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Warsaw, Hotel InterContinental
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About
the Event

17th Annual CEE Retail Awards
e-Retail & Innovation

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The CEE Retail Awards is the region’s premier awards show and experience celebrating the retail industry. Widely recognised as the market benchmark for retail success in Central and Eastern Europe, EuropaProperty is proud to host and present the 17th annual CEE Retail Awards Gala. This eagerly anticipated occasion will take place LIVE & ONLINE on January 30th, 2025, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Warsaw.

 

 

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The Flagship Retail Event for the Region

The CEE Retail Awards is dedicated to today’s new look networking environment and delivers a professional platform for deal-making, relationship-building, and one-on-one or group discussions on the evolving retail investment and development opportunities that are presenting themselves to the market.

The event opens with the CEE Retail & CEO Networking Forum, a series of discussion panels covering all hot topics and relevant issues for today’s dynamically evolving retail sector. The Retail Forum provides an opportunity to hear from some of the retail market’s leading thought leaders, as well as opportunities to discuss and explore the retail industry’s most important topics.

STAY CONNECTED

This event consists of forums, networking, a retailer platform, an awards gala, and an online Retailer Networking Platform, as well as providing an excellent opportunity to make new contacts and renew existing business relationships on a professional networking platform.

These are unprecedented times and EuropaProperty is fast becoming a multidisciplinary enterprise with an array of mediums to help the industry move forward. Therefore, The CEE Retail Awards is active and available to attendees and sponsors to utilize immediately.

E-RETAIL & INNOVATION

Meet the most active retailer, innovators, e-retailers, investors, developers, bankers, asset managers, and CRE professionals active or looking to enter the region. With over 600 directors – local, regional and international participants – this event is not to be missed.

As a backdrop to the whole event is the Retailer Networking Platform, an online marketplace where developers and retailers can meet to discuss, formulate and make deals.

KEY RETAILERS

At the awards gala, retailers, real estate companies, projects and individuals will be presented with awards of acknowledgment by the industry for their contribution to the development of the retail commercial real estate market in the region.

EuropaProperty is expecting more than 600 participants including over 100 retailers doing business or planning to do business in the region. This two-day event is subject to considerable media coverage with local and international media present. This ensures participants, companies, and award winners, an extra opportunity to publicize themselves and of course the retail sector throughout the whole of Central and Eastern Europe.

Event Schedule 26 January

8:30 - 9:15
CEO Networking & Business Breakfast (full buffet)

Including fresh juices, omelettes, waffles, Polish pancakes and a wide assortment of international and local morning delicacies – CEO speed networking – each person in the room has 30 seconds to introduce themselves and their company.

9:15 - 09:30
Is ESG in retail a necessity or the formula for success?
Speech

Location is not everything anymore, as the latest insolvency of Galeria Kaufhof shows us.

Since e-commerce increasingly cannibalises revenues, retail has no choice but to reinvent itself for the customer.

Can ESG be a recipe to deliver a unique experience in the future to attract the customer?

 

Hubert Abt Founder & CEO, workcloud24
9:30 - 11:00
Retail Investment and Development Potential
Panel

The retail sector is confronting numerous challenges and is undergoing rapid evolution. Notably, there is significant growth and innovation as traditional physical stores and online commerce intersect more closely. What potential lies ahead for the development of retail and shopping centres? How can retail portfolios adapt to maintain competitive rental values? Investors and developers in the region encounter major challenges—what are they? The prevailing economic conditions—how do they influence the sector? Will there be any shifts in credit financing availability? Emerging investment opportunities—are there any? Exploring the alternatives and identifying potential prospects in this dynamic sector.

 

 

Craig Smith (Moderator) Publisher, EuropaProperty.com
James Turner Group Managing Director, Sierra Balmain
Frédéric Rouleau Managing Director, Multi Poland
Hubert Abt Founder & CEO, workcloud24
Brendon O'Reilly Managing Director, FASHION HOUSE Group
Ada Walentek General Manager, Nhood Poland
Dieter Knittel Head of CEE Real Estate Finance International, pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank
11:00 - 11:30
Coffee & Networking Break

A time for networking with speakers, sponsors and attendees.

11:30 - 12:30
Meeting the retailers – what are their plans for 2024 and beyond?
Panel

The swift evolution of the retail landscape is intensifying the demand for strategically positioned retail spaces. A multitude of international and regional retailers are opening and expanding across the region indicating how compelling the CEE markets are right now. In 2024, average GDP growth across the CEE is forecast to be double that of Western Europe, operating costs have stabilised, and household income and consumer spending are holding up well. These factors present retailers with outstanding opportunities to grow their presence across the region. What are the current requirements for shopping centres, retail parks, high streets, outdoor malls, and standalone convenience stores? Which retail categories are extending their presence into traditional shopping centres? What quantity and type of space will be essential?

Craig Smith (Moderator) Publisher, EuropaProperty.com
Angelus Bernreuther Investor Relationship Management, Kaufland International
Wojciech Normand Member of the Board, DEICHMANN
Dierk Schneider Director Global Real Estate, Swarovski International Holding
Magdalena Przybysz, Expansion and Investment Director CEE, DOUGLAS
Grzegorz Przytuła Partner, EY-Parthenon
12:30 - 14:00
CEO NETWORKING & BUSINESS LUNCH

A time for networking with speakers, sponsors and attendees over a buffet-style lunch, liquid refreshments and tasty desserts.

19:30 - 22:00
16th Annual CEE Retail Awards Gala

Five-Star Awards Ceremony and Dinner beamed live from the Intercontinental Hotel. Our state-of-the-art gala night production will push the boundaries of technology and live entertainment to bring you an awards experience like no other. We encourage all attendees to maximise this special occasion as we announce the winners and thank the sponsors.

22:00 - 02:00
Late night networking and entertainment, including WHISKEY & COGNAC LOUNGE

Awards Categories

Submit your company in the following categories

Agency
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Architectural Firm
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Asset Management Firm
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Bank/Financing
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Construction Firm
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Developer
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Retail Park Developer
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Warehouse Developer
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Investor
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Law Firm
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Professional
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Professional Service Provider
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Best F+B Concept
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Project: Retail Extension/ Refurbishment Project
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Project: Retail Park
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Project: Retail Project Small (under 10,000 sqm GLA)
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Project: Retail Project Medium (10,000 to 20,000 sqm GLA)
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Project: Retail Project Large (over 20,000 sqm GLA)
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Project: Ultimate Retail Destination
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Project: Warehouse Project
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Project Management Firm
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Property Management Firm
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Retail Innovation
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Retailer of the Year
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Retailer: Coffeeshop Retailer
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Retailer: Convenience Store Chain
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Retailer: Cosmetics Retailer
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Retailer: Fashion Retailer (under 500 sqm)
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Retailer: Fashion Retailer (over 500 sqm)
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Retailer: Fitness Club Retailer
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Retailer: F&B Retailer
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Retailer: Entertainment & Leisure
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Retailer: Kids' Retailer
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Retailer: Fashion Retailer
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Retailer: Online Retailer
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Retailer: Specialty Retailer
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Retailer: Supermarket Chain
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Shopping Center Director
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Tax & Financial Provider
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Logistics Provider
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Warehouse/Fulfillment Developer
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Retail Tech Provider
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Rising Star
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Retail Park Chain
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“Lifestyle Awards by Natalia Tomczyk”; retailer, products, services, travel, living and leisure
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Trailblazer in Net Zero Impact Award
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NEW: Renewable Energy - achieving NET ZERO
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Jury

Dieter Knittel Head of CEE Real Estate Finance International pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank

Dieter Knittel is Head of International Real Estate Finance for Central and Eastern Europe at pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank. Dieter is responsible for the bank’s lending portfolio in the region. The regional focus is on Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. Dieter has been active in the CEE market for more than twenty years, including five years based in Warsaw as Head of Credit and Senior Risk Management.

