Henryka Pieronkiewicz
Chairwoman of Powszechna Kasa Oszczednosci Bank Polski (PKO BP)
By : Greg Goodale
As the first chairwoman of Powszechna Kasa Oszczednosci Bank Polski (PKO BP) after its transformation into a state-owned public company, Henryka Pieronkiewicz has stood up to the challenge of restructuring the country's largest bank to compete on domestic and global markets without the aid of a foreign investor.
A graduate of the Krakow Academy of Economics (AEK), she's seen a lot in her 22 years in the industry, including the tough period of free-market shock in the 1990s. In 1989 she began work at Bank Przemyslowo-Handlowy (BPH), and was appointed chairwoman in 1995 during its privatization and sale to its strategic investor, Germany's HypoVereinsbank. Pieronkiewicz said her management style, for which she has been lauded in the business press, owes a lot to the mistakes she witnessed at the outset of the country's banking reforms. "I developed my way of running a business by observing the errors of others and the effects they brought about for them and their firms," she said. "I built my own style of management by doing the opposite."
Pieronkiewicz said she owes her career to more than expertise in her field. "I also find wider horizons very important, those beyond mere technical knowledge that extend into the realm of the humanities." According to Pieronkiewicz the future success of PKO BP lies in building on its well-established brand and extensive branch network. "If we can make use of these assets with the appropriate technology and innovation then I think we will be able to challenge our competitors."
Past notes:
1952 Born in Opatow, near Kielce
1979 Joined the National Bank of Poland (NBP) as a credit inspector
1989 Joined BPH
1992 Appointed to the board of BPH
1995 Appointed chairwoman of BPH
2000 Appointed chairwoman of PKO BP
A word of advice:
"I don't focus on short-term goals that would satisfy my own personal ambitions and satisfaction. I prefer to derive satisfaction and personal success from the long-term success of the company which I manage."
