaw University of Technology Business School, who took up the topic of relationship between the development of technology and economic growth. One of the conclusions from the presentation is a slightly pessimistic vision of the future – up to 50% of occupations in developed economies will be exposed to automation.

Panelists of the last discussion moderated by prof. Cezary Zieliński (Warsaw University of Technology), including Krystyna Boczkowska (Robert Bosch), Piotr Czarnecki (Raiffeisen Bank Polska), Michał Kreczmar (PwC), Artur Pollak (APA Group) and previously speaking dr Paweł Urbański discussed the technological revolution and investing in new technologies and digitalization. According to Krystyna Boczkowska, robotics and automation doesn’t mean giving up employees, because the development of technology introduces new professions that are responsible for cybersecurity, Big Date or Internet of Things. On the other hand Piotr Czarnecki pointed out that in the competitive market and in the current economy, which is heading towards the digital economy, two processes take place – struggle for costs and change of the paradigm of acting on the line with the client. Speakers unanimously stressed out the great importance of educating and adapting the workforce to the requirements of labor market.

In conclusion, we can say with satisfaction that two-day congress was a complete success. Many hours of inspiring speeches, stormy debates and jointly worked out conclusions are behind us.

As a professional networking organization, we make every effort to ensure that the substantive level of our meetings meets even with the highest expectations. Our guests have proved that sharing knowledge and experience is an invaluable asset in developing business . We believe that in both practical and theoretical manner we have brought our listeners closer to key business issues from a technological, innovative and investment perspective. We are convinced that speeches and interesting discussions of the panelists inspired our guests to act and outlined new development paths.

See you in a year!

Honorary Patron: Ministry of Science and Higher Education

Main Partners: Canon Polska, Pfizer Polska

Gold Partners: Future Pipe Industries, MicroStrategy Poland, Skanska

Partners: Algotech Polska, APA Group, Arche, British Automotive Centrum, Robert Bosch, Enea, Grupa GPEC, ING Bank Śląski, Katharsis Development, Lyreco Polska, MasterCard, APN Promise, PwC, Raiffeisen Polbank, SPAR, Vistra Corporate Services, Walter Herz

Gala Partners: Globe Trade Centre, Panek CarSharing

Artykuł The 6th edition of the two-day European Executive Forum Congress 2018 is behind us! pochodzi z serwisu Executive Club.