Dierk Schneider Director Global Real Estate Swarovski International Holding AG

20 years working in retail with global focus

For 10 years responsible for Swarovski’s global Real Estate Portfolio

Swarovski is operating in 150 markets / 2400 stores and 7300 POPs in total

Katarzyna Dąbrowska Property & Expansion Director Vision Express
James Turner Group Managing Director Sierra Balmain

Prior to establishing the Balmain Asset Management group in 2003, James held various senior positions with Westfield over a ten-year career, culminating in establishing their European shopping centre business in London in 1998.

Over his thirty-two year career, he has been directly involved with 2.7 million sqm and EUR 10.5 billion of shopping centre assets. James has worked in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and executed transactions across Europe, the USA and in Canada.

James leads the strategy and investments for the Sierra Balmain business.

Seweryn Cieśla CEO The Quest Group
Tomasz Szewczyk Managing Partner, Acteeum Group; President of the Board, Acteeum Central Europe Acteeum Group

From 1999 to 2006 Tomasz was working for Royal Ahold, ultimately as Vice President Real Estate Ahold Central Europe, being responsible for all real estate activities of Ahold in Central Europe. Ahold at that time operated app 400 Albert supermarkets and 70 Hypernova hypermarkets in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Tomasz was dealing with the development of numerous shopping centers, acquisitions and sales, both of real estate as well as retail operations.

Tomasz joined ACTEEUM Group in October 2006. From January 2007 till September 2009 he acted as Country Managing Director Turkey, being responsible for all ACTEEUM development and shopping center management activities in Turkey. As of September 2009 Tomasz is President of the Management Board for ACTEEUM Central Europe. He is Managing Partner for Acteeum Group

By education Tomasz is a civil engineer, graduated from the Technical University of Cracow.

Izabela Karolczyk-Szafrańska Board Member, CMO & ESG Officer InPost Group InPost

In 2018, she joined InPost Group as Marketing Director. Iza has over 20 years of experience in
marketing, public relations, management and building CX – positive customer experiences with the
brand. Previously associated with the entertainment industry as Marketing and PR Director at Cinema
City and Cineworld Group. She also gained marketing experience at Unilever, working on brands such
as Lipton, Amino, as well as Bakalland and Kamis -Przyprawy. Currently, she is involved in the
development of all brands of the InPost S.A. Group.

Monika Stachurska-Waga Tax Advisor, Senior Manager TPA Poland

Monika specializes in transaction and restructuring advisory. She has extensive experience in complex tax advisory services for clients from different economic sectors regarding issues concerning their ongoing business activities.

Monika has advised with respect to the tax consequences of conducting investment projects in Poland under the mergers and acquisitions transactions and preparing effective capital structures. She was involved in restructuring projects for clients operating in different market sectors.

She graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Białystok and completed post-graduate studies in “Managing Company Value” at the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH). She also studied economics at the Universita degli’ Studi dell’Insubria in Varese, Italy.

Kamil Kupisz Store Development Director Poland TEDi Sieć Handlowa Sp. z o.o

TEDi: Store Development Director Poland since 2023
ALDI: Head of Real Estate and Expansion Department 2021-2022
LIDL: Expansion Manager 2009-2020

Wolfgang Molnar Executive Director, Erste Group Commercial Real Estate Erste Group Bank AG

Wolfgang has started his career as technician where he worked for ten years and has been responsible for water treatment plants. Afterwards more than two decades ago he joined Erste Group Bank AG which is heading the Austrian savings bank sector.

Here,  based in Erste`s Viennese Headquarter Wolfgang has gained various experience (retail, restructuring, origination) primarily in the Erste Group Commercial Real Estate Division where he is currently responsible for origination and structuring real estate transactions (office, retail, mixed-use, logistics) in Austria, Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Erste Group manages a commercial real estate portfolio of more than EUR 14billion with an annual deal flow of more than EUR 2.5 billion, the regional focus including Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Croatia.

Tomasz Trzósło CEO EPP sp. z o.o.

With over 25 years of experience in the CEE real estate markets, Tomasz Trzósło has a strong track record in working with all industry branches, including retail, office, industrial, hotel and residential sectors. Since early 2020, he takes on the role of CEO at EPP, the largest owner and asset manager of retail real estate in Poland in terms of GLA, with a portfolio of 35 projects formed by 29 shopping centres and 6 office complexes.
Before joining EPP, he worked for JLL for over 20 years, lastly as JLL Managing Director for Poland and Central Europe, responsible for company’s activities in the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. He was also a Member of Legal & Compliance Board of Tetris design and construction business for EMEA. Prior to that, Tomasz ran the capital markets teams of JLL for both Poland and Central and Eastern Europe, and as such was involved in numerous transactions across the region, including portfolio and property disposals and acquisitions, fund raising and debt deals, or structured equity transactions.
Tomasz holds a master’s degree in Financial Accounting and Economics from the Cracow University of Economics, and has been certified in valuation and portfolio management from London’s City University Investment Property Forum.
His commitment to the business and passion for the industry are demonstrated by the membership in the Strategic Council of the Polish Council of Shopping Centres, as well as the representation of the company in the Polish Chamber of Commercial Real Estate and Employers of Poland.

Ewa Karska Shopping Malls Director Carrefour Poland

As Carrefour Polska Shopping Malls Director, Ewa Karska is responsible for the development and implementation of the company’s strategic goals in terms of leasing, managing and developing a portfolio of over 35 large shopping centers of the chain on the Polish market with a total area of over 350 000 GLA.

She has been associated with the property industry for over 20 years. In 2003-2007 she managed Carrefour shopping centers in Toruń, Gdańsk and Kraków and then the lease of over 50 shopping centers belonging to the network in Poland. In 2008 she was appointed Country Shopping Malls Director for Carrefour Poland portfolio.

Anna Polak Head of leasing MMG

Anna Polak  –  a real estate expert with 15 years of experience in leasing  of real estate  and  development in Poland. (Cooperation  with Investment Funds such as:  Blackstone Real Estate Fund; ECC Real Estate Group, Carpathian Fund). Leading Magnolia Shopping Mall and Galeria Młociny leasing development process.

Magdalena Przybysz Expansion and Investment Director CEE Douglas

Magdalena Przybysz has been the Director of Expansion and Investment for the Central and Eastern Europe region since January 2019.

Previously, she worked for the H&M group for over 15 years. For many years, Magdalena Przybysz held the position of Leasing Manager on the Polish market and Central and Eastern Europe region. She graduated from the University of Finance and Management in Warsaw. Magdalena Przybysz has many years of experience in management, expansion and investment industry.

Aleksandra Podsiadła Expansion Director Tatuum

Experienced manager with over 15 years track record in real estate.

Professional experience has focus on expansion, leasing and negotiations both in Poland and abroad.

Previously also in the field of investment and maintenance.

