Alexandra Filutowski with Poland's Ambassador and other Board Members of the Polish American Chamber of Commerce - Pacific Northwest
Thanks to the efforts of the ever-growing Polish-American Chamber of Commerce—Pacific Northwest (PACCPNW), of which attorney Alexandra Filutowski is a proud member of the Board of Directors, the Chamber event on Monday, June 25, 2011, was a huge success. The event drew nearly 150 business, legal and academic professionals from around Washington State and Poland. Distinguished guests included Polish Ambassador Robert Kupiecki, Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Integration for Boeing Nicole Piasecki, and First Gentleman Mike Gregoire. The event was hosted in Seattle’s World Trade Center, bringing both national and local spotlight on business opportunities in Poland, a country that has continually seen growth in GDP despite a global economic recession.
First Gentleman Mike Gregoire started the evening off with a touching story of his mother’s Polish roots and her desire to come to this event; his mother accompanied him and sat in the back waving as the audience turned to her. He then welcomed Polish Ambassador Robert Kupiecki, extending heartfelt thanks and gratitude from Governor Christine Gregoire for the Ambassador’s support of the PACCPNW.
Ambassador Kupiecki discussed the emerging business opportunities in Poland and the importance of Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union. Poland was the only EU member nation to not slip into an economic recession.
Following the Ambassador was Nicole Piasecki, Vice President of Business Development for Boeing; she recently traveled to Poland for the inauguration of an exhibit honoring her father, an important Polish aerospace engineer.
Mr. Pawel Pietrasienski, Minister-Counselor and Head of the Trade and Investment Section of the Polish Embassy in Washington D.C., then spoke about the economic growth experienced by Poland that makes it an attractive option for American business ventures. He focused heavily on economics and the advantages of doing business in Poland, illustrating some of the major U.S. companies that have campuses in Poland, providing jobs and futures for the thousands of highly educated scientists with PhDs from some of Poland’s finest universities.
Next, Eric Stewart, President of the US-Poland Business Council, took the stage to explain corporate America’s view of Poland’s economic progress and success in the past decade as well as the obstacles to increasing commercial communications with Poland.
Illustrating Poland’s attractiveness to American companies, Dan Fulton, President and CEO of Weyerhauser Company, discussed his plans for his upcoming trip to Poland; during this trip, Mr. Fulton will officially “open” a Weyerhauser plant in Gdansk.
In keeping with the theme of corporations doing business in Poland, Maciej Chorowski, President of the Wroclaw Technology Park, spoke about the Park’s clientele and attractiveness to foreign companies, particularly because of its new technologies.
Adam Januszko, Head of New Technologies Group Military, discussed the innovation and science-industry collaboration among Polish small businesses; he described the success of the multispectral camoflauge developed by Litex-Lubawa-Miranda Textile Consortium.
Finally, Professor Zbigniew Bochniarz of the University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs hosted a panel for questions from the audience. Having recently returned from teaching law in Poland, Alexandra Filutowski asked the panel about Poland’s plans for developing and investing in a high-speed train system throughout the country.
Kimberly Davidson of The Filutowski Law Firm engages with President of Wroclaw Technology Park, Maciej Chorowski.
After the dynamic presentations, the room opened to a full spread reception where attendees mingled with the Ambassador, Polish Embassy and Consulate diplomats, business leaders, representatives of local legislatures and more.
Additionally, a representative from the Polish-American Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta noted that Seattle’s Polish-American Chamber of Commerce organization was so well-administered and structured; the Chamber in Atlanta is relatively new and hopes to progress and grow in the same direction and magnitude as Seattle’s.
Overall, the event was a great success, and The Filutowski Law Firm was well-represented in the organization and planning stages of the event. Photos and videos of the speakers and attendees engaging in discussions on Poland’s economic rise during global recession can be found at the PACCPNW.
