Paweł Grabowski
Director of digital B2B Żabka Polska

What brought you to this place and role?

As a seasoned VP, I was consciously looking for a new industry that would challenge my existing thinking. I have always gravitated towards interdisciplinary environments, where strategy, technology, operations and people come together. Żabka Group represents retail not as a traditional format, but as a scalable platform built on data, franchising and daily customer experience.

Joining the Zabka Group gave me the opportunity to apply my leadership background while learning fast in a highly dynamic business that is actively shaping the future of convenience retail. I was looking for real complexity — and found it here.

What do you think is most important in the development of managers and future leaders?

Judgement and self-awareness. Tools and methodologies evolve, but the ability to take responsibility, make decisions under uncertainty and learn from failure remains critical. In retail especially, future leaders must stay close to customers and teams, even as the organisation grows. Losing that connection is often the first sign of leadership drift.

What do you think is the biggest benefit of participating in this programme?

Perspective. The programme creates space to step back from day-to-day pressure and reflect on real challenges with someone who has been through similar situations.
That perspective often accelerates growth more than any formal training or framework.

Who do you think this programme is for? What kind of profile is Żabka Group and you as a mentor looking for?

It is for people who combine ambition with humility. Individuals who are curious, open to feedback and willing to take ownership beyond their formal role.

Żabka Group looks for leaders who are comfortable with complexity, can navigate change and want to build scalable solutions. As a mentor, I value mindset and integrity more than perfet career paths.

Why did you decide to be a mentor in this programme?

Because leadership comes with the obligation to share experience. I have benefited greatly from candid conversations with senior leaders who were willing to challenge my thinking. Mentoring allows me to give back, while also staying connected to new perspectives and emerging talent within the organisation.

What will be most important to you as a mentor?

Trust and relevance. I want the relationship to be open, practical and grounded in real business situations, not theory.

My role is to help mentees sharpen their judgement, see trade-offs and gain confidence in their own decisions — even when the answer is not obviuos.

Aleksander Tzanov
Strategy Manager Żabka Polska

What brought you to this place and role?

Curiosity about what happens after the strategy deck gets delivered. During my strategy consulting period, I worked on dozens of transformation projects but I always wondered: what does it actually take to execute these strategies at scale? My time at Shopee, where I helped build Poland's market presence from zero to 10 million users, gave me a taste of that operational reality. At Żabka, I found the rare combination: a company ambitious enough to double its scale, complex enough to require real strategic thinking, and fast-moving enough that you see your impact within months, not years. It's strategy with real ownership and real consequences.

What do you think is most important in the development of managers and future leaders?

Learning to operate in ambiguity while still delivering results. Consulting teaches you structured problem-solving; corporate leadership requires you to make decisions with incomplete information, navigate competing stakeholder interests, and own outcomes you can't fully control. The best leaders I've observed combine analytical rigor with the courage to commit, and the humility to course-correct quickly when wrong.

What do you think is the biggest benefit of participating in this programme?

Accelerated learning through real ownership. In consulting, you advise; here, you decide. The programme compresses years of corporate learning into a structured path where you're exposed to cross-functional complexity, executive stakeholders, and genuine accountability for outcomes. You'll make mistakes faster and learn faster because of it.

Who do you think this programme is for? What kind of profile is Żabka Group and you as a mentor looking for?

People who've mastered the "how to think" and now want to master the "how to do". Ideally, you've spent 3-5 years building analytical foundations in consulting, finance, or a specialized function - and you're feeling the pull toward building something rather than advising on it. We're looking for intellectual curiosity paired with execution drive: people who ask "why" but also roll up their sleeves for "how." The environment here moves fast and rarely offers perfect information—if that sounds more exciting than daunting, we'd love to hear from you. 

Why did you decide to be a mentor in this programme?

Because someone at Shopee took a bet on a consultant with no operational experience and that changed my career trajectory. I want to pay that forward. I also genuinely believe Żabka's transformation requires diverse thinking, and ex-consultants bring a problem-structuring discipline that's valuable here. 

