Five minutes with Krzysztof Kaczmarek

Tell us about yourself

I’ve been involved in the consulting industry for many years of my career. I specialise in advisory services for commercial real estate clients. I'm an expert in tax and court proceedings. I've also represented clients before the tax authorities and the Provincial Administrative Court (WSA) and the Supreme Administrative Court (NSA), as well as advised on the transformation and reorganisation of Polish and international enterprises.

I graduated from the Faculty of Management at Poznań University of Economics and have been a licensed tax advisor since 1999. I have been with TPA Poland, a member firm of Baker Tilly International, since 2004, i.e. since the beginning of its operation in the Polish market. In the internal structure of our company, I am responsible for the IT and administration area. Since October 2012, I have been a member of the four-person Management Team, where we develop strategic directions for the development of the international TPA group and supervise the implementation of strategic solutions in individual countries.

Outside of work, what keeps you busy?

Working with clients, implementing complex consulting projects and managing a 300 person company at the same time is a huge challenge and responsibility. Making the right, but sometimes also hard calls, crucial for the clients, but also for our organization, gives a lot of satisfaction, but at the same time - and there is no denying it - is connected with stress.

Therefore, finding a balance between work and personal life is of no small importance. For me, it is sports that help with that. My physical activity is not focused on one sport, though. I am very passionate about playing volleyball or tennis. I also fell in love with kite surfing. And in winter, I am keen on snowboarding and skiing.

I strongly encourage everyone to find their favourite sport - especially now, a dose of endorphins can be true salvation.

Tell us about an accomplishment that shaped your career?

My career path in the early days was quite winding. After working for several companies in different professions, I made my first ground-breaking decision regarding my future in accounting in the very year the tax consulting profession was sanctioned!

I accomplished my goal while gaining experience at major consulting firms. Then came another major decision to leave a well-established firm and start, with two partners, a boutique tax consulting firm.

Looking back, I know that it was the right step on my career path. I created the company from scratch, and today I manage a fantastic team of 300 advisors, experts and specialists. From the beginning, our priority has been to provide consulting services at an international level, but with an emphasis on a friendly working atmosphere conducive to personal development.

Every morning, think of three things you should do that day; and then just do it. And that's exactly what I do.What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Someone once told me: "Every morning, think of three things you should do that day; and then just do it." And that's exactly what I do.

It sounds simplistic, but this is what makes the method effective. It’s great advice for not only accomplishing the tasks planned for the day, but also for reaching the next step on your career path. Moreover, this advice can also be successfully applied to personal goals.

How do you think the pandemic has changed the way we work?

There is no denying the fact that the pandemic has completely changed our world. Practically overnight, we were forced to switch to remote working mode. Despite initial concerns, it turned out that the system works. We simply had to change our mindset and take advantage of the ubiquitous technology and tools at our disposal.

Today, with more than a year of pandemic behind us, we know that remote work will partly stay with us for longer, and, perhaps, forever. We have found that handling certain tasks remotely can be effective, also when contacting clients. I think that perhaps virtual meetings with clients are in fact more frequent and may even be more specific than those arranged in a traditional manner.

How do you see the future of the accounting industry changing?

For several years, the accounting industry has been moving toward process automation with the increasing use of new technologies. The pandemic has accelerated these processes. It is to be expected that IT professionals will become increasingly important in the accounting industry. On the one hand, professionals who combine IT knowledge with accounting expertise will be extremely valuable. On the other hand, however, we need to be prepared that simple accounting positions will be replaced by technology, while employees will be able to focus on more interesting and creative tasks.

The world is changing, speeding up, and at times rushing - also in the accounting sector. No one can stop this process anymore, so you have to open yourself up to these changes and adapt to the new environment.

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