Jakie wyzwania czekają nowego członka zarządu? - rozmowa z Marcinem Piechockim, wiceprezesem LPP.

Thank you very much. Yes, officially that's my title, but please don't change our relationship. I remain just Marcin, and that stays the same. It's great that we can talk like this.

That's a funny story actually. I'll go back in memory. Today I look at my two-year-old son and think, before I became a teenager, as a child, like many little boys, I wanted to be a garbage man. Today I nostalgically look outside and listen to the sound of the reversing garbage truck. My son does the same thing. When I was little, I was fascinated by it too. Then as a teenager I was really into hip-hop culture, skateboarding. My brother and I wanted to be professional skaters, inspired by a famous American skater. So then I wanted to be a professional skateboarder, maybe a bit of a hip-hop guy. Today I think a little differently - I would like to be a good husband and a good father to my children. Things have changed for sure. Children really put life into perspective, they teach you a lot. When I look at my son, my heart swells, it's amazing how he develops. There are worse moments, but the good ones make your heart grow.

That's hard to say. He's still too small. But honestly, I would probably want the same for him that I learned: to develop. Today I see how fascinated he is by every steering wheel and every little wheel he sees in a toy car. How often do you have to buy little cars? He loves opening the doors and the trunk. It's fantastic to see with what dedication and for how long little children can look at such simple things. Now my role as a parent is to give him the possibilities to just do what he loves.

Yes, exactly. I actually had a part in preparing the concept of the Cropp brand, not only giving opinions but working with colleagues on collections. We would say 'this is cool, this is not cool.' We, as teenagers then, explained to men in their 40s what fascinated the youth. It was a bit like talking to someone disconnected from reality, because it was our environment. But later when we worked with designers on collections, they were a little closer to that culture since it was a different generation. Besides, we also visited so-called 'spore concerts' - architectural concepts for how the store itself looks, whether the experience is underground enough. Today I look back fondly.

I moved to Warsaw to study at the Warsaw University of Technology. My parents are civil engineers. I myself am an electronics engineer, so the Polytechnic is strong in our blood. We were always stronger in math and physics. Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology - computers have always fascinated me. So I decided to try my chances in Warsaw. Special thanks to my parents who made it possible. To be honest, the first years weren't easy - new city, new environment, new studies, a completely different approach than in high school. Many people get in but then lose motivation. My sister also graduated from there, so I think we really have the polytechnic in our blood. Technocracy rules in our family. But I think we also have an element of humanism because we operate in a somewhat different business.

Well, what can I say - Warsaw is a great city, I remember it very fondly. I spent about a decade there, so I got to know it quite well. At the beginning the years were a bit tougher, not as rich, naturally. As a student, you don't live in the best conditions or eat in trendy places like today. When you graduate and start your first job, it's different. Do I miss? I miss very much, that's why I decided to come back. Looking back, I think Gdańsk is a great place to be born and raise children - the Tri-City Landscape Park, bikes, the Hel Peninsula, the weather. It's beautiful. The only place that could compete for me is Barcelona, maybe someday. In the 10-15 years that I was away, Gdańsk has developed a lot, and I am amazed at how Poland has developed overall. We are in a completely different place. My heart swells seeing how the two agglomerations I am personally connected to have moved forward in so many areas.

I have very fond memories of that period, to be honest. I worked at a radio program, right behind the glass, I had the chance to see the radio stars live. At that time, the Third Program was very popular, always listened to at home or in the car. It was fantastic to see all the radio personalities - Piotr Baron, Piotr Stelmach, Wojciech Mann - and even work with them. Of course, I wasn't the main act, but observing that work was always a great opportunity. One interesting thing is that this internship taught me how to organize my life in 90 seconds - usually the longest break is one song, maybe half of it, about 90 seconds. I was impressed by how the woman who ran the internship could organize her life and work in those 90 seconds - make tea, go to the bathroom, do other things in between. There was pressure because everything was live, silence on the air is the worst thing that can happen. But it was great, I highly recommend it.

