I Zjazd NSZZ SOLIDARNOŚĆ w Gdańsku Oliwie wrzesień 1981
Lesław Andrzej Paga (1954 – 2003) was not only a witness but also an architect of Poland’s economic transformation. His work as an economist and advisor to the Ministry of Finance significantly influenced the shaping of the Polish capital market. As a co-creator of the Warsaw Stock Exchange and chairman of the Securities Commission, Paga laid the foundations for modern financial institutions.
As an authority in economics, both domestically and abroad, he became a symbol of a new phase in Poland’s economic history, open to the world.
Lesław Paga belonged to the small group of people who were ahead of their time. One is ahead of time by undertaking important tasks at times when it seems that the chance of their realization does not exist or is very slim. The way of commemorating Lesław Paga is the best possible, because it is an activity that serves to strengthen what Paga himself dealt with and to strengthen the values that were dear to him.
Leszek Balcerowicz
I remember that after his death, I was offered to make a film about his life. After a few meetings with the director, I came to the conclusion that his life lacked spectacular plot twists of the James Bond genre. The film was not made. But the memory of Lesław continues because he wove his life diligently, consistently, and remained in people’s memory as a good and wise man.
The Foundation I founded after my husband’s death is a continuation of the path we chose together at the beginning of our marriage.
Ewa Paga
He graduated from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, where he also obtained a doctorate in economic sciences. From 1977-1984, he was an assistant and then adjunct in the Faculty of Economics.
He was an activist of Solidarity, delegate of the central-eastern region at the 1st National Congress of NSZZ “Solidarność,” where he served as chairman of the proceedings. Interned from December 1981 to May 1982.
From 1984-1989, he was an adjunct in the Economic Section of the Catholic University of Lublin, and from 1987-1988, a Fulbright Foundation scholar at the Catholic University of America and then Cornell University. He was the president of the Board of the UMCS Alumni Association.
In 1989, he began working as an advisor to the Minister of Finance and then became the director of the department in the Ministry of Ownership Transformations. From 1991-1994, he co-created and was the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In 1994, he was appointed President of the Board of Deloitte & Touche Poland, and in 1999 of Deloitte & Touche Central Europe.
From 1995, Lesław A. Paga was the chairman of the Board of the Polish International Cooperation Development Foundation “Know How”. He was also a member of the Andrzej Bączkowski Award Chapter, awarded for achievements in the field of public activity for social dialogue and reforms in social policy.
In 1995, he was awarded by President Lech Wałęsa the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, and in 2001 President Aleksander Kwaśniewski awarded him the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
Until 2002, he served as the President of the Board of Deloitte & Touche Central Europe.
He passed away after a severe illness in 2003.
Ignacy Morawski, until recently known “only” as the Chief Economist of Puls Biznesu, is now also the Deputy Editor-in-Chief and a true journalist at heart. He inspires, explains, and collaborates closely with the editorial team, unable to imagine a day without writing his own macroeconomic commentary or in-depth analyses on economic issues.
Brunon Bartkiewicz has been associated with ING Bank Śląski since the early 1990s. He has served as President of the Management Board several times and was reappointed to this position in 2016. As he emphasizes:
“Promoting positive change always starts with ourselves. In our operations, we undertake initiatives aimed at reducing our negative impact on the environment. We also see our role in supporting clients in their environmental transformation. At the same time, we help them be entrepreneurial and manage their finances. We act for the benefit of society and care for the wellbeing of our employees. In line with our mission, we want to help clients stay one step ahead – in life and in business – because the future is our shared responsibility.”
Founder and CEO of CampusAI – an innovative ecosystem and educational platform designed to promote ethical, effective, and responsible learning of artificial intelligence tools within the collaborative Me+AI model of human-technology interaction. Since 2006, Aureliusz Górski has been creating new ventures and developing innovative companies within existing organizations, combining visionary thinking with technical expertise and strong business acumen.
His areas of expertise include strategy design, design thinking, programming, fundraising, and management, which allow him to independently prototype ideas and build interdisciplinary teams. Leveraging these skills, he has successfully launched several enterprises, securing over 70 million dollars in funding and recruiting more than 250 skilled professionals.
He is the co-founder of Poland’s first coworking network and startup incubator (AIP Business Link), an innovation center for rapidly growing companies (CIC Warsaw), and a foundation promoting inclusive innovation (Venture Café Warsaw Foundation). His public involvement also includes membership in the Council of the City of Warsaw, participation in developing the Integrated Territorial Investments Strategy, and expert contributions to the **#Warsaw2030 strategyIn 2022, his accomplishments were recognized by Manager magazine, which honored him with the prestigious Manager Award.
Zofia Kierner is a young social entrepreneur, guest lecturer at Harvard University and UC Berkeley, and a recipient of prestigious awards such as VOGUE Leader, Forbes 30 under 30, and 25 under 25, as well as a Rafał Brzoska Foundation scholarship holder. At the age of 15, she founded the Girls Future Ready Foundation, an educational organization that supports thousands of young women and runs numerous international projects. Her initiatives have impacted the lives of 80,000 girls and generated over 25 million dollars in social value.
Later, she founded 50one – a boutique impact agency that helps companies and individuals design and execute their social initiatives through a “Foundation as a Service” model. Her mission is to close the gap in social impact. She holds a degree in Data Science and Business Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
