Paweł Czołnik

Paweł Czołnik (Global Category Lead, C&A): A dynamic procurement leader with over 12 years of international expertise, driving growth and innovation through strategic procurement. Paweł excels in purchasing strategy, strategic sourcing, SRM, and effective negotiations, initiating business evolution and process optimization. He combines analytical precision with creative problem-solving, makes critical decisions, and builds high-performing, trusted teams. Key achievements include building competitive advantage through IT initiatives at ALDI Nord and modernizing indirect procurement at Paul Hartmann AG. A UEP Management (Logistics) graduate, his multilingualism, logistics knowledge, and change management skills underpin his global success.

1. The most groundbreaking moment in your career?

The true milestone that fundamentally shaped my professional perspective was my time at Carlsberg Group. It was there, early in my career, that I immersed myself in the practice of international strategic procurement, both direct and indirect, experiencing its dynamism and complexity. However, it wasn’t just the processes, but above all, the figure of my leader at the time that left an indelible impression on me. He was a mentor who opened the doors to the global business environment and its multi-layered organizational culture. More importantly, he embodied the archetype of a leader who not only manages but truly leads – inspires, motivates, develops the team, sets a clear direction, and passionately nurtures an organizational culture based on values. It was under his influence that I understood the invaluable ability of strategic synthesis – the skill of transforming streams of diverse information, often seemingly unrelated, into a coherent picture of the situation, allowing for far-sighted decision-making. This experience became my guiding principle in leadership and resonates in my management approach to this day.

2. Your greatest professional success?

Although every achievement brings satisfaction, I consider the opportunity to build and shape a high-performing procurement team from scratch at Paul Hartmann AG to be a success of particular significance. It was more than just recruitment; it was a chance to instill a culture based on trust, synergy, and a shared pursuit of excellence. Watching individual talents flourish, seeing the team integrate to overcome challenges together and genuinely influence the company’s strategic goals, provided me not only with professional pride but also a deep sense of fulfillment. It is precisely in creating and developing human potential that I see the greatest value and the most satisfying aspect of leadership.

3. If you could go back to the starting point, but with all the knowledge and experience you’ve gained, what would you do differently?

With the perspective of time and accumulated experience, my professional journey would have taken on a different rhythm from the very beginning. Instead of gradually becoming accustomed to risk, I would have dared to dive into the unknown earlier and more decisively – to question established paths more boldly and to seek breakthrough solutions more aggressively. Simultaneously, from the outset, I would have invested with even greater awareness and determination in building deep, authentic relationships – both with external partners, creating a diversified, global network of contacts based on mutual trust, and within the organization, with key stakeholders from various departments. Understanding that the power of influence and the ability to effectively implement change often depend on the quality of these internal alliances would have allowed me to act even more effectively. Perhaps, instead of focusing on perfectly mastering each subsequent technical skill, I would have devoted more attention to cultivating the art of asking the right questions and building bridges of understanding.

4. Your recipe for success. How to achieve it? What to focus on? What to avoid? Which competencies gained from your studies at UEP (Poznań University of Economics and Business) proved to be the most important?

Success, in my understanding, is a dynamic alchemy of three elements: Strategic Acuity, Fearless Execution, and Authentic Relationship-Based Leadership.

• Strategic Acuity is the ability to see not only what is, but above all, what could be; it’s the art of transforming data into wisdom, and trends into competitive advantage.
• Fearless Execution is the courage to translate vision into concrete actions, determination in overcoming obstacles, and readiness to make tough decisions. It also involves the ability to mobilize resources, often through strong internal relationships and effective cross-departmental collaboration.
• Authentic Relationship-Based Leadership is about inspiring others to reach for more, building a culture based on trust and synergy, both within the team and with external partners. In this context, negotiations become not so much a struggle for concessions, but a collaborative creation of value – where understanding mutual needs and boundaries (BATNA, ZOPA) is a prelude to building long-term, mutually beneficial strategic alliances.

The key is continuous learning, adaptability, and constantly nurturing a network of valuable contacts, both inside and outside the company. One should avoid the pitfalls of complacency, short-sightedness, and operating in isolation, which hinder the flow of information and weaken collaboration.

The Poznań University of Economics and Business instilled in me a fundamental ability for strategic synthesis and systemic thinking. It’s not just knowledge in logistics, but above all, the skill of analyzing complex systems and perceiving their interconnections, which has proven to be an invaluable asset in navigating the complex world of global business and building effective strategies.

5. What advice would you give to current students who are at the beginning of their careers?

Treat the beginning of your career not as a search for one, ideal path, but as a laboratory of possibilities. Your greatest asset is your insatiable curiosity and fresh perspective – nurture them. Secondly, invest in relationships as if they were the most valuable currency – build bridges, not walls. Both authentic external contacts that broaden horizons, and strong, collaborative relationships within future teams and organizations, will be your driving force and the foundation of your effectiveness. Learn to listen, understand different perspectives, and effectively communicate your ideas. Thirdly, understand that true growth often begins where your comfort zone ends. Seek challenges that stretch you. Don’t be afraid to stumble or make mistakes along the way; view these moments not as setbacks, but as crucial learning opportunities. Every significant success is built upon a foundation of lessons learned from failures, so embrace them as part of your journey. And finally, remember that your career is your unique story – write it boldly, with passion, in accordance with your values, and with people who inspire you. The world awaits your energy and your ideas.