Anna Malcharek Managing Director Gemini Holding

Anna Malcharek – Managing Director at Gemini Holding Sp. z o. o., with nearly 20 years of experience in real estate and asset management. Since 2018 she has been a Strategic Board Member at Retail Institute, and since 2020, Vice President of Polish Council of Shopping Centers. Valued retail industry expert and participant of many discussion panels, including MAPIC, Eurobuild Conferences, Europa Property Conferences, Shopping Center Forum.
In 2007-2009, she worked as a Marketing and PR Director, followed by the position of Operational Director at Galeria Kazimierz. At that time, her responsibilities included positioning, development and commercialisation strategies, operating budget, long-term marketing strategy and communication. In 2009, she has assumed the role of Managing Director in shopping centers owned by GTC S.A. She was responsible for devising and implementing long- and short-term strategies for facilities based on budget, fostering relationships with tenants, planning and implementation of communication strategies for two key investments in the GTC’s portfolio: Galeria Jurajska in Częstochowa and Galeria Kazimierz in Krakow.
Since 2014, she has been associated with Gemini Holding Sp. z o. o., where she holds the position of Managing Director. She is in charge of developing long-term strategies/asset value management also in relation to banks’ expectations (valuation, DSCR, credit value, etc.) for the Holding’s shopping malls, budget planning based on loan agreements/covenants, negotiations with business partners, commercialization strategies and direct contact with tenants. Her responsibilities also include supervision of company management and teams in Gemini Park Tychy, Tarnow and Bielsko-Biała.
Graduate of Polish Language and Literature at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.

Wojciech Normand Member of the Board DEICHMANN

Lawyer, graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Wroclaw.
From 1992 to 2004 partner in the office of Legal Advisers Kołodziej, Pinkosz & Partners. Specialization: tax law.
Since 2004 in DEICHMANN-Obuwie Sp. z o. o. – the polish subsidary of Deichmann Group,
the largest shoe and sportswear retail chain in Europe, initially as an internal corporation lawyer, then the proxy of the board also responsible for the expansion of the company.
Since 2007 Vice President of the Board responsible for the administrative part of the company, including finance, investment and expansion of then retail chain.
Member of the Board in other companies of the DEICHMANN group – UAB Deichmann Avalyne (Lithuania), Deichmann Apavi (Latvia), Deichmann Kingad OÜ (Estonia) Deichmann Logistik Polska Sp. z o.o. (Poland) and Snipes Polska SA.

Edyta Potera Head of Expansion, Construction and Facility Department Tchibo Warszawa

Experienced Manager with over 25 years track record in commercial real estate.

Edyta worked for Retail Agency at JLL for 13 years on the positions of Senior Leasing Manager, Associate Director, Head of Landlord Representation Services and Senior Director. She was running and coordinating projects of retail space leasing/re-leasing, development and implementation of repositioning, extension remodeling strategies of retail facilities for investors such as: Inter Ikea, Globe Trade Centre, Resolution Property, Sierra Balmain, Neinver, White Star, Cromwell Property Group, Futureal, Caelum, Immobel, Carrefour Polska, S+B Gruppe, King Cross, Auchan Polska, Multi Development and many others.

Since April 2020 she has been responsible for expansion of German family-owned company – Tchibo. Her key responsibilities include: development of expansion strategy, location evaluation, commercial terms and lease agreement negotiations, coordination of construction works.

 

Edyta graduated from Warsaw University – Institute of Applied Linguistics. She has both real estate and management licenses.

Sebastian Paciorek Expansion Manager MediaMarkt

Sebastian Paciorek has 16 years of experience as a controller and expansion expert. At MediaMarkt, he is in charge of searching for new locations for stores, agreeing on commercial terms, and preparing investment proposals. He has previously built his experience in brands such as Kappahl and Michelin. He is an expert in controlling, expansion, investment and creating budget plans.

Hubert Abt Founder & CEO workcloud24

Hubert Abt has been working in the real estate industry for over 30 years. He worked as a developer and later in the land banking sector and provided equity and Mezzanine capital for various real estate projects. In 2013 he founded NEW WORK Offices in Budapest, which provides various flexible office solutions. Since then he developed the business model further and grew the company to today 16 locations in 3 countries with approx. 43.000 sqm which brings NEW WORK in the top 3 list in CEE. Hubert now leads the company as CEO while focusing on investor relations and franchising. Since December 2020 Hubert is also a founder and CEO of workcloud24, which provides digital solutions for workforce and workspace management.

Beata Maciąg CEO | Board Member Mayland

Beata Maciąg has been associated with the Casino Group for over 20 years. Since 2008 she has been the Chief Financial Officer and since 2016 – a board member. In 2021 she took the position of Chief Excecutive Offficer.
Since, she heads development department and supervises overall Mayland’s activity.
She has been responsible for:
__ all financial aspects of running companies (statutory accounts, consolidation, budgeting, reporting);
__ management systems implementation and development; __ acquiring funds for company projects in form of bank loans or equity;
__ sale of shopping centres
managing the redevelopment of 25,000 sqm of retail space;
– supervising the complex project activities, such as leasing, property management, cost management, construction delivery, legal and financial matters;

Frédéric Rouleau Managing Director Multi Poland

Frédéric Rouleau joined Multi Corporation in 2020 as Managing Director (MD) of Multi Poland. In February 2023 he was also appointed as MD of Latvia, Ukraine and France.​

Frédéric has over 25 years of professional experience, including more than 20 years working for the French Casino Group and over 12 years in Poland in the commercial real estate industry.​

Prior to joining, he worked at Mayland Real Estate based in Warsaw, Poland as a Director where he was responsible for investment controlling and real estate management.​

Ahmet Eroglu Head of Region Europe Koton Textile Group GMBH
Yoram Reshef Vice-President of the Board Blue City

Yoram Reshef is a graduate in economy and management from the University of Bar-Illan in Israel. He came to Poland from Israel in 1998, as the Director General of Asbud, a company with Israeli capital. In the years 1999-2002 he was responsible in the GTC group for the building and management of Galeria Mokotow, the first new generation shopping mall in Poland.

His next challenge was leading the Blue City Project, a shopping mall in Ochota – starting from June 2002, when he oversaw its construction, till today when he is the General Director and Vice President of the Board. Yoram Resheff has been distinguished many times with prestigious titles such as manager of the year.

Paweł Oskędra Property Director Smyk

Paweł Oskędra is a mature senior manager with more than 20 years of work experience in commercial real estate. The first few years he spent working for both Jones Lang Wotton and Europa Park performing various services  and being responsible for  retail, offices and industrial (Europa Park).   The next almost 10 years of his professional life Paweł spent working for shopping center owners, investors and manag­ers. His positions during that time included head of the leasing department at ECE Projektmanagement, head of the leasing department at Parkridge Retail and head of the leasing department at Apsys Polska. Paweł was responsible for leasing and re-leasing of a portfolio of shopping centers, extensions of existing schemes and other restructur­ings, for investors such as GE, Heitman, Casino Group, Aviva Investors and Deutsche Bank group. He was involved in projects including Galeria Krakowska, Galeria Łódzka, Galeria Kaskada, Alfa Shopping Center, Galeria Bałtycka, Galeria Dominikańska, Focus Mall Bydgoszcz and Focus Mall Zielona Góra and lots of others.  After 10 years working on the owner’s side, Paweł changed the side of the market and became Property Director at Ultimate Fashion, one of the biggest retailers in CEE, operating brands such as  Esprit, River Island, GAP, Aldo, Mango, Hugo Boss, New Look, Peacocks, Mexx, Spring . He was personally responsible firstly for  the roll out of brands such as : New Look, GAP, River Island and Peacocks and later on  for the successful restructuring of the fashion division of EMF’s business in Poland and CEE, including Russia and Ukraine. Once happened Paweł joined another business unit of EM&F where performed services for other business units of EM&F to include Ultimate Fashion, Empik and Smyk both in Poland and some other markets. Since Feb 2015 Paweł moved to Smyk Group  and holds the position of Property Director (area of responsibility: development + maintenance + construction) covering Poland, Ukraina and  finally Romania.

