Sławomir Lachowski
Sławomir Lachowski (born January 1, 1958 in Końskie, Poland) is a manager and economist with more than twenty years’ experience of the banking industry in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe; founder of the first internet bank in the region, mBank; and author of many management publications.
Lachowski graduated with distinction from the Foreign Trade faculty of the Central School of Planning and Statistics in Warsaw (now the Warsaw School of Economics). He also studied economics at the University of Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz (1980/1981 and 1988/1989) and the University of Zurich (1983 to 1984). He completed the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD (1997) and the Stanford Executive Program (SEP) at Stanford University (2002).
Career
In the years 1983-1990, Lachowski worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Economic Development at the School of Planning and Statistics in Warsaw (now Warsaw School of Economics). His research group, led by Leszek Balcerowicz, worked on plans for Poland’s transition from a centrally-planned to a free market economy.
In 1987-1992, Lachowski directed a consulting firm, INTEXIM – Centre for Economic Analysis, which specialized in strategic and financial advice. The firm developed a deep expertise in turn-around and restructuring projects for failing public companies.
In 1993, Lachowski started working in Powszechny Bank Gospodarczy (PBG) in Lodz, one of the largest commercial banks in Poland at the time, as a board member responsible for the restructuring of the bank's bad debt portfolio. Under his supervision, the bank developed a new and innovative system for managing bad debt. PBG became the only bank in Poland to engage in debt to equity swaps on a large scale as a method of financial restructuring of its failing clients. Shares acquired this way were located in a newly created PBG Fundusz Inwestycyjny, the first Polish restructuring investment fund. As a result, within two years, PBG completed an extensive recovery program that was widely recognized as one of the most effective in the country.
In 1996-1998, Lachowski was Executive Vice President of the Management Board, and then First Deputy President of the Management Board at PBG responsible for retail, corporate and investment banking.
From 1998 to 2000, Lachowski was Executive Vice President of the Management Board of Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności BP (PKO BP), traditionally the largest Polish bank. Over time, he became responsible for retail, corporate and investment banking, as well as the real estate market business line. His main achievement was the development of a new retail banking strategy. Around 1998, PBG was quickly losing market share to new competitors. The strategy developed by Lachowski attracted over one million new customers in less than two years and allowed PKO BP to regain market leadership.[1]
In 2000, Lachowski began working at BRE Bank as a board member in charge of two greenfield, retail banking projects: mBank, the first internet bank in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe, and MultiBank, a modern brick and mortar bank for the emerging middle class and small and medium enterprises (SME). Both banks were successfully launched. mBank revolutionized the banking market in Poland with its disruptive business model (new venture grew within eight years to become the third largest bank in terms of the number of retail customers), and subsequently successfully entered banking markets in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.[1] Lachowski described the development of mBank and MultiBank in his first book “Droga innowacji. Pracuj ciężko, baw się, zmieniaj świat” („The journey of innvovation. Work hard, have fun, change the world.”), Studio Emka, Warsaw, 2010.
In 2004, Lachowski become the CEO of BRE Bank. During his tenure, the bank was transformed from a medium-sized corporate bank to a large universal player, becoming the third largest bank in Poland in terms of assets. At the same time, BRE Bank developed a reputation as one of the top financial institutions in the country and was awarded the title “Best Financial Institution” in 2008.[2] Lachowski also introduced the concept of Management by Values in mBank, MultiBank and BRE Bank, based on the idea that companies should follow a set of core values. The initiative increased consumer and employee satisfaction and led to a significant growth in market value of the BRE Bank group (25% premium in relative performance over peers).[3] The concept of Management by Values is described at length in Lachowski’s second book “DROGA ważniejsza niż cel. Watości w życiu i w biznesie” (“JOURNEY more important than the goal. Core values in everyday life and in business.”), Studio Emka, Warsaw, 2012. He initiated the project of international expansion of mBank which resulted in opening the Czech and the Slovak branches in Nov 2007. Especially the Czech branch has been very successful, reaching the 100 thousand customers in 7 months[4] (originally a goal was set to reach 160 thousand clients by the end of 2010). Sławomir Lachowski left BRE Bank in March 2008.
