He is 40 years old, has an impressive build, a long, red beard and generally looks like a Viking. But that's just an appearance, because his heart is the same color as his hair - made of gold. His career path has led him through journalism, the best football club in Poland and manufacturing companies. Meet Wacław, Marketing Manager at Bertrand.
Claudia: Why choose this career path? Why marketing, hr and employer branding?
Wacek: The path of elimination and a certain necessity. Elimination because it quickly turned out that I was not good at science subjects at all, and in mathematics I was the worst student in the history of this subject. On the other hand, necessity came from the fact that since I failed to become a professional football player and later a programmer, I finally had to make a decision about what I wanted to do in life. First, I went to Real (but not Madrid, but to that supermarket where I taught goods). Later, I was a promising "player" in sports media, and in the end, I ended up in areas based on soft skills. I think that I have huge reserves of empathy and creativity, which helps me a lot in my professional career, regardless of whether we are talking about marketing, HR, or EB.
W: Describe Bertrand products in 3 words.
IN: Born of passion.
K: You say you have interesting professional experience. Is there any interesting situation that you remember in particular?
IN: There was a lot of it, because my professional life is an interesting sine wave – I went to the Champions League with Zagłębie Lubin, and three years later to bowl at kindergartens and senior homes. I have a lot of different memories in my head, it's hard to choose the most interesting one. I had the opportunity to meet Franciszek Smuda, whose new jacket I accidentally ripped with a friend. I also met Robert Lewandowski, with whom we had a nice chat after the Zagłębie-Lech match, I met Leo Beenhaker, Czesław Michniewicz, and Jakub Błaszczykowski. But I also met the charming Mrs. Magda from the primary school in Gdynia in Pogórze. And I remember that when I went to the children to bowl, the lady asked if we had any special requests. She meant coffee, tea, or water. As I usually do, I blurted out without thinking: Can be strawberries. And now imagine my face when five minutes later, when I was already conducting the class, the door opened and Mrs. Magda entered, carrying a bowl of strawberries. Never before and never after have I felt so terribly stupid.
W: Is there any situation that changed your life?
IN: In primary school I was a rather calm "player". But in the second grade at the Lubin bazaar I bought a tape of "Apetite for destruction" by Guns. And a little changed.
W: What 3 things can't you imagine your life without?
IN: Without my wonderful children, without my wonderful cats, and without the five hundred push-ups I do every morning.
W: Tell us something that few people know about, and that you are very proud of.
IN: When I was in the second or third grade of primary school, I went to a summer camp in Pogorzelica. They organized a Mister Kolonia competition, which I entered, I think, a bit for fun. And I won the competition. It was one of the few moments of my childhood when no one looked at me for being a redhead 😊
W: What do you dislike most about yourself?
IN: Myself behind the wheel. I get angry very easily and it's often not nice. You've seen me in action, you know what I mean. I really don't like that about myself.
K: If you could be any character for a day, who would it be and why?
IN: Lemmy Kilmister, the late, unfortunately, vocalist of Motorhead. The guy definitely had a colorful, rock 'n' roll life. I'd like to see what it's like, because mine is pretty quiet.