Tomasz Sudoł Expansion Director Hebe

I have been involved in retail in the broadest sense of the word for nearly 16 years, with more than 7 years working for the Jeronimo Martins Group. As Business Development Director (Expansion Director) developing the Hebe brand, and during my eight years of work at Solar Company S.A. as Chief Operations Director (initially as Sales Director), I became deeply familiar with the specifics of the dispersed sales network, product specifics and customer requirements for health, hygiene and clothing products. The operation of the Hebe brand, the development strategy, the implementation of product policy and the development of the sales network are the most important key conditions for an everyday products company operating in a highly competitive environment. Over the past 7 years, I have opened more than 260 Hebe stores in Poland, and last year 2 stores in the Czech Republic, which is the beginning of our international expansion.

At Solar Company S.A. I was responsible for the sales network of own stores (75 stores), franchise stores (26 in Poland, 5 abroad – Luxembourg, Lubeck, Landshut, Hannover, Bristol), and the network of partner stores (135 in Poland and abroad). I was directly responsible to the Board of Directors for all aspects of the store network’s operation, from the selection of locations, lease terms, space adaptation, employment, to sales efficiency and optimization of management processes. I prepared the operational strategy for the coming years. I managed investment processes related to the opening and remodeling of stores.

Sebastian Lenard Sales Growth Director Global / Head Of Audio Management IMS Sensory Media

Currently Vice President of The Board at Closer Music www.closermusic.com the music driven unicorn company out of IMS SA.
Sebastian is a very experienced manager with many years of business experience in expansion, retail, franchising, wholesale management, and start-up projects.
During his professional career, he has broken through as an innovator, holding high positions at companies with an international reputation. For instance, he was a POA at PeerajBrands International SRL who held licensed brands such as Armani, Boggi Milano, and Swarovski. In addition, he was the CEO of SportsDelite, an exclusive partner of Skechers, where he developed monobrand stores in the Polish / Romanian market.
On top of all that, he led the development of new and local companies in European and Arab markets, such as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Baltic States, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Tehran. For almost six years, he was responsible for the international and B2B expansion of the Kazar and Kazar Studio. He was successful in the growth and development of Freeport Retail UK in Germany and Rohleder Lumby Ltd. in Slovakia and Estonia. He collaborated with SJ International as Head of Lease for Tom Tailor & Tommy Hilfiger on the European FOC market. He pioneered various projects with brands such as SARAR and MaviJeans.

Jacek Wesołowski Managing Director Trei Real Estate Poland

Jacek Wesolowski has more than 30 years of experience in the retail, office and residential real estate markets. Since 2016, as managing director of Trei Real Estate Poland, he has been responsible for the company’s investment and development activities. He oversees the dynamic development of the Vendo Park retail park chain. He also manages Trei’s retail portfolio, which includes 139 facilities. As of 2019, he heads the residential company Trei Residential, which has already completed the Kraft estate, delivering 191 apartments to the Łódź market, and currently has under construction the Bacciarellego 54 estate in Wrocław (the fourth and final stage of this development), which will deliver a total of 276 units. Further plans include a development project in Poznań, where the first PRS development from Trei in Poland will be built. A similar development for institutional rental will also be built in Warsaw. In addition, one more residential project will be developed in the capital. Trei Real Estate Poland’s development plans also include starting construction of housing estates in Milanówek, Wrocław and Łódź. A total of about 2,000 apartments will be on offer in Poland’s largest cities as part of the planned projects thanks to Trei.
Jacek Wesolowski is an active ambassador of small retail formats. In 2019. Trei launched a project of the first annual summaries in Poland published in the form of independent reports issued in cooperation with consulting companies.
In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jacek Wesolowski was one of the initiators and representative of the community of retail park owners operating in Poland in talks with tenants. Negotiations were held with 38 chains and companies, representing more than 900 stores in over 200 locations. The agreements reached allowed tenants to reopen their stores by the end of May 2020.
Before joining Trei, he was responsible for the success of the first downtown KLIF shopping center in Gdynia, then the Silesia project in Katowice or the Castle Terraces in Lublin.

Magdalena Kowalewska Chief Operating Officer LCP Properties w Polsce
Leon Goldwater CEO We Are POP UP

Leon Goldwater is the managing partner of Real Estate Partners (REP), which is an investment vehicle with a focus on innovative retail and technology businesses within real estate. Leon has over 20 years of hands-on experience in building and managing companies within the media and marketing sector. Leon is the CEO of We Are Pop Up the world’s first marketplace and booking platform for temporary retail spaces with over 13 thousand pop-up shops created. he is the co-founder of Six and Sons a retail platform for sustainable brands and co-owner of BrandSpots, a full-service pop-up shop provider and innovative outdoor media agency. he also serves on the board for Europe Real Estate (REP), a European real estate media publishing and marketing company. Leon is also the co-founder of Locanian Foundation which is a platform which connects all physical shops to a single marketplace dedicated to local purchases with a sustainable last mile delivery solution.

 

Łukasz Kozłowski Co-owner Sharley Hair Clinic

Advertising and marketing executive manager with more than 18 years of experience in the industry. Most recently, he managed the Initiative media agency, where he had the pleasure of working for brands such as Orange, Carlsber, LEGO, BMW and Rossmann. Currently, he is a partner at Datamasters, an online marketing agency specializing in precisely targeted campaigns based on mobile network operator data. Since last year, business partner of Magdalena Bogulak and co-owner of Sharley Hair Clinic in Warsaw.

Dariusz Zająkała CEO iSpot Poland
Andrzej Czarnecki Market Expansion Director NEONET
Piotr Zieliński Proxy of Management Board Shopping Centers Rossmann
Yvonne Court International Partner, Head EMEA Cross Border Retail & Leisure Services Cushman & Wakefield

Yvonne leads a dedicated Cross Border Retail & Leisure team at Cushman & Wakefield, combining consultancy (new market entry and location strategy globally) and agency/brokerage.  She is also a member of the EMEA Retail & Leisure Group board.  Yvonne has held advisory board positions on trade bodies including ICSC (advisory board member, founding member of the European Research Group), BCSC and ECSP.  While being based in London, Yvonne works closely with her many colleagues and C&W’s affiliate partners around the world, advising and representing many international retailers, brands, leisure and F&B operators on new market entry and expansion of existing store networks.   She has worked in many countries across EMEA, APAC and the Americas.  Yvonne has over 30 years’ experience of international retail and strategic consultancy, business development and client account management.

Agnieszka Gutowska Head of Brand Marketing & Communication NHOOD

Agnieszka Gutowska, director of communication, marketing and CSR of Nhood Polska

Leads the work of the Nhood Polska marketing team and is responsible for the comprehensive implementation of the Nhood brand communication strategy and marketing strategy for 24 Auchan shopping centres. As well as for creation, implementation and execution of the sustainability strategy and its reporting.

She co-created the Nhood and Ceetrus brands and led the team responsible for their launch on the Polish market. She is a member of the international groups responsible for the implementation of “Vision in Action”, the development of the #People #Planet #Profit sustainability strategy and setting directions in this area.

Georg Blaschke Head of Real Estate Finance CEE and Benelux Helaba

Georg Blaschke is an educated banker and holds a university degree in business administration. He has over 20 years of experience in real estate finance in USA, UK, France, Benelux and CEE. At professional posts in London, New York and Frankfurt he has been responsible for loan origination, credit management and business development. Since 2010 he is responsible for Real Estate Finance in Poland at Helaba and has originated and underwritten financings of about EUR 5.0 billion.