Then I found my first serious job at a bank. I actually went to a large Warsaw financial institution. Joining, I didn't suspect it would be so dynamic. I thought the bank was a more stable institution, a more stable business, with great security and responsibility, handling money. You have to be aware of the consequences of your moves. But I didn't suspect life in a bank could be so dynamic. The organization employed about a quarter of a million people worldwide in full-time positions, not including contractors. It was an enormous organization in terms of procedures and the number of steps needed to change something. That was no joke. Of course, it's all related to security and history - the bank had been operating for over 100 years in many markets and cultures. For example, in Japanese culture, unavailability of credit cards or other services is unacceptable. That was a big challenge. Working in a production environment with high pressure, high availability - currency markets, stock markets, American stock exchange, generating reports - everything must be online. And in a few seconds you could lose millions of dollars due to various things. For instance, we managed a team of about 50 people handling credit cards. Imagine there were moments when a lady couldn't pay for medicine somewhere in America. The pressure was quite high to get it working. For me, that was a big responsibility, being in the center of Warsaw while the consequences could be significant. That stress becomes quite large. But you get used to it.

Actually, at that time the company wasn't in the best condition. My father spent a long time thinking about where the company should go. I was leading a pretty comfortable life already, well after studies, the so-called 'Dublin Camp Nou Kids'. At that time with my fiancée, Warsaw had become a safe, trendy city with lots of opportunities, both professional and private. But then you ask yourself: would you want to spend the rest of your life in this workplace, in this current place of life? And I answered that question negatively. I decided that while working at the bank was nice, I'd rather try my hand in a completely different industry. My father came and asked if I wanted to try my hand in the fashion industry. I said, 'But I have no idea about this industry.' He said, 'Well, then you'll have to learn.' So I started learning from the most basic positions, from a buyer's assistant. I traveled to Asia, Europe, to suppliers, looking at products, negotiating, choosing them together with the team, then observing the results. And then I ended up where I am now. There were also stores in between. It's a long story, but a short film.

Yes, for a souvenir. The first entry, the first weeks, the first months in any new job are somewhat stressful for a young person. Was I afraid? Sure, everyone is afraid of the unknown, things you don't know about. Naturally, you're scared. But then at the end you ask yourself: do I have the availability? I hope at most I'll lose some hair, but I'll be wiser from the experience. With that assumption, I think it worked out. So I highly recommend trying. If any future candidates or current candidates are listening to me, I think it's worth deciding and going for it. You have to live, you have to try, try on bent legs but forward, small steps, maybe small jumps, but step by step.

Yes, trade negotiations are always difficult. You expect many hours spent on individual models, and then at the very end, the buyer and supplier spend another 24 hours. We can negotiate, we can argue, we can look for different ways, but in the end, the buyer or supplier specifies their expectations, the other side fits a bit - what is possible and at what price. Negotiations can take a long time. The bigger the projects, the bigger the scale, the bigger the order, the longer they last because the consequences are more serious. We have a lot of people working on technological issues and negotiating various qualities of our products. We are aware of things beyond our control, like low raw material prices, rising freight costs, rising currency costs, etc. But there is a whole range of things we can influence. And as you mentioned, you can also listen to the buyers or designers. Designers are usually aware that adding a lot of decorative elements makes the product more expensive. Then the question is whether the client is ready to pay for those extra elements. Finding that middle ground is not easy. Different brands, different teams have different goals. Sometimes the goal is very high quality, like in our Premium collections, Blizzard. There we definitely expect very good quality. But there are also other products, like the mentioned prints on men's or women's t-shirts, etc. So it's a matter of balance, the golden mean between client expectations and the product that comes out.

Yes, it was tough, definitely. We opened gradually, with some perturbations because the gallery opened a bit later than planned, but we finally opened just before the sale. That period of stocking the store was difficult. At LPP we have a lot of experience, but high demands regarding the speed of the opening process, filling the store, coordinating everything from the V level. And then the sale itself wasn't easy either. Honestly, when I look today at how our specialists handle the stores, I am still impressed. The work looks completely different now, partly due to smartphones. Back then there were smartphones too, but not like today. The world changes. When I think that, for example, sales associates now have the ability to work with Freddy, that's a different job than before. It's amazing how a store opens today - I don't know because I haven't opened one myself. In the past, it took a lot of hard work, but with large teams we managed; sometimes even 5 days to stock and open a store, which was a big success. Today I look at the fantastic flagship store in the center, one of my favorites, and I sincerely recommend it - a great gallery with a wide selection.

