Company authorities

Management Board

Maria Florczuk

CEO

Maria Florczuk started working at FORTE in 2007 from building a supply chain in Asia, and in subsequent years she was responsible for purchasing direct production materials. Since 2010, she was a director of the Purchasing Department, responsible for developing and implementing the FORTE purchasing strategy, managing the central purchasing policy and optimizing the supply chain of raw materials. Since May 2014, she served as a Member of the Management Board responsible for business development. On 1st September 2023, she assumed the position of Chairwoman of the Board at FABRYKI MEBLI FORTE SA.

More

Mariusz Gazda

Member of the Management Board

In March 2014, Mariusz Gazda took the position of a Member of the Management Board at FABRYKI MEBLI “FORTE” S.A., thus joining our team.

Currently, as part of the company’s financial and administration division, he is responsible for supervising the works of the Finance, Controlling, Internal Audit & Controll, Management Systems, Intvestment, Administration and Legal & Compliance Departments. His most important duties include supervision over the financial continuity as well controlling issues and supervising investments within the company. Moreover, he oversees the activities of TANNE as the President of the Management Board of this company. In the Capital Group, he is responsible for implementating the Compliance principles.

More

Walter Stevens

Member of the Management Board

In January 2021 Walter Stevens has joined the management board of FABRYK MEBLI “FORTE” S.A. He is currently responsible for the management of the departments planning, warehousing, logistics and customer service and for the information technology department. His main supply chain assignment is to ensure on time and in full deliveries and efficient back office interactions with customers.

More

Supervisory Board

Maciej Formanowicz is the founder of FABRYKI MEBLI “FORTE” S.A. He served as President of the Management Board from 1993 to 31 August 2023. He is a graduate of the Faculty of Wood Technology at the Higher School of Agriculture in Poznań. Mr Formanowicz began his professional career in 1972, holding positions as a technologist, manager of the Development and Investment Department, laboratory manager and department manager at the Wyszków Furniture and Interior Design Factory, in north-eastern Poland. From 1978 to 1981, he was the technical director of FORMAT Sp. z o.o. and from 1981 to 1987, he was the CEO of HASTA Sp. z o.o. based in Oborniki Śląskie. In 1987, Maciej Formanowicz moved to Wrocław where he took the position of deputy director of MAKRO Sp. z o.o. In 1991, he was appointed director of the MF corporation. From April 1993, Mr Formanowicz was President of the Management Board of FORTE Sp. z o.o., which was transformed into FABRYKI MEBLI “FORTE” Sp. z o.o. and then into FABRYKI MEBLI “FORTE” S.A. Mr Formanowicz served as President of the Polish Association of Furniture Manufacturers from 1996 to 2009. Mr Formanowicz also holds many professional awards.

 

Subsidiary Member of the Supervisory Board

Zbigniew Mieczysław Sebastian graduated from the Wroclaw University of Technology. In 1978 he became a Doctor of Technical Sciences at the Wroclaw University of Technology. He started his career there in 1973 as a PhD student, later he became an assistant lecturer and assistant researcher and lecturer. In 1979-1980, he was a lecturer at the University of Missouri, USA. In 2001-2011 he worked as a lecturer in the State High Vocational School in Nysa. In 2008-2012, he was a Vice-Rector University of Business in Wroclaw. In 2003 he became a Member of the Scientific Council and in 2012 – the Rector of the International University of Logistics and Transport in Wrocław. In 1982 he was employed in a foreign enterprise in Poland, subsequently as: Production Manager, Assistant Director, Deputy Director of Export and Import, and Chief Executive. Since 1995 he has been the President of the Supervisory Board of FABRYKI MEBLI “FORTE” S.A., and since 1996 – the President of the Supervisory Board of Wrocławska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego S.A. In 1998-2003, he was a Member of the Supervisory Board of Wrocławski Park Technologiczny S.A. Since 1996, he has acted as the President of Lower Silesian Chamber of Commerce. In 1999-2009, he was a Member of the Presidium of Polish Chamber of Commerce, including acting in 2005-2009 as Vice-President of the Chamber, and, since 2009, he has been a Member of its Council. Member of the Social Economic Council by the Marshal of the Lower Silesia Province. Since 2003, he has acted as a member of the governing bodies of the Union of Elbe and Oder Chambers of Commerce with its seat in Berlin. Zbigniew Mieczysław Sebastian is an honorary Consul of Chile in Wroclaw. He passed an exam for candidates for members of supervisory boards of State Treasury companies certified by diploma No 4767/2002 issued by the Ministry of the State Treasury. Since 1995 is a member of the Supervisory Board of FABRYKI MEBLI “FORTE”S.A.

