Adam Piotrowski

This year marks a special milestone for Adam, who is celebrating 10 years at Eryk. From starting out in Communication & Administration to leading the Sales Team as Group Sales Manager, his journey is a story of growth, resilience, and people-first leadership. In this interview, Adam reflects on his early days, the challenges he has faced, and the lessons he has learned along the way. He also shares what keeps him motivated, his approach to building trust, and his hopes for the future.

Adam, 10 years ago you started in Eryk in a completely different role – in a Communication & Administration position. What made you apply for that role and what do you remember most from your early days here?

One of my best decisions in life 😊 Coming out of a freelance world of translation and language tuition, I was looking for stability and a predictable weekly schedule. I found that at BIC Electric (as we were called back then) and so much more. My first impression was a fantastic cocktail of relaxed atmosphere (of fewer than 15 people in the office) spiced with utmost professionalism and looking at things through the eyes of the customer. While we are less relaxed today, the other two things stuck with me for good, and we are working on instilling this mindset in all the new people who join us.

Your transition from communication to sales wasn’t an easy one. What kept you going when others doubted it was a right path for you?

Sitting for a year in the marketing department eased the transition, but, to be honest, once I started in sales, the only doubts I felt were coming from my inner voice, while from the outside world, I was getting lots and lots of support and encouragement.

What do you consider as your biggest professional achievement at Eryk and what was the biggest challenge?

I hope it’s not the last one, but for now, I am most proud of the sales team that I have somehow managed to build and who have stayed for good. They continue to impress me with their dedication and professionalism. You rock, team! The biggest challenge, and I hope it was the last one of that kind, was handling the commercial aspect of a large project built on crumbling financial foundations. It was enlightening for me to observe our CEO in his (successful) attempts to exit and not leave our customer stranded.

What lessons have you learnt over those 10 years?

Business is people. Period. And this is what makes it fascinating and challenging.

What’s your secret to building trust and lasting relationship – both with customers and the team?

As above – the human dimension. Eryk helped me discover that I am a people-person, often pretty clumsy at that but always sincere. I now understand that huge value is generated when people cooperate. We make 1+1 equal way more than 2.

As a former teacher, how have your teaching skills helped you in your current role as Group Sales Manager?

Well, I am happy that our message to the world across our various channel is delivered in a pretty OK standard, despite very few of us being native English speakers (and even those few ones making spelling mistakes anyway 😉). From the teaching background, I have a great understanding how getting to the level you want and staying there is always a process and a path that needs time and effort. You can actually arrive there without even noticing, as long as you are consistent on the way.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out at Eryk, especially those considering a shift in career path like yours?

Be open-minded and welcoming to new challenges that are offered to you outside of your comfort zone; if you can – search them out too. Sometimes you will succeed, sometimes you will fail, but make sure you always take lessons. Keep value-creation and contribution to your organization’s success in mind and you will go places 😊.

What keeps you motivated?

I have a strong drive to keep Eryk’s wheels running, now that we have put in 20 years of effort into getting it to speed.

Looking ahead, what are your goals and dreams for the next 10 years?

To quote “Wear Sunscreen” song: “Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.” Probably not the best advice for everybody, but it has worked for me. Keeps my mind open to possibilities. Dream-wise – there are soooooo many amazing places to cycle around 😊.