A tough question. Well, you will know the tree by its fruit, so how I cope will show in the results. So far it seems we are heading in a good direction. Mohito and Sinsay are the two youngest brands in the LPP portfolio. Mohito was founded around 2008 with its headquarters in Krakow, so it has a nice history and certainly a long future ahead. Sinsay was founded around 2013 here in Pomerania, completely different. These are completely different brands targeting different customers. It's an unusual experience to work with such different expectations. You have to switch your way of thinking completely, different priorities. One is a boutique store, small, somewhat luxurious, with a very personal touch. Sinsay, in the face of a changing and dynamic world, opens up to larger spaces, for the whole family - not just two girls, but also mom, sister, little brother, children's clothing, men's clothing. Plus there's the Home collection. So it's very dynamic. And then there's communication - how I manage all these different matters, it's probably quite difficult. As I said, you know the tree by its fruit: we look at results daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly. We draw conclusions. The key is to swim on the water, not under it. But we are managing. I believe we are doing quite well, it seems we are not weak in our business. It appears that customers really like Mohito and Sinsay, and I hope the recipients of our communications also like our communication and podcasts.

If someone asks me how my day looks, I always joke that I come from work and open my computer. No, seriously, I do move between buildings. I recommend the company bikes - between our offices in the Lower Town, if someone joins us, I highly recommend it. You can take a short bike ride from one building to another quickly. It's fantastic; you don't need a car. It takes longer to park and find a spot than to bike. With a bike, you're there in no time, even in traffic jams. So yes, I move between our various headquarters for different reasons. Today, for example, in the morning I had the chance to see the collection in the Sinsay INT5 - the autumn-winter collection. There are many different meetings, decisions to be made every day. But we don't make all decisions alone; we have teams that help us. Certainly, setting direction, inspiring the teams on which way we should go, how to communicate not only as LPP but also as brands, how our marketing should work, how to manage the product, the website, the stores, and the development of our stores. There are lots of meetings, lots of analysis, lots of conversations with people, in different areas. Frankly, in recent months, we've seen a big acceleration in e-commerce. But I'm from a different generation; for me, online is natural. But some might say that brick-and-mortar stores are obsolete. Fortunately, we have stores, and I approach it that customers can come, see, touch, turn the product inside out, check if it's thick, thin, flowy, easy to iron, wrinkled, etc. And colors on the screen might not match reality. That's a huge advantage. So I see that customers love to visit our stores, which is why we have omnichannel, and online and offline trade intermingle. There's something for everyone.

I'm not a time management specialist. I think that area I need to improve, so I recently mobilized to structure my work life in the context of the calendar. To know where you want to go, you need to know where you are; to know where you are, you need to know what you're spending your time on, so time doesn't slip through your fingers. I think managing your own calendar is important. Many calendars have color coding; you can mark different things. I've been doing that for about three years - I assign different colors to different activities. At the end of the week, I spend 10-15 minutes reviewing and saying, 'Okay, in this week I spent this much time in different areas, for example in the areas I handle.' You have to ask yourself: do I want to spend that much time on this? Should I? If there are doubts, then priorities should be adjusted. That's a simple life hack: colors in the calendar. Also, I try not to touch my smartphone for about an hour before going to sleep. I try to wake up quite early and bike to work, so I get my workout done - about 15 kilometers to work in the morning, sometimes also in the afternoon, that's a decent workout. During the season, I don't waste time in traffic, and I can breathe fresh air in the north. I agree, I try to do that as long as it's not raining like today. But as they say, there's no bad weather for cycling, only badly prepared cyclists. There's something to that. In life, you need to move, do something for your own body. I treat my body as a tool, so you have to take care of it.

I think so, I think it's a great way to cope with stress, spending time outdoors. Honestly, whether it's cycling, walking, trekking in the mountains, forest, by the sea, walks with a stroller, ski touring in winter, or runs with a trailer with kids to the peninsula or Kashubia, it's fantastic family time. You stress less, your mind is elsewhere. But the company's condition is always on your mind, so it's hard to completely disconnect. My father had an interesting story: he once went to Cuba where there was reportedly no internet, no WiFi, no 3G. He was completely cut off from results, reports. I wasn't on those vacations, but he came back with interesting reflections. Even without contact, his mind was still here with the company. It's hard to completely let go because you've devoted your whole life to it. It's a huge business and responsibility for all the people working. So as I said, point of view depends on where you sit. I came here from a bank - an organization of at least a quarter of a million people. We are not a small garage company from 30 years ago. But I don't fully feel we are a corporation. As I said, point of view depends on where you sit.