Subsidiary Member of the Supervisory Board.

 

Chief Financial Officer with many years of experience in demanding sectors, such as consumer goods, pharmaceutical, chemical and financial sector, both in Poland and in the UK. He managed change by setting goals, team leadership and efficient communication. In particular, he has extensive experience in creation and development of financial departments, operational integration and restructuring as well as creation of modern solutions for departments such as: accounting, IT, purchasing, logistics and customer service. A graduate of the Faculty of Foreign Trade at the Main School of Planning and Statistics – currently the Warsaw School of Economics. From 2017 Member of the Supervisory Board of FABRYKI MEBLI “FORTE” S.A.

Independent Member of the Supervisory Board.

Jakub Papierski (1972) is a graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) and holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) license. He has many years of professional experience in domestic and foreign financial institutions (including PKO Bank Polski, Bank Pekao, Deutsche Bank, Allianz, Creditanstalt IB). He also has a deep understanding of the mechanisms of financial and capital markets. During his career he has been involved in numerous IPOs of the largest Polish issuers and the largest capital transactions on the Polish market. In 2010-2021, he was Vice-President of the Management Board of PKO Bank Polski, where he supervised the Corporate and Investment Banking Area, the Bank’s Treasury and financing in financial markets, the Brokerage House and the Bank’s own capital transactions. He sat on the Credit Committee and the Asset and Liability Management Committee. He chaired the Supervisory Boards of PKO TFI, PKO PTE, PKO Leasing, PKO Bank Hipoteczny and Kredobank. In 2011-2019, he was also a member of the Board of the Marguerite Fund, a joint project of the European Investment Bank, PKO Bank Polski and 4 government development banks from Germany (KfW), Italy (CDP), Spain (ICO) and France (CDC). He started his professional career in 1993 in the Pro-Invest International consulting firm and in the ProCapital brokerage house. From 1996 he worked at Creditanstalt Investment Bank and then at Deutsche Morgan Grenfell/Deutsche Bank Research, dealing with the banking sector in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2001-2003, he was CFO / Executive Director of the Financial Division at Bank Pekao (Unicredit), and then became President of the Management Board of Centralny Dom Maklerski Pekao S.A. From 2006 he was also Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Pioneer Pekao TFI S.A. In 2009-2010 he was President of the Management Board of Allianz Bank Polska S.A. Jakub Papierski is a winner of the Lesław Paga Award. In 2005-2009, he was the Chairman of the Programme Council of the Capital Market Leaders Academy at the Lesław Paga Foundation. He is also a member of the Council of the Industrial History Museum in Opatówek/Kalisz.

Independent Member of the Supervisory Board.