Waldemar Madajczyk Vice President European Markets CEE Guess
Roman Müller Head of Investment Management Retail Union Investment Real Estate

As Head of Investment Management Retail, Roman Müller is responsible for Union Investment’s acquisition and sales of retail properties in Europe. With a retail portfolio of approx. €9 billion, the company invests from market-dominant shopping centers to high street assets and grocery-anchored retail parks. In CEE, Union Investment owns and manages several retail properties with a valuation of nearly €1.6 billion. Most renowned are Manufaktura in Lodz and Palladium in Prague.

Before joining Union Investment in 2015, Roman Müller worked at Drees & Sommer and HIH Real Estate and lived in Hamburg, Moscow and Vienna. He studied Real Estate Engineering and Management at the Universities of Stuttgart and Cape Town and has more than 10 years of professional experience.

Olivia Igwe Owner Olivia Igwe International

Described once as “your International nomad”, I was born in Cambridge (UK). Traveling from a young age with my parents, I found a love for blending into different countries and languages.

 

Attending the much sought Instituto Marangoni Fashion school, I graduated with a degree in Fashion Styling, and then followed my passion by working with High-End Magazines, Celebrities, Designers and well known Fashion Houses such as Christians Dior, Givenchy, Aline Ocho, Adidas, Nike, Balenciaga, Rick Owens, Emporio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Modus Mensus, Numero. I also qualified as a Personal Shopper and Image Consultant in Switzerland to dig deeper into body image and colour matching.

 

Has decided through pandemic 2022 to give a whole viral pivot into the online space with branding to help the multicultural millennials build a brand for themselves, turning their pain into purpose through social media and collaboration.

Agata Witkowska Senior Real Estate Manager Eastern Europe Rituals

Agata has been part of the real estate in Poland and other CEE&SEE countries for over 20 years. She gained experience working for agency JLL leasing Galeria Mokotów among others, several Landlords DT Casino, Apsys, Klepierre and Tenants (Alshaya, Camaieu, Go Sport).

Since January 2020 she’s been responsible, as Real Estate Manager CEE, for expansion of Dutch worldwide brand Rituals, opening successfully 40 stores till end January 2024 and more to come.

Chris Igwe Founder & President Chris Igwe International

Chris Igwe is one of the world’s leading authorities on global retail and highly sought after for his passionate views, deep knowledge, and great insights.

Based in Paris, he is special advisor to global brands, owners, and investors on strategic matters at his own consultancy firm, Chris Igwe International. He is also Managing Partner at More Or Less, a firm which represents exclusively tenants in their portfolio and lease-related problems.

Chris is a past Co-Chair of the ULI (Urban Land Institute) Europe Retail and Entertainment Council and is a member of the European leadership of ULI as a Global Governing Trustee.

After 10 year’s successful career as a Civil Engineer, involved in iconic award-winning projects, Chris joined Foot Locker Europe as Head of Real Estate, later joining Gap to head up European Real Estate. He then become Managing Director Europe for ICSC, and later, Senior Director EMEA and Head of Retail, France at CBRE.

Retail clients have included 7 For All Mankind, Aesop, Costco, Disney, Farrow & Ball, Fossil, Hard Rock Café, Michael Kors, Nike, Sunglass Hut, Swarovski, TUMI, Vapiano.

Landlord clients have included AEW, Apsys, Deutsche Bank, Eurodisney, FREO, Grosvenor, Inter Ikea, Sonae Sierra, Value Retail, Unibail Rodamco.

Chris is a renown international keynote speaker, and a long-standing Conference Master of Ceremony (2011 – 2022) for MAPIC, the world’s leading retail exhibition and conference. He has also lectured for various schools, across Europe, in Cairo, and for Abu Dhabi Paris Sorbonne University. He is a Chartered Civil Engineer, holds a BSc in Civil Engineering and an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering.   

Chris was recognised by his peers as a recipient of the “2014 ICSC Award for Outstanding Service to the Research Community”. He is regularly quoted in retail trade press.

Chris is co-author of: “Secrets of Working Across Five Continents: Thriving Through the Power of Cultural Diversity” where he focuses on sharing insights into Visionary & Authentic Leadership.

Chris is multi-lingual and enjoys being an Executive Coach and Mentor.

Agata Brzezińska Head of CEE Pradera

Agata joined PRADERA in 2014. In her role of Head of CEE and Board Member, Agata is responsible for all aspects of Pradera’s operations in Central and Eastern Europe, where different vehicles are directly or indirectly controlling portfolio of 10 assets covering nearly 250,000 sqm of GLA, representing over €430 million value and nearly 500 tenancies.

Prior to joining Pradera, Agata held the position of Country Manager and Retail Director at Neinver Polska and was ultimately responsible for Neinver’s Polish operations including the development and asset management of the Factory Outlet Centers portfolio, Galeria Malta and Galeria Katowicka.

Agata’s earlier career in the retail property market include GTC S.A., on

behalf of Inter Alia, Galeria Mokotów and Galeria Kazimierz.

Agata graduated in Economics at PWSBiA in Warsaw, and is an AIESEC

organisation alumna. In 2017 Agata became a Certified Commercial Investment Member of the CCIM Institute. Since 2018 Agata has been holding Board Member position in Polish Council of Shopping Centres.

Barbara Has Head of Real Estate CEE Alshaya Group

Barbara has been working in a commercial real estate business in CEE Region for over 20 years, dealing with expansion and leasing for various landlords and retailers.

Started in 2004 as Leasing Associate in Magnolia Park (Wrocław), continued her journey as Sales and Leasing Director in Verity Development and later, for over 10 years, represented Orsay brand in CEE region in an expansion role.

 

She joined Alshaya in 2023 as Head of Real Estate responsible for management and development of Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works and The Body Shop’s portfolio in CEE region.


Barbara is an expert in expansion, management and negotiations. She loves exploring new countries, is very open-minded in finding extraordinary problem solutions and concentrates on delivering the best results for the company.

Maciej Podwojski Head of Sales, CEE Primark

Maciej Podwojski has 14 years of international retail experience that he has gained in the UK, Netherlands, Germany and recently CEE where he is currently head of sales

Brendon O'Reilly Managing Director FASHION HOUSE Group

Brendon O’Reilly is the Managing Director of Fashion House Group and Liebrecht & wood Romania, two property businesses working in commercial and residential real estate, as well as offering asset management solutions.
O’Reilly joined the company in 2010 as Managing Director after having spent nine years heading up GVA Outlets Ltd, and the company today boasts developments in Russia, Romania, and Poland.
Under O’Reilly’s leadership, the company regularly grapples with the changing landscape of real estate in central and eastern Europe, driven by the growing presence of online retailers and changing consumer habits among all categories. Its main activities are land acquisition, property development and property and asset management, with its essential purpose being to buy land and then sign contracts which convert the land into an object that has a good quality of cash flow.
Brendon’s academic qualifications include a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Stirling, which he obtained between 2002 and 2005. Prior to that, he completed a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) from Glasgow Caledonian University in 1982.
As an accomplished retailer and industry expert, Brendon O’Reilly’s contributions extend beyond his role at FASHION HOUSE Group and Liebrecht & wood Romania. He serves as the Chairman of the Outlet Retailer and Developers Association (ORDA), where he utilizes his extensive knowledge and experience to further promote the growth and success of the outlet sector.
Through his leadership, expertise, and dedication to the outlet and real estate industry, Brendon O’Reilly continues to make significant contributions to the development and management of Outlet Centre schemes, driving growth and innovation within the retail sector.