What will be most important to you as a mentor?

Honest, two-way dialogue. I'm not interested in being a cheerleader - I'll challenge your thinking and expect you to challenge mine. What matters most is that you're genuinely curious, willing to be uncomfortable, and committed to learning from both wins and failures. I'll invest my time in people who show up prepared and bring their authentic questions, not the questions they think I want to hear.

Joanna Simonowicz
General Manager Froo Romania

What brought you to this place and role?

What brought me here was a mix of courage and curiosity. I’ve always tried to follow my interests and look for roles that feel exciting, even if they come with additional risk. I’m not afraid of change — I see new opportunities as doors that don’t always open twice, so when they do, it’s important to have the courage to step in. I’m also naturally optimistic and confident that I can handle difficult situations as they come. I strongly believe in a growth mindset — I don’t need to have all the skills on day one, as long as I’m willing and able to learn. And finally, I wouldn’t be here without the people around me who believed in me and invested their time and energy in my development.

What do you think is most important in the development of managers and future leaders?

Real growth happens outside the comfort zone. Managers need exposure to challenges where they are not experts and have to stretch themselves. Just as important is access to senior leaders who are willing to invest time, share experience and genuinely support development.

What do you think is the biggest benefit of participating in this programme?

The biggest benefit is acceleration. The programme allows much faster development than a traditional path, while giving space to explore different career directions. It also offers real exposure to senior leaders and meaningful work in a fast-growing business with European ambitions.

Who do you think this programme is for? What kind of profile are Żabka Group and you as a mentor looking for?

It’s for people who are curious, ambitious and open to change. For those who are willing to take some risk in exchange for growth and learning. We look for high potential, resilience, openness to new cultures, flexibility, mobility and a genuine desire to learn from different experiences.

Why did you decide to be a mentor in this programme?

No one succeeds alone. Throughout my career, I was supported by people who believed in me and helped me grow - now it’s time to give something back. As one of the leaders involved in Żabka’s international expansion, I truly believe in this programme as a powerful source of talent for our international growth.

What will be most important to you as a mentor?

I’ve been a mentor multiple times in different programmes, and the best mentor–mentee relationships were always built on trust, honesty and vulnerability. It works best when mentees are not afraid to open up and have real, honest conversations. If mentoring becomes just a formality or a box to tick, it simply doesn’t work. For me, authenticity and mutual trust are absolutely key.

Maciej Hodowany
Chief Operating Officer and Management Board Member of Froo Romania

What brought you to this place and role?

I was driven by an opportunity I simply couldn’t refuse. I enjoy change, new challenges, and continuous growth. Taking on a senior leadership role while building something from the ground up in a new international market felt like the perfect combination - being a pioneer, learning fast, and having a real impact.

What do you think is most important in the development of managers and future leaders?

The most important factors are a genuine desire for change and a strong learning mindset. Great leaders are curious, open to feedback, and willing to challenge themselves continuously. The ability to learn, adapt, and grow is far more critical than having all the answers from the start.

What do you think is the biggest benefit of participating in this programme?

The programme offers a unique combination of practical skills, new knowledge, and meaningful relationships. It creates space for personal growth, a sense of achievement, and the confidence that comes from stepping outside your comfort zone while learning together with others on a similar journey.

Who do you think this programme is for? What kind of profile are you looking for as a mentor?

This programme is for people who are curious, open to change, and eager to grow. We are looking for participants with a learning mindset, courage to challenge the status quo, and motivation to develop themselves as leaders — not only for today, but for the future.

Why did you decide to be a mentor in this programme?

I strongly believe in the power of sharing experience. This programme creates a great opportunity to do exactly that - to inspire others to learn, grow, and be brave in their decisions. If my story and experience can support colleagues on their journey, I’m happy to contribute.

What will be most important to you as a mentor?

For me, the foundation of mentorship is openness, fairness, and transparency. I want to create a safe space for honest conversations, mutual trust, and real development - where challenges can be discussed openly and growth comes from authentic exchange.