Riskonet Poland welcomes the New Year, and a new partner
February 1, 2023
New Riskonet partner Maciej Wróbel has a clear idea of the challenges facing Riskonet clients in Poland and is confident that he has what it will take to help them rise to these challenges.
During his career so far as a fire-protection systems expert, Maciej Wróbel, in his own words, kept a keen eye on Riskonet’s activities in Poland. And he really liked what he saw. So when he got the chance to become a partner of the Riskonet network he grasped the opportunity with both hands. “In my opinion Riskonet is already the best in Poland at what it does and the network is still developing. I want to be part of that development.”
Extended family
During exploratory discussions with Leszek Golachowski, Lead Partner of Riskonet Poland, Maciej felt an immediate connection, something that’s definitely missing when you work for a large corporation, he explains. “I sensed that becoming a Riskonet partner would be like being part of a big family.”
Mutually beneficial
Maciej regards joining the Riskonet network as a win-win situation: a new challenge and a way of increasing his skills and experience, while also bringing a lot to the table himself. As an additional bonus, thanks to the international character of the network, he’s also looking forward to improving his English. Recently becoming the father of a seven-month-old son also played a role in his decision, he confides. “Sometimes I watch him try new things. He might fail the first few times, but he doesn't give up and he keeps trying until he does succeed. My young son’s determination and will-to-succeed inspired and motivated me to take on this new challenge, one that I am confident will bring benefits all round.”
Skills and expertise
What Maciej brings to the table is considerable skills and expertise in the area of fire-protection systems, risk assessment and training. He graduated with an Engineering and Master’s degree from the Warsaw Main School of Fire Service in 2008. He then kicked off his professional career with Minimax Poland, a major player in fire-protection systems. With a few years’ practical experience under his belt, he then moved to Kraków and worked for PZU SA, the largest insurance company in Poland. “I worked there as a risk-assessor in the area of fire safety. Then, from late 2016, I took a new position with PZU Lab, a company in the PZU Group. Here I worked directly with clients who wanted to improve safety in their facilities, serving as a kind of bridge between the client and the insurance company.”
Demanding industries
Maciej is convinced that his experience so far will serve Riskonet’s clients in Poland well. Much of this experience was acquired working with clients from many industries. And these were demanding industries too, such as the pharma and food sectors. While working for the PZU Group, he collaborated with a total of over 1,000 clients. He is also very familiar with the workings of the insurance sector in Poland, as well as with Polish fire-safety legislation and regulations. “Everything that I have learned and done will be helpful in supporting Riskonet clients in Poland and solving their problems. What’s more, in collaboration with Leszek and Riskonet, I’m looking forward to developing new possibilities that will better support our clients and increase our offering in today’s complex risk-assessment world.”
“I have worked with clients in practically all sectors in Poland, giving them tailored advice relating to fire-systems and good practices"
Maciej Wróbel partner Riskonet Poland
International component
There is certainly an international component to Maciej’s experience. While working for corporate clients of PZU, insurance coverage typically started at about 20 million Polish zloty, nearly €4.3 million. These were mainly Polish clients and some of them were opening new facilities in countries that included Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania. “I also worked as a trainer, training colleagues in Lithuania. This experience will also be useful, because training will be one of my responsibilities with Riskonet. What’s more, I am fully conversant with US fire-safety standards, which are increasingly being adopted in Poland.”
Rising to the challenges
The main challenges that Maciej anticipates for Riskonet clients in Poland are the need to raise awareness of the risks that they are exposed to and the importance of proper functioning fire-protection systems. Building an effective safety culture is also a key challenge, he adds. But he is very confident that his skills and experience will help these clients rise to the challenges and overcome them. “By nature, I get on well with people and I enjoy working with clients. Throughout the years I have learned that it’s important to accurately identify the client’s needs and expectations and then work together from that basis. Client relationships are very important to me. A happy and satisfied client will stay with you for years.”
Support and problem solving
Looking ahead, as a new partner of Riskonet Poland Maciej will be responsible for all things related to fire safety and compliance with Polish legislation and regulations. This includes carrying out on-site inspections at clients, preparing reports on the relevant findings, providing training and generally supporting clients and helping to solve their problems. He doesn’t know yet what type of clients he will be working with, but he’s confident he can meet their needs. “I have worked with clients in practically all sectors in Poland, giving them tailored advice relating to fire-systems and good practices. I have also helped clients to implement the appropriate safety culture in production facilities of all sizes.”
First impressions
Even though Maciej only joined Riskonet at the beginning of January, his first impressions are very positive. “Everything I learned about Riskonet before I joined the network, together with what I have seen so far, makes me very happy to be here. At the moment I am still learning how Riskonet functions, along with its rules and procedures. Looking ahead, it’s reassuring to know that I will be able to count on the support of other team members, particularly my new boss, Leszek.”
