AB S.A. is expanding its management board to include Patrycja Gawarecka and Jarosław Słowiński. Both will take up the posts of deputy chairpersons on 1 October. This move was to be expected following this year’s change at the top of one of the largest IT distributors in Central and Eastern Europe.
In March, Zbigniew Mądry replaced the company’s founder, Andrzej Przybyła, as CEO. This marked the culmination of a succession plan that had been in the works for some time. A few months earlier, Iwona and Andrzej Przybyło had also sold their entire 18.9 per cent stake in AB to institutional investors.
Following the change of CEO, the management board operated with a reduced membership. According to the company’s latest information, it comprises Mądry and the vice-chairman and chief financial officer, Grzegorz Ochędzan. The appointment of Gawarecka and Słowiński can therefore be seen as the next, natural stage in reorganising the structure following the succession.
The new vice-chairpersons are not coming from outside the company. Gawarecka has been with the AB Group since 2001 and is responsible for sales, marketing and e-commerce. Słowiński has been with the company since 2002 and heads up the procurement division. The management board will therefore be strengthened by individuals responsible for two fundamental aspects of the distribution business: customer relations and supplier relations.
This is significant at a time of rapid market changes. Gartner forecasts a 13.5 per cent increase in global IT spending by 2026, driven, amongst other things, by investment in AI and infrastructure. For AB, a larger management board may mean a more efficient division of responsibilities as the business expands. At the same time, these appointments confirm that, following the founder’s departure, the company is prioritising continuity rather than a change in its current course.