Marzena Maj Vice-CEO SMAY Ventilation System

Marzena Maj is a company leader in ventilation and fire safety. After earning over 18 years of experience in HVAC and sales, in 2021, she became the first female vice-CEO in her niche. Recognised for her abilities to drive innovation and promote truth in partnership and gender equality.

Marzena’s collaborative approach has led to groundbreaking projects such as the SafetyWay pressure differential system for high-rises and a sustainable wireless airflow regulator with perovskite cells. SMAY Co. works in 34 countries, allowing her to transform ventilation globally.

Her leadership make her an inspiring figure in the business world, resulting in a LinkedIn profile of 10,000+ followers, being invited as an expert to debates, and advising as a mentor in young people’s development programs.

She was awarded the Top Woman in Real Estate (Poland) and the International Woman of the Year 2023 (WIFS, UK). Beyond corporate success, she received numerous philanthropy awards, including for last year’s gala, in which she collected over PLN 14,000,000 for the beneficiaries of fire victims and the Rodzina Maj Foundation, of which she is the president.

Marek Noetzel Chief Operating Officer NEPI Rockcastle

Started in 2002 as an agent, promoted to the position of Associate and eventually Partner and the Head of the retail department. Responsible for consulting and leasing of various retail developments in Poland (Forum Gliwice, Agora Bytom, Galeria Katowicka, IKEA Gdansk, Carrefour Bielawy Torun, Forum Gdansk, Galeria Ostrow Wielkopolski) for multinational and local clients: Braaten + Pedersen, Multi Development, IKEA, Neinver, Carrefour.

Managing team of agents and consultants. Main responsibilities: preparing leasing and marketing strategy; tenant mix; promoting project during the various retail fair; commercialization; supporting tenants expansion cross border. As Associate and Partner – responsible for team management, business development (identifying new clients and opportunities), and liaison with senior management of C&W.

Responsible for setting up a team in Warsaw and developing business from the beginning. First in Poland and then outside after the board decided to expand further.

Managing assets/leasing/development of the portfolio: 5 countries and 23 shopping centers in Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary (delivering around 150 mil EUR of NOI per year; valued at 2.8 b EUR). Responsible for continuous improvement and tracking of shopping centers KPIs, identifying and executing asset management initiatives/ensuring an increase of NOI of the portfolio.

Preparation and execution of CAPEX/OPEX/MAREX budgets. Setting up management of new projects developed or bought and everyday operational management of offices.

Responsible for the operational management of the offices in PL, CZ, SK, LT, and HU (over 70 employees). As an Investment Committee Member involved in acquisitions/expansion strategy. Preparing, discussing for approval of investments proposals.

Reporting to the Board of Directors on operational matters (KPIs, developments) every quarter; involved in annual and semi-annual investors presentations and meetings (results + operational performance). Participating in roadshows with investors when raising capital for the company.

Paul Kusmierz Principal Master Management

A native of Minnesota, Paul Kusmierz, has been a resident in Poland and active in the Polish and CEE real estate markets since 1996. In 2006, Mr. Kusmierz founded Master Management Group (MMG). MMG has become one of the top leaders in the Polish real estate market, gaining the trust of international business partners in terms of development, management and investment. Mr. Kusmierz has been responsible for over 40 transactions totalling over 1.3 billion Euros.

As the Acquisition Director and Equity Partner in a retail fund based in Poland with Europa Capital, Mr. Kusmierz managed one of the largest transactions of 2007. He acquired 14 properties and later sold the portfolio. Further, in cooperation with the Blackstone Real Estate Group, MMG was responsible for transaction advisory, property management and leasing of high-quality Polish shopping malls of 250 000 m2 GLA, owned by King’s Street Retail, which included the successful 50 million Euro expansion of Magnolia Park in Wrocław, whereby MMG was the developer and leasing agent. MMG also partnered with UK based Marcol Group and US based Kravco Company. The latest development project in the MMG portfolio was Galeria Młociny, a prime retail complex of 70 000 m2 GLA, located in the Bielany district in Warsaw. The project was leased 60% and successfully sold to Echo Polska Properties and Echo Investment S.A. in March 2017  for  104.5 million Euros.

Master Management Group, under the leadership of Mr. Kusmierz, has been investing in commercial real estate and executing its own projects. Currently, MMG operates over 100 000 m2 of GLA in Poland including: Brama Mazur in Ełk, Galeria Niwa in Oświęcim and centers in: Poznań, Szczecin, Lubin, Kutno, Ciechanów, Piekary Śląskie and Józefosław (MMG Centers*). All galleries are “the first choice” shopping destinations in their regions with a proven track record in every aspect of management. Niwa and Brama Mazur were both developed by MMG and are award winning projects.

MMG is also an investor and developer of a mixed – use complex Hi Piotrkowska, being defined as the landmark building in the center of Łódź. The complex is located near the Public Transport Hub, accounted for 50 000 travellers daily.

Marko Blaževič Brand President CEE Popeyes

Marko Blaževič, a 34-year-old Czech citizen, has 15 years of expertise in retail and food & tech industries, gained from several roles at AmRest and Delivery Hero. Since 2022, he has been instrumental in expanding the Popeyes brand in CEE region.

Krzysztof Bocianowski Leasing and Expansion Director LPP
Tom Gibney SME ESG Director and co-owner G8 Consulting

Hi, I am Tom Gibney the SME ESG Director and co-owner of ‘G8 Consulting’ a boutique ESG & Sustainability Business Advisory Services company, and Jury Member for the CEE Ultimate Retail Awards & Deal-making 2024.
Academically I have a mechanical biased education, Project Management qualified and hold an MBA in Leadership & Sustainability. I have also gained certification from the ACCA for Sustainable Finance & Due Diligence in Banking (Risk assessment, audit reports & KPI setting) and a diploma from Oxford University – Said Business School – in Private Equity Investment Funding Programme.
My career progression has led to a steady rise up to Senior Executive positions including Managing Director of two very successful European based start-up companies covering the fields of Facilities & Project Management and AEP/CM.
I have spent the best part of the last 30 years working & living overseas having been fortunate enough to gain International work experience in countries such as India, Africa, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Poland and Hungary. Thus, resulting in EMEA-wide knowledge of ESG, Sustainability and circular economy in real estate construction and operations, manufacturing, insurance & financial services, corporate business operations and renewable & alternative energy markets. Successfully embedding ESG Sustainable strategies into business operations and ensuring our clients receive regular regulatory updates while compiling their annual compliant ESG/Sustainability reports for numerous stakeholder interests.

Panos Linardos Chairman Retail Leaders Circle

Panos Linardos is the Executive Director of the New York Institute of Management and Chairman of
Retail Leaders Circle. Panos leads the retail, consumer goods, tech, media and sports practice at NYIM
and has advised and worked with the chief executives and founders of some of the world’s leading
commerce and tech-enabled companies in a variety of areas, including strategy, business transformation,
global opportunities, and the launch of several market-shaping innovations.
Panos has an active travel schedule, discussing research findings with CEOs and other executives at
international Fortune 500 companies, and is a frequent speaker on those topics as well as on broader
global trends. At NYIM, Panos is known for his work on promoting innovative human capital
development practices and maximizing ROI on organizational transformation, talent, and strategy
initiatives for leading consumer-facing clients.
Prior to NYIM, Panos held various leadership positions in corporate strategy and finance with WestRock
Company. Throughout his career he has collaborated with technologists, business leaders and
policymakers on taskforces and commissions on how disruption is catalyzing growth and economic
development.

