Taking the leap from athletics to surety 

Growing up, I dreamt of becoming an athlete and competing in the Olympic Games. I come from a small town, and sports always seemed like a chance to travel and expand my horizons. I was also a naturally fast runner, and my cousin, who competed in European championships, was a big inspiration. So, at 13, I left my family home to pursue a professional career in sports, specifically through the heptathlon: an event combining track and field.

At first, everything was going according to plan. I became a multiple Polish Junior Champion and was determined to tie my future to sports. This led me to study at the Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw so that I could become a coach after my individual athletic career. However, due to an injury and other unforeseen events, I had to reassess these life plans.

With athletics no longer an option, I decided to explore a more stable path and was drawn to finance: I enjoyed working with data and have a good capacity for deep concentration, as a start, so I wanted to learn more about this area. So, after four years in physical education, I changed my studies to banking, insurance and capital markets at the University of Warsaw. Looking back, this was a big life step – I’m proud that I had the courage to make such a pivot.

I learned about Allianz Trade through the recommendation of my sister-in-law, who worked in debt collection at their Warsaw office. During my studies, I joined the Allianz Trade Debt Collection department, where I would stay for more than 10 years. After returning from maternity leave, though, I felt the desire for a new challenge that would place me in direct contact with clients and brokers. A colleague who had transitioned into surety told me about the opportunities the department offered, including exposure to a variety of industries and more client interface.

As a Senior Specialist for Sales of Insurance Guarantees, I love collaborating with clients from various industries: it’s rewarding to know that we’re collectively helping build roads, hospitals and sports stadiums in addition to other projects. Sometimes, when my family and I are driving on a new route, I’m able to say, “this is a new road, which may have been secured by the guarantee issued by Allianz Trade.”

Every guarantee we issue is a step towards realizing important projects that can change the world around us for the better. For example, my team recently issued a guarantee for a project that received Green2Green certification, marking Allianz Trade’s first issuing of the certification for a Polish Customer.

The trust-building skills and goal-oriented mindset I developed through my athletics training have been essential in my career in surety. Just as in sports, in surety, building strong relationships and being persistent are key to success.

I thus apply the same focus and discipline I had as an athlete to my work now. I think my passion for competition has also benefited my career – in every opportunity I participate in, I do my best to win.