The PKN Pick

Chałupec, 38, is the fourth and the youngest Orlen president in the company's history. In the Finance Ministry he was responsible for EU related issues, including the EU budget. Prior to becoming a politician he worked for 12 years for bank Pekao SA. According to Gazeta Wyborcza, some of the potential candidates for the top post at PKN Orlen resigned, as they did not want to be linked to a company that is influenced to such a large degree by politicians. The new Orlen chief faces many challenges. The company's profitability needs to be increased and painful cost-cutting measures need to be implemented. Moreover, a strategy for the concern's latest acquisition, Czech Unipetrol, has to be worked out. The new president will also have to prepare Orlen to merge with other oil companies from the region, including Hungarian MOL and Austrian OMV. (Poland A.M., September 22)