Jacek Zagrabski Plenipotentiary of the Board of Directors for Leasing and Expansion Saller Group

1989 – 1995: Studied Political Science in Munich
1996 – 2002: Möbel Walther AG – Human Resources Officer, Head of Human Resources Division
2003 – 2005: Freelancer of real estate and rental
2006 – now: Expansion and rental at Saller

Heidemarie Kriz Owner / Retail Architect & Designer KRIZH // Point of Sale Doctor

Architect and designer Heidemarie Kriz has been working in the retail sector for over 25 years. She worked for many years in leading positions for global brands throughout Europe and now runs an office for concept development and retail design in the heart of Vienna, Austria. Kriz and her team of experts specialize in retail concepts, analyses, and holistic consulting in the retail sector. During the pandemic, she created the online tool: Point of Sale Doctor, which enables sustainable and simple advice at the POS by using a smartphone. Kriz has co-hosted a retail podcast for three years (the Retail News Flash is published bi-weekly) and regularly provides tips in her retail column in Across Magazine, the international placemaking magazine. She is considered to have a nose for future trends and is intensively involved with people’s senses and their impact when used at the POS. She is often booked for workshops and lectures due to her decades of international experience, her holistic approach and her foresight.

Dominik Wagner Managing Partner TIGGES

Dr. Dominik Wagner is an internationally active business lawyer with over 15 years of professional experience. As the Managing Partner at TIGGES Rechtsanwälte in Düsseldorf, Warsaw and Katowice, he specializes as a certified attorney in Commercial and Corporate Law as well as in International Business Law. Mr. Wagner has extensive experience in areas such as company formation, M&A, trade relations, international investment projects, and German-Polish business topics. He works closely with German, Polish, and international companies from various sectors, providing comprehensive support in business law matters, from company establishment and international expansion to contract negotiations and preparation. Dominik Wagner is currently President of the international law firm network ICLA and has been President of the International Business Law Commission in the international lawyers’ network AIJA for six years now. He completed his law studies at the Ruhr University in Bochum, where he also wrote a comparative law dissertation on foundation law. He subsequently pursued postgraduate Master of Laws studies at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Dominik Wagner places great emphasis on the economic and legal relations between Germany and Poland. As a European lawyer at the Bar Association in Katowice and a board member of the AHK Poland in Warsaw, he is deeply rooted in German-Polish economic and legal relations. Thanks to his fluent language skills in German, Polish, and English, he can overcome cultural and mental differences, ensuring effective communication.

Pawel Korobacz CEE Expansion Director YES BIŻUTERIA SA

Pawel has over 30 years experience at trading and developing of distribution. He is the graduate (MSc Eng.) of Poznan University of Technology. At 1996 he began working for Eurocash – JMD, one of the leaders of FMCG market in Poland. Since the beginning of 1998 in charge of the retail net of jeweller’s stores YES. Initially at the position of Development Manager, since May 2000 Retail Director, then Retail Expansion and Organisation Director and since the beginning of 2021 CEE Expansion Director. His duties involve responsibility for investments, organisation, and market growth of YES and Verona brands in CEE area. Established the first franchise offer of jewellery stores on the Polish market, as an important part of jewellery stores net, which reached 231 stores (187 YES, incl. 5 in Czech Republic and 1 in Slovakia + 44 Verona) at the end of 2023 and is keeping the second position at that highly competing market. Co-Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Polish Franchise Organisation (POF).

Helen Barnish Managing Director Entertaining Retail

Executive Development Director with dynamic, growth brands over the last 30 years including Merlin Entertainments, Hamleys, Nokia, The Body Shop, and Clarks Shoes.
Having researched and visited over 100 international markets including the CEE area, I have contracted brands into 52 different markets with Franchise Partners/Company Operations, and, opened over 1000 stores and entertainment formats.
I founded Entertaining Retail in 2017 to provide a bespoke service to clients to support their international expansion requirements and deliver profits through sustainable and ethical models.
Working with brands, financial investors and developers, Entertaining Retail specialises in the international development of food and beverage, retail and experiential leisure formats globally.
I have a unique knowledge of the challenges of setting up businesses in new locations/markets, understanding of customer dynamics by location, and a ‘black book’ of retailers and franchise operators globally.
I am a regular speaker and panelist at key international events including Mapic, Retail Week ,and ICSC, and, a proud to have raised over £10,000 for children’s charities through running 10 international marathons and cycling events.

Agnieszka Ciupak Managing Director GTC

At GTC, Mrs. Ciupak oversees the Polish office and retail portfolio and is responsible for all operations in Poland, including office and retail asset management, leasing, fit-out, marketing and HR.

Agnieszka Ciupak brings over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry. She has worked for international companies and owner funds for many years. She has held the position of office and retail department director at companies such as CPI Poland, HB Reavis Poland, and Griffin Real Estate/Echo Investment. During her career, she also worked at GTC as an office leasing director, where she was responsible for leasing GTC’s portfolio in Warsaw, Cracow, Katowice, and Lodz.

Marcin Bronkowski Expansion Manager Castorama Poland

Marcin is responsible for expansion of Castorama which is a leading DIY chain in Poland with over 100 stores and a part of Kingfisher Group – an international home improvement company with ~2,000 stores. Marcin has over 15 years of experience on property market in development, asset management and leasing of commercial properties.

Łukasz Komierowski CEO – General partner Redkom Development Sp. k.

Engineer, graduate from the Faculty of Management at Warsaw Technical University.
From 2001 to 2018 he was involved in the family industrial business, spearheading new investments, particularly in real estate (new developments and investment ventures). Since 2005, he has successfully managed BPRO Fastening, a leading company in construction fastening systems, specializing in fastening for wood.

He ventured into retail parks development and management, starting in Romania and later establishing Redkom Development in Poland in 2019. Redkom has shifted focus to large-scale retail park projects, while still undertaking logistic and residential projects.

Since 2018 Lukasz is a board member of the Polish Association of Prefab Housing.

He is a passionate offshore sailor both for mono and multihulls, loves freeride skiing and nomad offroad camper life (when possible…)

Olivier Beguin CEO EQUILIS EUROPE
Anita Rajchelt MEU Head of Real Estate – CF/ATS AMAZON

Anita Rajchelt is Real Estate Asset & Transaction Manager in Amazon, based in Warsaw. She is responsible for the management of Amazon’s real estate portfolio in Poland and involved in RE transactions supporting Amazon’s expansion in the region. Prior to joining Amazon, Anita was Portfolio Manager at TFI PZU, a Polish Investment Fund, active in all industry sectors, where she was responsible for new acquisitions as well as coordinating development processes. Anita has also gained extensive professional experience in Asset Management and Investment Transaction Services, having hold a number of senior positions in Cushman & Wakefield and King Sturge, international property agencies.Anita earned a master degree in Finance and Banking with faculty in Real Estate and Investment at University of Lodz. In addition she graduated postgraduate studies in Property Appraisal and Management at Sheffield Hallam University. She is also a qualified RICS surveyor and a member of INREV.

Łukasz Ciesielski Managing director STRABAG Real Estate, Poland

Łukasz Ciesielski started his professional career more than 20 years ago in the construction industry in Vienna. In 2012, he joined the real estate sector, and since 2019 has led the Polish branch of STRABAG Real Estate as managing director. He is responsible for the company’s strategy and operations.

