The Mindset: Katarzyna Kazimierczak-Mrowinska
4 minute read
Welcome back to ‘The Mindset'
The blog series where we delve into the minds of our wonderful Solarians’ to discover what makes them tick, why they like working at Solaris and reveal their key career advice.
This time, we have Solaris' Head of KYC Operations, Katarzyna Kazimierczak-Mrowinska in the hot seat!
Who is Katarzyna Kazimierczak-Mrowinska?
Katarzyna (or Kasia for short) is responsible for overseeing and managing KYC processes at Solaris. Kasia has over 15 years of experience in legal, financial, business development, and technology operational roles, and in the 8 years prior to joining Solaris, Kasia worked in reg-tech companies, specialising in regulatory markets with a strong emphasis on compliance and security, gaining extensive knowledge in the identity verification space, particularly in automated Know Your Customer (KYC) processes and compliance in fin-tech. Kasia’s contributions to the industry, coupled with her deep knowledge of regulatory requirements, have positioned her as a trusted expert in KYC. Kasia is committed to leveraging this expertise to drive compliance excellence, enhance customer experiences, and foster growth at Solaris.
What was it that drew you to a career focused on KYC?
As with everything in life, we usually don’t have influence over who we become. I always knew that I wanted to work in a domain connected to law, but I never wanted to study national law. Instead, the most appealing to me was International and European law. Going even further, I understood that commercial law is an extremely important part of everyday business. I have graduated from European Law (Master) and obtained an LL.M in International Commercial Law.
What brought me to the reg-tech industry and, at the same time to the KYC, was the combination of law, compliance and the emerging technology. KYC is an amazing industry that encompasses not only compliance, but also the new technology behind it, such as AI and various fraud detection methods, which makes this industry fascinating and intriguing.
What excites you most about working at Solaris?
Solaris is an alluring company that combines several aspects of the highly regulated industry, being a licensed bank, while also embracing elements of financial technology. It doesn’t adhere to the standard banking approach, but always incorporates aspects of new technology and embedded services.
Additionally, I personally believe that working in the company, where your voice is heard, is critically significant to achieve the overall success of the company, and Solaris is one of those entities, where management listens to and values your opinion.
What does a typical day look like for you at Solaris?
I begin my day by organising and managing my to-do list and calendar, setting clear priorities for the day ahead. I enjoy starting my day, still “offline” allowing me to focus entirely on my tasks without any distractions. Each morning I gather with my team for our daily meeting, during which we briefly outline the objectives for the day, discuss KPI’s and address any blocker or topics that require discussion. It is a vital opportunity for us to align our efforts and ensure that everyone is on the same page as we tackle the day ahead. Following that meeting, I participated in an ops leadership meeting from various departments within operations, where we exchanged insights, and addressed cross-functional challenges to ensure smooth operations across the organisation.
Every day at Solaris presents a unique set of challenges, projects and deadlines, keeping the atmosphere engaging and challenging. The variability keeps me on my toes, and allows for continuous growth and adaptation within the fast-paced environment of the company.
Nevertheless, even more important for me than a morning coffee is a lunch break 🙂. I enjoy it most, while I am at the office and can go out with my colleagues. Cuvrystrasse has a fantastic location, and there are many great restaurants around, that offer cuisine from various countries.
I usually wrap up my day in the evening, but there is never a fixed time; it varies based on workload, meetings and family commitments. I appreciate the flexible working environment at Solaris, which allows for greater work-life balance and promotes a more collaborative atmosphere among team members.
Every day at Solaris is unique, adding to the intrigue and allure of the workplace.
You were recently selected to participate in the Money 20/20 RiseUp Program, congratulations, can you tell about how your career journey has brought you to this stage?
When asked about my experience, I find it challenging to convey the full extent of my journey. I possess over 15 years of versatile operational experience in fast-paced growth startups and financial industries. Over the last 8 years, I have specialised in fintech technology, strongly emphasising compliance, security and cutting-edge technologies (such as blockchain). I have worked, lived and studied in four different countries (Poland, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom).
But it is also crucial to acknowledge that the path has not all been smooth sailing and that I have faced personal challenges along the way. For the last 5 years, I have been raising twins, undergoing sleepless nights, and caring for them during the pandemic, without the support of grandparents (who are in Poland). So the effort “behind those eight years” is something that could be applicable to all of us, as we are all facing some challenges.
I am deeply grateful for being selected for the Money 20/20 RiseUp Global Program. The whole idea of this program is to empower women and non-binary leaders and call to champion more diversity across the money ecosystem. I firmly believe that empowering woman is essential for progress, and I am thankful for the opportunity to contribute positively, inspire, and be inspired by the remarkable, hardworking woman around us.
What advice would you give to people trying to make a mark in their work industry?
Few things: (all of them equally important)
- Focus on networking to build valuable connections
- Specialise in a niche area to stand out from the crowd, and develop expertises
- Read extensively, particularly industry articles and newest reports
- Follow other specialist on social media and stay informed
- Stay updated on important events and try to participate them
- Don’t be afraid to take risks 🙂
If you could give your younger self career advice, what would it be?
Always do what you love. This is the only way to find true happiness and satisfaction, and it will enable you to be the best at what you do. Don’t be afraid to risk and follow your heart as this will guide you to where you truly belong.
What is your superpower at Solaris?
At Solaris, my super power lies in cultivating teamwork and collaboration within the team. I thrive on bringing together diverse perspectives, leveraging individual strengths, and orchestrating seamless cooperation to tackle challenges and achieve our collective goals.
Teamwork is the key to success at Solaris. As Michael Jordan famously said: “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships”. Together, we embrace this spirit, knowing that our combined efforts leads us to greatness.
