What is very important in business is trust. Interview with Katarzyna Stella-Sawicka, Poland Country Manager ECI Telecom

How do you recall the beginning of your business activity, what was the most difficult and what motivated you and gave you strength?

Being one of the few women in the IT industry, I had to conform to the demands of acquiring and developing technical knowledge, a dynamically changing technology that was the domain of men. There were difficult moments, but then I was motivated by the results I planned to achieve.

What are your forecasts for the Polish economy in the light of the recent global events?

Unfortunately, each crisis brings losses for some and benefits for others. In the current situation, we all of us may observe how many industries have been constantly losing their revenues and it is difficult to predict when stabilization will occur. Despite the crisis, new niches and new opportunities appear. Nobody knows the future, but it is undoubtedly a time when you can gain an advantage by showing flexibility, openness to changes and readiness to adjust to the new reality.

What prospects can you see for your company in next three months, next six months and next year?

In the area of technology having influence on security, stability, capacity and network development, we expect a growth of investments, which has been observed since the beginning of 2020. Remote work has increased the demand for new applications, data collection and management as well as cloud solutions. To a large extent, we expect the remote work model to be maintained among IT employees and others.

What can be changed or improved in order to conduct business activity in Poland better? 

Considering the cooperation with other countries in the European Union and not only, I can say that business in Poland is very demanding due to the high competitiveness and the pressure on obtaining the lowest price, regardless of other, often equally important factors. Business in Poland could develop faster, more effectively, on partnership terms, if we applied the win-win principle more often.

What technological trends will be decisive for the future of business?

We observe an increasing development of applications and cloud solutions, which may have a significant impact on the roadmap of hardware products. Technological trends and the use of innovative solutions cause users to change their habits, which business must be prepared for. A growing importance of cloud computing has been talked about for a long time, but what also becomes significant is artificial intelligence and widely used automation. Many believe that another industrial revolution is already taking place.

What have you sacrificed for business, what did you have to give up?

We always face different choices in life. Each decision involves the choice of one option and the resignation from another. I think that when we care about something and strive to achieve goals that we have deemed important, the word ‘sacrifice’ loses its negative connotations and what remains is just a consequence of the decision taken and its effects. You can put it this way that if you are committed, you are devoting yourself to what you do.

What are the values that guide you in life and in business?

What is very important in business is trust, and in my opinion, the ways to build long-term relationships include honesty, business ethics, and respect for the work of other people. Consistently adhering to the principles adopted by us, we become credible and prepare the ground for fruitful cooperation.

Last Updated on March 23, 2021 by Karolina Ampulska