Prof. PhD. Eng. Jerzy Smardzewski obtained his Master Degree at the Faculty of Wood Technology of the Poznań University of Agriculture in 1986. In 1991 he received a title of Doctor of Technical Sciences, and subsequently in 1998 a Habilitation Degree of Forest Sciences in the scope of wood industry, wood technology and furniture industry. The scientific title of professor was obtained by him in 2002 and since 2008 he has been employed as professor at the Chair of Furniture Industry of the Poznań University of Life Sciences. He conducted transnational traineeships in Technische Universität Dresden (1989), Aristotele University of Tessaloniki (2007), Bartin University oraz Karabük University in Turkey (2012). Between 1997-2001 he was a Production Director at the futniture plant of Balma S.A., while in 2008 he became General Director of Furniture factory in Waza in Kostrzyń Wlkp. He performed the function of Vicedean of Studies at the Faculty of Wood Technology of University of Agriculture in Poznań in the years 2002-2005. He has performed the function of Furniture Industry Department Director since 2006. In 2015 he was a scholarship grantee of UMK in Toruń as visiting professor. He obtained fifteen awards from the rector of his home university for his scientific achievements. In 1996 he was awarded an Award from the Minister of Education and in 2000 an award of the Prime Minister. His scientific acquis covers in total over 370 publications and elaborations, including 7 handbooks and 12 patent applications.

Independent Member of the Supervisory Board.

An expert in the field of pension systems, asset management and capital markets. He has an investment advisor license (no. 136), is a real member of the Polish Association of Actuaries, a member of CFA Society Poland (CFA Charterholder). A graduate of the Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering at the Warsaw University of Technology (1985). He started his professional career as an assistant at the home department of the Warsaw University of Technology (1985-1990), then he worked at the Ministry of Finance (Department of Financial Institutions) and Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (Department of Monetary Economy). For many years (1993-2016) professionally involved with the Commercial Union Polska group (now Aviva Polska), holding positions in the Financial Department of Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń na Życie: accountant (6 month internship), Financial Vice-Director (12 months), Vice-Director responsible for Investments (Investment Director – 1995-1998). During this period, he established the principles of the investment process, developed a methodology for running the Guaranteed Fund and built a leading investment team. He started working for Commercial Union PTE (1999) as the Vice-President of the Management Board – Investment Director. He built a 10-person team of the Investment Department responsible for managing the assets of the largest open investment fund. In 2001, appointed as the President of the Management Board of PTE, he supervised the Fund’s sales, marketing and investment activities. He managed the work of the Investment Committee and the Strategic Committee of the Society. Member of the Audit Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Pension Societies (IGTE). He actively participated in the work on introducing the principles of Corporate Governance on the Polish capital market (as a member of the Polish Institute of Directors). During his professional career, he completed an educational programme leading to ACCA qualifications by passing all 14 exams, completed Executive Management Development courses organised by Ashridge Management School, CEDEP (Fontainebleau), Columbia University and Wharton School of Business (over 13 weeks).
Independent member of Supervisory Boards: Ipopema Securities, Ipopema TFI and NFI Octava.

Independent Member of the Supervisory Board.

Agnieszka Zalewska is an attorney-at-law (PL) specialising in commercial law. She graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Białystok. She has many years of professional experience related to, among others, corporate governance and capital market transactions. She has been associated with the PZU Group since 2018. She has been employed as Director of the Management Board Department and Advisor to the Management Board of Bank Pekao S.A., Director of the Corporate Governance Department in the PZU Group, corporate governance manager. Prior to joining the PZU Group, from 2002 to 2017 she worked at the PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A. Group where she was responsible for ensuring legal security and corporate governance. She held positions such as lawyer, chief specialist, attorney-at-law, Deputy Director of the Legal Department, Director of the Legal and Corporate Governance Department. She sits on the Supervisory Boards of: PZU Pomoc S.A., Grupa Kęty S.A. and RUCH S.A. Previously, she gained experience in the Supervisory Boards of: PZU Zdrowie S.A. of Warsaw, Omicron Bis S.A. of Warsaw, PGE Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A. of Warsaw, Exatel S.A of Warsaw, Autostrada Wielkopolska of Poznań, PGE Energia z serca Foundation of Warsaw, PGE Energia Jądrowa S.A. of Warsaw, PGE Obrót S.A. of Rzeszów, PGE Serwis sp. z o.o. of Warsaw.

Independent Member of the Supervisory Board.