Paweł Dziekonski
Vice-President at FAKRO
Nowadays, more and more often company managers put emphasis on the fact that their organization fits into a broader social context and undertakes initiatives related to corporate social responsibility. What activities do you carry out in this area, how is it implemented, what does responsible leadership mean to you?
We have defined four key values of FAKRO and responsibility is one of them. We feel responsible, i.e. for the natural environment, long-term relationships with business partners and a team of employees – the atmosphere at work and joint actions both in times of prosperity and crisis. As part of corporate social responsibility, we organize various projects for employees and their families as well as for partners, including those related to social capital, mutual support by Polish entrepreneurs, but we also promote caring for ecology, a healthy lifestyle at home and outdoors and active forms of recreation. Thanks to our beautiful location of the Nowy Sącz region, we have here by far the aces up our sleeves: from spring to autumn we walk and ride bicycles in the mountains, and in winter we indulge in the madness of skiing and sledging in the nearby Sankolandia in Muszyna. In addition to recreational sports, we also focus on national pride of the championship rank and it is worth emphasizing that for 18 years we have been a proud partner and sponsor of the Polish football team and we encourage everyone to keep their fingers crossed for Robert Lewandowski and company.
In addition, this year means for us a special commitment to help Ukraine together with entrepreneurs from Nowy Sącz and these actions will be continued.
More and more investors and financial institutions choose as their partners those organizations that operate in accordance with ESG recommendations. Do you think that is right? How does the company you manage go beyond the so-called business as usual? What is it doing for the climate, local communities, diversity or what would you like to implement in the near future?
The green color contained in the FAKRO logo has accompanied us from the very beginning of the company’s establishment, and the ecology associated with it is an aspect that permeates every stage of our development. Our care for the environment and social commitment appeared long before the EU ESG guidelines. However, it is good that such guidelines have been created. Clearly demonstrating that we meet the necessary standards increases our attractiveness in all markets in which we operate. Everything we do is always with a better future in mind.
This is the philosophy of GO GREEN at FAKRO. We design, plan and manufacture with care for the natural environment. Offering ecological and energy-efficient products is inscribed in the DNA of our company. We ensure that every process, every action and every decision we make is always accompanied by concern for the comfort and healthy life of future generations. We have encapsulated all these activities in this one important philosophy of GO GREEN.
Our goal is to prevent negative effects on the organization’s environment in all processes related to environmental policy. I would like to draw attention to the 7 Valleys project, whose originator is Ryszard Florek – co-founder and president of FAKRO. It is a comprehensive concept, including the construction of a complex of new ski lifts, ski slopes, trails and tourist attractions, and thus the creation of new, quality jobs in a sector in which Poland has a huge, unique and at the same time still untapped potential.
Every company creates its corporate culture that embodies the values that customers see externally. Do customers prefer to choose this particular company because it does something good with which the customer identifies or is it mainly price-driven purchasing decisions? What is your opinion, what trends have you observed, is something changing in this area?
The pillars of our organizational culture are four values: credibility, responsibility, innovation, development. We identify with these values as a company, a team of employees. Let’s focus on credibility. In my opinion, and in relation to my business experience, price is not a key determinant. To choose us, the customer must trust us. And trust is built through relationships and credibility. We treat fulfilling our obligations as a priority. We build it by providing quality products and responding, and often even anticipating the needs of customers. A reliable confirmation of the quality of our products are Polish and international certificates, affecting the global prestige of the FAKRO brand. Credibility is also feedback from the market. The quality of cooperation at the client’s site and the high attendance during our training sessions – these are additional proofs confirming that customers and partners trust us. We also build credibility through our nationality. FAKRO is a company that is built on 100% Polish capital. We all see that capital has nationality, that our daily consumer choices are important for neighborly prosperity and our community. This idea guides the programs of the Think about the Future Foundation, with which we work closely, and whose aim is to support all initiatives serving the economic development of our country.
The development of values and ethical principles in many organizations may indicate that awareness in this area is increasing. Many managers declare that they put ethics at the center of their activities. Is compliance with the principles of fair play in management a guarantee of stable development of the company?
Our Shared Commitment to Standards and Business Conduct
It ethically enables us to develop our corporate heritage and ensures that the foundations of our company remain stable. Mutual respect makes our daily work more enjoyable. Guided by the principles of respect, personal culture, and respect for the dignity of other people, we have developed a set of principles and values that we, as the FAKRO team, follow every day. We have included these assumptions in the document “Code of Ethics”. In fact, it is a guideline that we should follow not only in professional life, but also in private life. It refers to universal values and principles – treat others as we would like to be treated.
The world needs wise and good leaders who want to have a positive impact on their environment. Was there a moment when you started to look for a deeper meaning in your work, an opportunity to do something good for your communities or country? What has been achieved?
Every manager who employs people is part of the positive impact on the environment. We have the honor to do it on a very large scale, taking responsibility for a team of several thousand. We also take care of external relations, both local and national. We support numerous educational, cultural and sports initiatives. In particular, we focus on educational initiatives, which results from the profile of the Think about the Future Foundation. The foundation of our activities is social capital. Only through effective cooperation and teamwork can we achieve more. Countries with high levels of public trust are wealthier. For the economic development of Poland, it is important that Poles want to cooperate, which is not something we focus on every day – that’s why it is worth constantly emphasizing. This idea is particularly relevant now, when we have a crisis and we need mutual orders in the economy. Therefore, through the established foundation, we disseminate economic wisdom. And how do we understand it? I invite you to familiarize yourself with the materials available on the website: Main page (pomysloprzyszlosci.org)
Paweł Dziekoński
Vice-President of the Management Board of the FAKRO Group, a global leader in the production of roof windows. A graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics. He completed master’s studies in Finance and Banking and doctoral studies at the College of World Economy. Experienced leader associated with the financial sector, capital market, banking, consulting. He started his professional career in four large companies.
He was Vice-President of the Management Board of the Warsaw Stock Exchange responsible for business development and finance, Managing Director at Deutsche Bank and Kredyt Bank and Director at Deloitte for Central European markets.
He transmits positive energy to the teams he builds. He is an enthusiast of good brands, sense of humor and loyal cooperation.
Last Updated on January 27, 2023 by Anastazja Lach