Sławomir Lachowski
Sławomir Lachowski | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 1, 1958 Końskie, Poland |
| Occupation(s) | Economist, banking executive |
| Known for | Pioneering contributions to banking innovation and leadership; founding mBank, Poland’s first fully online bank |
Sławomir Mieczysław Lachowski (born January 1, 1958, in Końskie) is a distinguished Polish economist and banking executive, recognized for his pioneering contributions to banking innovation and leadership.
Education
Lachowski earned his degree with honors from the Foreign Trade faculty at the Central School of Planning and Statistics in Warsaw, which is currently known as the Warsaw School of Economics. His academic journey also included studies in economics at the University of Mainz during 1980/1981 and 1988/1989, as well as at the University of Zurich between 1983 and 1984. He further enhanced his expertise by completing executive education programs at INSEAD in 1997 and Stanford University in 2002.
Career
Between 1983 and 1990, Lachowski was employed at the Institute for Economic Development affiliated with the Warsaw School of Planning and Statistics, where he participated in the economic reform team led by Leszek Balcerowicz during Poland’s transition period.
From 1987 until 1992, he operated Intexim Centrum Analiz Ekonomicznych, a consultancy firm focused on economic and financial analysis, strategic advisory services, and corporate restructuring.
In January 1993, he became a board member at Powszechny Bank Gospodarczy in Łódź, tasked with managing the restructuring of non-performing loans. He introduced innovative financial restructuring techniques such as debt-to-equity swaps, which culminated in the establishment of Poland’s inaugural investment fund specializing in restructuring—PBG Investment Fund.
During the years 1996 to 1998, Lachowski held positions as Vice President and subsequently First Deputy President at Bank Gospodarczy S.A. in Łódź, where he was responsible for retail banking, corporate banking, and investment activities.
From 1998 to 2000, as Vice President of Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności BP (PKO BP), he initially managed retail banking operations before overseeing all business divisions including corporate banking and housing finance. He spearheaded PKO BP’s transformation from a traditional savings bank into a contemporary universal bank catering to individual clients, corporations, and institutions alike. This strategic shift attracted close to one million new retail customers within its initial year.
In May 2000, Lachowski joined the Management Board of BRE Bank with the mission to develop its retail banking sector from inception. Within six months under his guidance, mBank was launched as Poland’s first fully online bank and became a trailblazer for digital banking across Central Eastern Europe. A year later, MultiBank was introduced to serve high-net-worth clients, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. These brands significantly transformed Poland’s retail banking landscape. As President of BRE Bank from 2004 to 2008, Lachowski led the institution into becoming one of Poland’s top three banks by asset size while its market capitalization increased tenfold. Beginning in 2007, mBank successfully expanded into the Czech Republic and Slovakia by utilizing EU passporting regulations. Currently, mBank serves over 5.5 million customers throughout these markets combined.
Lachowski departed BRE Bank due to strategic conflicts with its principal shareholder Commerzbank concerning mBank’s European expansion strategy. His exit triggered a notable decline in BRE Bank’s stock price.
Between 2013 and 2015, he served as President of FM Bank PBP during its merger with Polski Bank Przedsiębiorczości that resulted in the formation of BIZ Bank. The merged entity concentrated on serving micro-enterprises and self-employed professionals by providing financing through government-backed and EU-supported programs tailored to different stages of business development. Concurrently, Lachowski launched Bank Smart—a mobile-first digital bank primarily targeting smartphone users.
In mid-2008, Lachowski established SL Consulting to offer strategic advisory services on both domestic and international levels. Additionally, he held supervisory board roles at publicly listed companies including Best S.A., Redan S.A., and Comp S.A.
From 2016 until 2021, he founded G-Rock Limited which acquired restricted licenses in 2019 but was unable to secure funding necessary for product deployment. Consequently, the company surrendered its licenses and proceeded with liquidation.
In 2019, Lachowski founded Fair Place Finance, a fintech enterprise focused on developing cutting-edge IT solutions for financial institutions. Since 2021 he has chaired its Supervisory Board. Fair Place Finance has developed proprietary transaction platforms certified by the Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW) and KDPW for order execution on GPW as well as access to foreign exchanges and Multilateral Trading Facilities (MTFs). Its product portfolio includes systems for market data dissemination, mobile applications, web-based brokerage platforms, and an integrated digital wealth management solution delivered via Software as a Service (SaaS), which combines investment management with personal finance tools within a single mobile app.
Prizes and distinctions
Recognitions and Accolades:
- 1996: Awarded the Silver Cross of Merit
- 2005: Received the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta
- 2005: Honored as Personality of the Polish Internet ("Człowiek Polskiego Internetu")
- 2007: Named "Top Manager of the Year" in finance and insurance by Manager Magazine, the Polish Confederation of Private Employers Lewiatan, and KPMG
Personal life
Sławomir Lachowski is passionate about marathon running and high-altitude climbing. He has participated in more than 30 marathons, including prominent international races such as those in New York, Chicago, Berlin, as well as seven editions of the mBank marathon, which he initiated in Łódź, where the bank’s headquarters are located. His mountaineering accomplishments include conquering peaks like Aconcagua, Denali, Elbrus, Mt. Vinson, Mont Blanc, among others.
Social engagement and charitable work
Together with his wife Marzena, Lachowski founded Ex-Litteris Libertas in 2008, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering equal educational opportunities for children from rural communities by supporting various educational and recreational programs.
Books
- Acting on Values. Leadership in Turbulent Times, Studio Emka, 2015 (Kindle Edition)
- Od wartości do działania. Przywództwo w czasach przełomowych, Studio Emka, Warsaw 2013
- DROGA ważniejsza niż cel. Wartości w życiu i biznesie, Studio Emka, Warsaw, 2012
- It’s the Journey not the Destination. Values in Life and Business. Guide to Management by Values, Studio Emka, 2012 (Kindle Edition)
- Disruptive Innovation in Banking: A Business Case in Low-Cost Finance, Studio Emka, 2012 (Kindle Edition)
- Droga innowacji. Pracuj ciężko, baw się, zmieniaj świat, Studio Emka, Warsaw, 2010
Articles
Selected writings include:
- "Kryzys długiego dystansu," ThinkTank Magazine, 2009
- "Firma w firmie - kiedy tradycyjna firma musi szybko działać by wygrać," Harvard Business Review Polska, 2003
- "Praca w e-biznesie," Zarządzanie Zasobami Ludzkimi, 2002
- "Prywatyzacja sektora bankowego jako czynnik wspomagający długofalowy wzrost gospodarczy," Bank i Kredyt, 1998
- "Procesy konsolidacji sektora bankowego," Bank, 1998
- "Kierunki rozwoju polskiego systemu bankowego," Bank, 1997
- "Proces prywatyzacji banków w Polsce – sukcesy i porażki," Bank i Kredyt, 1997
- "System finansowy w Polsce – stan obecny i perspektywy rozwoju," CASE Reports, 1997
- "The Process of Privatising Banks in Poland," OECD Advisory Group on Privatisation, 1997
- "Wpływ regulacji podatkowych na wybór ścieżki restrukturyzacji złego długu," Bank i Kredyt, 1996
- "Restrukturyzacja portfela kredytów trudnych banku komercyjnego w okresie transformacji," Bank i Kredyt, 1995
- "Restructuring of a Bad Debt Portfolio in a Commercial Bank during Economic Transition," CASE Studies & Analyses, 1995
External links
- Official Website of Sławomir Lachowski (Polish)
- Website of Ex Litteris Libertas (Polish)