Executive Note

Dear Members and Readers,

The long May weekend this year will remain memorable for the coronation of King Charles III that took place on 6 May. We offer our congratulations to His Majesty for a spectacular show of unity which continues the legacy of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The festivities in London – and indeed here in Warsaw too – came after a busy April, highlighted by chamber’s participation at the European Economic Congress in Katowice, in the form of the UK Pavilion. Jointly organised by the BPCC and the British Embassy in Warsaw, the UK Pavilion was the focal point of a range of activities across the Congress’s three days, which served to underline the British-Polish trade and investment relationship. Covering green transformation, economic development against a backdrop of uncertainty and the role of charitable foundations, the talks highlighted the continuity of ever-deeping ties between the two countries despite global turbulence. The pavilion exemplified the excellent partnership between the private sector and the British government. Jerzy Buzek, Poland’s prime minister from 1997 to 2001, and president of the European Parliament between 2009 and 2012, was a special guest at the pavilion, interviewed by Angelika Szufel from CMS Poland about Poland’s long journey away from a coal-powered economy.

The BPCC’s voice was heard during two panels in Congresses’ main agenda. The first was Poland’s investment attractiveness, where Michael Dembinski, the BPCC’s chief advisor, advocated that if Poland is to be globally competitive as an investment location for SMEs from the English-speaking world, the Polish government must focus on improving the business environment – simplify regulations and create a more predictable legal system. Next was the session on the Polish-British economic relationship, moderated by HSBC’s global economist James Pomeroy with the VIP presence of Chris Barton, HM Trade Commissioner for Europe. BPCC chairwoman Aneta Jóźwicka, corporate relations director for Northern Europe for Diageo, gave her opinion and insights in to current state of trade and investment between Poland and the UK. We’d like to thank BP Pulse, Castorama, CMS, Diageo, HSBC and TFKable Group for supporting the UK Pavilion.

Telefonika Kable S.A. received the prestigious title of ‘Investor Without Borders’ for its acquisition of the UK’s JDR Cables in 2017. JDR Cables offer innovative cable solutions for energy transformation, in particular undersea cables for offshore wind farms. We’re extremely proud of Telefonika’s award,

It was a true delight to see so many members, friends and passers-by at the pavilion. BP’s Wild Bean Café team did a splendid job providing hundreds of visitors to our pavilion with drinks and snacks – and we’re looking to see you again in Katowice in 2024!

Finally on 4 May, Magdalena Stanilewicz, our newly recruited regulatory affairs manager, joined the BPCC Team. By training a lawyer with an MBA, Magdalena has over 25 years of experience in advising Polish investment and development companies and investment funds. Her past work included the monitoring and analysis of legislative and regulatory developments in Poland, and participation in the legislative process of preparing and amending provisions of Polish laws. With her legal background and her experience spanning private sector, public administration and the regulated markets, Magdalena has the insights and procedural knowledge necessary to help BPCC member firms with advocacy and representation. We encourage all our members to engage directly with Magdalena for policy and regulatory advice.

We now have two busy months before the summer holidays, and we hope to see you or hear from you at upcoming events, activities or through media publicity.