Completely different. It's been about four and a half years since I joined. Every time I swivel in my revolving chair and look at these beautiful products, the designs, the graphics, everything around us, I'm always impressed. Even though Sinsay currently sits at Reduta and we don't have ideal conditions (though soon we'll move to another building), every time I swivel in my chair or walk around in the new building at Naukowa, or even in the renovated building at Naukowa, my heart swells thinking about how many fantastic things are happening here. Or when I bike to our office where architects sit, they come up with fantastic ideas and help solve problems in store architecture, store layout. I really think working in this industry is unique. I sincerely recommend that anyone who hasn't visited us come for an internship or practice, to at least see how it looks here. In my opinion, it's not an ordinary company; it smells of creativity. I hope world conditions allow us to soon have open days and invite more people. We had it easier during the pandemic, but we believe it will change soon. Hope is everything, let's hold onto that.

My relationship with fashion? I've always loved beautiful things, not just clothing but architecture, photography. It's something you can really give your heart to. Fashion is simply art, and art is emotions. Emotions are very hard to qualify; they depend on the moment, the feeling, the atmosphere. I've always loved going to museums. I believe fashion allows us to express who we are and who we would like to be. It's great that we give that opportunity to our customers, to our people, to show their emotions. I'm not the best stylist in the world, and I'm far from giving others advice, but I really love looking at beautiful things, taking beautiful photos from travels, of interiors, architecture. And you don't have to travel far. The last year and a half has taught me that you don't need to fly to London or Paris; sometimes you can step out and you don't even need to leave Gdańsk. Sometimes you can go to Kashubia in autumn or spring and see beautiful places. When I ride my bike in the morning near the Granary Island in the Old Town of Gdańsk, when there aren't many people, it's incredibly beautiful. Gdańsk has been beautifully restored recently. It looks different depending on the season and weather. Not far from here we have Sobieszewo Island.

You have fantastic taste. For Polish artists, I like Lao Che, Kult, Dawid Podsiadło, Myszowata Pułapka, very good artist. Polish music is great. For foreign artists, I highly recommend Nick Cave. Next year he's coming to Gdańsk. Magical concerts, really incredible atmosphere at Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds concerts, a bit nostalgic. I'm a big fan; I can't wait. I've been twice, and I'll go a third time next year when they come to Gdańsk. Also, Nergal is coming, so there will be an opportunity to listen to him.

What can I say? It's certainly very demanding. But if I'm honest, I find it incredibly inspiring. He demands a lot from others too. When I think about what he taught me, I would like to teach the same to my children: passion. I mentioned earlier the little cars that my son loves; he loves building different animals and elements from car puzzles. I think that's just the beginning of his engineering passion. What he will do in the future, I hope it will be whatever he loves. That is a very big luxury, a very big privilege that we have, and I want to give that to my children: that they do what they love, that they devote themselves to what they love. If they love music and want to become an artist, they will become an artist. If they love painting, they will paint. My father always told me: when you love something, you give your heart to it. If you give your heart, you'll be the best at it. That dedication is important. At the end, that's what I would wish for my children. It's easier said than done. Then reality comes. What does a person really want? I won't pretend; I admit I don't know what I want. But in the end, you have to try. Try one thing, if not, try another, then another. If you think you've discovered everything, believe you haven't. In a given topic, you can really be a master in many niche areas. Passion and dedication are what I want to teach my children, what I hope my son will cultivate. That's all I can say.

I said the body is a tool, and tools need to be taken care of. So sport is one thing, good nutrition is another, sleep is also important. I think you have to nurture everything in life. The most important thing is balance, finding the golden mean between family and work life. It's not easy. I still have a lot to learn about that.

At the end, I think what we are building is for generations. I am the first generation after the big economic and political transformations in Poland to face this task. Creating a company for generations will not be easy. Across our western border, there are examples of very large family businesses that are not small flower shops or corner stores - really big businesses like the Quandt family, owners of BMW in Germany, or the Schwarz family, owners of the retail chains Lidl and Kaufland in Germany, or the Otto family. We would like to create LPP as a Polish family company for generations. That will be a big challenge. As for development, today we cannot imagine economic development without ecology. So we must develop differently than before. We have a climate crisis and we need to do something about it.

Thank you very much. Goodbye.