Łukasz Ciesielski has been working for the STRABAG Group since 2004. During his time working for the group, he has created structures for the Polish development company, STRABAG Real Estate. He was also co-responsible for the development processes of Motel One and Astoria Premium Offices investments in Warsaw. Earlier, he gained international experience realizing building construction and infrastructural projects in Austria, Germany, and Ukraine.

Currently, under the leadership of Łukasz Ciesielski, the developer STRABAG Real Estate is running two projects in Poland. In Warsaw, it is developing the Upper One office and hotel complex – one of the most anticipated investments in the capital’s office market, which will be built on the site of the former Atrium International. In Cracov, on the other hand, the investor plans to replace the demolished Plaza shopping mall with a multifunctional complex of several buildings.

Łukasz Ciesielski graduated from the Faculty of Construction at the Vienna University of Technology, specializing in Construction Management and Economics, as well as completed post-graduate studies at the Poznań School of Banking, majoring in Capital Investments.

Piotr Piechocki Managing Director Falcon Investment Management

3 year in Falcon Investment Management, 3 years in PURO hotels, 5 years in LPP SA / Ecommerce

Aleksandra Jeziorska-Santos OWNER SANTOS PARTNER

I am the owner of a design and construction company ” Biuro projektowe Projektuj i Buduj Sp.zoo ” . We specialize in road and bridge design as well as construction supervision

I am the owner copmany SANTOS PARTNER where I give services for business development and professional networking as well partcipate as a partner in the projects

scope of activities :

Connecting investors and help build their business
business development services
supporting in acquiring non-bank and bank financing
international expansion for manufacturing companies
partnerships with Investment Funds, Developers
networking

sectors :

energy – I am the Official Partner of EDP Energy, a global leader in renewable energy, committed to providing sustainable and innovative energy solutions – photovoltaic systems, wind energy systems

Real Estate

Financing

Start ups – Venture Capital

International and local expansion

European Grants

ESG

João Xavier Director of Retail Widerproperty

João Xavier, is a senior real estate executive with an accumulated
experience of 27 years and he has worked for some of the largest
European Real Estate companies: Sonae Sierra, Klepierre, Apsys
Group and Multi Corporation.
Currently, he is the Director of Retail at Widerproperty, a Lisbon
– Portugal based Asset Management company, where he joined
3 years prior.
He has a successful track record of accomplishments in Portugal,
Poland, Turkey, Netherlands and across different European
markets, which enabled him to acquire an in-depth knowledge of
different retail markets.
Since he started his career in Real Estate, he has managed and
led several international awarded mix-use projects and was
always very passionate about customer experience, creating and
managing amazing places, making them memorable and
successful.

Cezary Starzyk Managing Director / Founder AVALON REAL ESTATE

Cezary has over 18 years of experience in real estate sector which he gained in leading multinational retail corporations. As the Director of Asset Management Department in Carrefour Poland he played a central role in the management of the company’s commercial real estate portfolio with over 300 stores including company’s shopping malls and retail parks.

In 2018 Cezary established AVALON Real Estate – consulting company specializing in commercial real estate. It supports Polish and international investors in the process of purchasing and selling real estate, as well as in the strategic management of their asset portfolios and newly implemented investments. The company provides services in the following areas: transaction advisory, investment advisory, strategic asset management, commercialization and tenant representation.

Cezary holds a MA in Economics with a specialization: „Real Estate Management” from the Cracow University of Economics and has finished postgraduate studies with a specialization „Property Valuation” at Cracow University of Economics and Cracow University of Technology.

Vlad Lukashevich Founder / Investor / Owner LS Coffee

Vlad Lukashevich
Market expert, owner of a wholesale metal-rolling business (aluminum and non-ferrous metals). More than 20 years of
experience in this field with factories in Europe, MENA and Asia.

The owner of the most advanced robo cafe with barista robot in Europe
The strategic goal for 2024 is development of robo barista solutions and organizing of production of a robo-café in Poland
and sell franchise of robo cafe in Europe.

Co-owner and main investor of the Ukrainian sports brand SAP boards RAPID

Łukasz Grzeszczyk Executive Director CEE Investors Consulting & Talent Location Strategy Recruitment expert HAYS

He is labour market expert with 20 years of experience on recruitment market. At Hays Poland he oversees the delivery of individual and volume recruitment projects Poland Łukasz, together with partners such as consulting companies, real estate firms, and governmental and local organisations, consults on the set-up and development of multi-functional centers across Central and Eastern Europe. His extensive knowledge and expertise play a crucial role in acquiring and nurturing new investors, positioning Hays as a trusted partner to companies seeking advice on talent location and recruitment strategy.

A graduate in Political Science and Psychology of Work and Stress. He also completed postgraduate studies in Human Resources Management at Kozminski’s Academy and Job Appraisal / Assessment and Development Centre at the SWPS University.

Agnieszka Sławomirska Owner AMMC

Agnieszka is an advocate of commercial real estate industry promoting knowledge about the real estate all around the world. She is a mission driven real estate soul.

A sole trader since 2017 providing advisory and consulting services to the companies from the real estate industry. Helping companies in business development.

Running lectures and workshops on property and asset management matters.
Author of numerous publications regarding real estate including a guidebook for property managers.

Author of The Real Estate Galaxy – television program and YouTube channel.

Law graduate, holding property manager’s and real estate agent’s license and CCIM title.

Before establishing her own business working as an asset and property manager for renowned real estate companies such as DTZ (currently Cushman & Wakefield), Savills, Cromwell Property Group among others.

Julie Fitzsimmins Director Lodestar
Anton Grytsenko COO Newgate Investment

Anton Grytsenko, Chief Operating Officer joined Newgate Investment in 2016. His key responsibilities and challenges are: design and implement business strategy and procedures, actively participate in every acquisition process and manage relationships with key tenants. NGI showed constant asset growth and one of the best portfolio parameters on the Polish market. Newgate Investment’s portfolio currently includes 31 retail schemes with a total GLA of more than 140,000 sqm. The occupancy rate of the retail spaces making up the company’s portfolio is nearly 100%.

Prior to his time at Newgate, Anton worked at Comfy, a leader of consumer electronics retail in Ukraine, as a Chief of TV/AV department, where he successfully implemented omnichannel solutions. He also spent nearly three years as a Project Manager at Out There Media, an international leader in Mobile Advertising, from 2011 to October 2012.

Tickets & Registration

Attendee
CORPORATE TABLE
MAIN AWARDS GALA ONLY

Attending Main Awards Gala only – price per person.

895 EUR
Book a ticket
FORUM & ONLINE CEO NETWORKING + THE MAIN AWARDS GALA

Attending the Forum & Online CEO Networking plus the main Awards Gala – price per person.

995 EUR
Book a ticket
CORPORATE TABLE
CORPORATE TABLE PARTNER OF (10) TEN FOR THE GALA

Attending Main Awards Gala with a corporate table of (10)

8500 EUR
Book a ticket

Accomodation

This year’s awards event will be hosted at the Intercontinental Hotel Warsaw.

Please check the accommodation offer prepared by the Intercontinental Hotel Warsaw.

The special room offer is available until 24 January, 2024.

InterContinental

We have invested a lot of time and expertise in creating a product that sets new standards in events. This multi-platform event will be a feat of new technology and promises to deliver all of the key aspects that our events have done for the past 20 years.

EuropaProperty has fast become the Number 1 Producer of business events in Europe, connecting people and companies, facilitating deals and helping business get done.

Good luck to all of the nominees!

Venue photo

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Contact
Information

For further information about sponsoring, nominating, tickets or attending, please fill in the contact form & submit or email us directly:

CRAIG SMITH
craig@europaproperty.com
+48 577 100 620