Footwear company CCC’s new CFO, Marcin Czyczerski, has had no shortage of high-profile titles in his professional career. After a long history as a financial analyst, treasury manager, logistics director, HR director and managing director for one of Volkswagen’s subsidiaries, his personal goals and broad range of experience drew him to a role with CCC.
“It was always my personal goal to be part of a company that is listed on the stock exchange. After 16 years in my last company, I needed a fresh challenge in a new environment, to be involved in new projects, and to raise the bar for myself,” says Marcin.
Marcin Czyczerski believes in engagement, development & cooperation
With an open mind and a unique leadership style, Marcin was looking for a fast-paced industry in which to employ his expertise and passion for development. “I’m truly focused on the team and the empowerment of its members. Three things have always been very important to me: engagement, development and cooperation. I would like to pass these values on to my team,” Marcin says.
“When it comes to engagement, I like ambitious goals. I like to struggle to achieve a goal – I’m always up for a challenge and I like people who are not only ambitious but also cooperative. That adds to team play and I’m a team player.”
Marcin says that this cooperative style has shaped his attitude towards company success. He explains that the company’s wins and losses are achieved as a team, not as individuals working for the same organisation. Applying this attitude to all aspects of business, he believes it is particularly important to take both a personal and a team approach to growth
and development.
“When I think of development, I mean in terms of the company, the team and myself. We have to continually develop ourselves. This can be achieved through reading, talking to people, being open-minded, and seeking out new possibilities,” Marcin says. “My team is a reflection of my leadership style,” he adds.
A clear vision for business advancement
Having expressed such interest in growth, it’s no surprise that Marcin has a clear vision for business advancement, now that he’s in the CFO spot. “In two years, we hope to be twice as big as we are now, without any impact on profitability. Moreover, we have the ambition to be more innovative,” he comments.
Currently operating in 16 countries, and with a view to expand further, Marcin is always searching for new options. “There are some new business opportunities on our business radar we have already started working on, but we haven’t wrapped them up yet, so it’s too early to talk about them,” Marcin says.
We are very fast and agile, and the decision-making process is very swift in the company. We are open to new possibilities but also focused on performance as well as being business driven.
“Another important step was acquiring a company from an ecommerce branch. I would not hesitate to say that it was the highlight of 2016. We were able to buy 75% of the shares in January 2016, closing the acquisition. We realised how important ecommerce is to our future, observing the high pace of share price development.”
It was in 2016 that, for the first time, CCC’s floor space outside of Poland was larger than in Poland itself, indicating substantial growth for the company, which is headquartered in Polkowice. This has been extremely exciting for Marcin in his role as CFO.
“From 460,000 square metres of floor space, about 54% comes from abroad and about 46% from Poland,” Marcin proudly explains, continuing that the company is always looking to demonstrate its entrepreneurial spirit. We are very fast and agile, and the decision-making process is very swift in the company. We are open to new possibilities but also focused on performance as well as being business driven.”
CCC builds strength through long-term partnerships
By fostering important, positive working relationships with key suppliers and partners, Marcin says, the company has built long-term partnerships which strengthen the business.
“Networking is crucial nowadays. On one hand, we are extremely open and much appreciated by our franchise business partners. On the other hand, we, as CCC, are respected by our suppliers for our dedication. Long-term partnerships are crucial for our operations, so we always try to build relations of such nature.”
Considering the future success of the company, Marcin reflects that his role, and the role of other CCC employees, is to remain dedicated to key areas of development while cooperating and engaging as a team. “We believe that ecommerce and innovation are the two key building blocks for the future of CCC as a successful footwear company.”