Prizes and awards
2005
Man of the Polish Internet 2005[5]
2007
Top Manager of the Year 2007 in Financial Services –awarded in a competition organized by Manager Magazine, KPMG, and Polska Konfederacja Pracodawców Prywatnych Lewiatan[6]
Golden Cross of Merit (state honor) for his achievements in the restructuring the Polish banking sector
Social activities
In 2008, Lachowski and his wife, Marzena Lachowska, founded Ex-Litteris Libertas, a charity devoted to creating equal opportunities for children from rural areas by supporting various educational and leisure activities.[7]
Other
Lachowski is a keen marathon runner and mountaineer.
Publications
Books
„DROGA ważniejsza niż cel. Wartości w życiu i biznesie”, Studio Emka, Warszawa, 2012
„Droga innowacji. Pracuj ciężko, baw się, zmieniaj świat”, Studio Emka, Warszawa, 2010
Articles
„Kryzys długiego dystansu.” ThinkTank Magazine, 2/2009
„Firma w firmie - kiedy tradycyjna firma musi szybko działać by wygrać.”, Harvard Business Review Polska, nr 7, 2003
„Praca w e-biznesie.” Sławomir Lachowski, Nina Georgiew. Zarządzanie Zasobami ludzkimi, nr 2, IPiSS, Warszawa, 2002
„Praca w e-biznesie.” Sławomir Lachowski, Nina Georgiew. Zarządzanie Zasobami ludzkimi, nr 2, IPiSS, Warszawa, 2002
„Prywatyzacja sektora bankowego jako czynnik wspomagający długofalowy wzrost gospodarczy (II)”, Bank i Kredyt, nr 9, 1998
„Prywatyzacja sektora bankowego jako czynnik wspomagający długofalowy wzrost gospodarczy (I)”, Bank i Kredyt, nr 7-8, 1998
„Procesy konsolidacji sektora bankowego. Niezwykłe przyspieszenie.” Bank. nr 1, 1998
„Kierunki rozwoju polskiego systemu bankowego.” Bank. nr 12, 1997
„Proces prywatyzacji banków w Polsce – sukcesy i porażki.” Bank i Kredyt, nr 11, 1997
“System finansowy w Polsce – stan obecny i perspektywy rozwoju.”, CASE, Raporty CASE, nr 8, 1997
„The Process of Privatising Banks in Poland: Successes and Failures of a Multitrac Path.”, OECD Advisory Group on Privatisation, Eleventh Plenary Session: Banks and Privatisation, Rome, 1997
„Wpływ regulacji podatkowych na wybór ścieżki restrukturyzacji złego długu.” Bank i Kredyt, nr 1-2, 1996
„Restrukturyzacja portfela kredytów trudnych banku komercyjnego w okresie transformacji. Studium przypadku: Powszechny Bank Gospodarczy SA w Łodzi.”, Bank i Kredyt, nr 5,1995
“Restructuring of a Bad Debt Portfolio in a Commercial Bank in the Midst of an Economic Transition Period. Case Study: Powszechny Bank Gospadarczy w Łodzi.”, CASE Studies&Analyses, nr 57, 1995
References
- 1 2 Lachowski, Sławomir (2010). The Journey of Innvovation. Work Hard, Have Fun, Change the World. Warsaw: Studio Emka. pp. 19–22.
- ↑ "Historia BRE Banku". BRE Bank S.A. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
- ↑ Adamczewska, Izabela. "Na finiszu biegnie głowa". Gazeta Wyborcza. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
- ↑ Zatloukal, Jiri. "mBank má po sedmi měsících 100 tisíc klientů". Retrieved 7 December 2013.
- ↑ "Twórca mBanku- Człowiekiem Polskiego Internetu". mBank. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
- ↑ "Sławomir Lachowski TOP Managerem Roku 2007". Banki, portal finansowy. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
- ↑ "Misja Fundacji Ex Litteris Libertas". Ex Litteris Libertas. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
External links
- Sławomir Lachowski's Official Website (Polish)
- Ex Litteris Libertas's Website (Polish)