Katarzyna Zawodna Bijoch
President of the Management Board
spółka biurowa Skanska w Europie Środkowo-Wschodniej
Katarzyna Zawodna-Bijoch is CEO at Skanska’s commercial development unit in Central and Eastern Europe. She is responsible for the company’s strategy and operations in the area of sustainable and innovative office investments in ten city markets in Central and Eastern Europe: Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest, Wrocław, Poznań, Łódź, Katowice, Gdańsk, Kraków. She is currently running portfolio of 450 000 sqm.
She joined Skanska in 2006. Under her leadership since 2016, the CEE unit has been developing extensively, holding a leadership position among regional developers. Since 2016 the company has leased over 630 000 sqm of futureproof office space, has sold 25 buildings for over EUR 1.4 bln.
Since her appointment as President and CEO, the company has invested in co-working sector (Business Link’s acquisition) as well as sustainable and innovative solutions, focused on human well-being and reducing carbon emissions. Katarzyna has initiated cooperation with Saule Techonolgies to implement perovskite technology on Skanska office buildings. Perovskite solar cells, unlike common silicon solar cells, do not require direct exposure to the sun to efficiently produce electricity. This – along with being easily customizable with shape, color and size – makes them ideal for facades and other vertical surfaces. It will be a significant milestone towards zero-energy office investments. Under Katarzyna’s ledership on CEE level Skanska has launched Connected by Skanska. It’s an all-in-one operational system for office buildings that includes a mobile application for everyday users and a web portal for tenant & building administration. Katarzyna Zawodna is one of first experts who introduced LEED certification system in Poland and CEE region 10 years ago, ceritifing Skanska buildings.As a CEO, she was also responsible for decision of developing Skanska office buildings in line with WELL Building Standard™. It was a major business decision and another step towards futureproof workplaces that the company has taken.
Katarzyna actively works to improve ethical standards in the region. She is a member of the policy councils at UN Global Compact as well as the Civic Congress – a cross-environmental civil project promoting sustainable development in Poland.
In addition, she also holds the title of LEED Accredited Professional. She was honored with many prestigious RE awards i.e. Personality of the Year (Eurobuild Awards). Furthermore, Katarzyna is a RICS Fellow, being recognized for her professional achievements and leadership.
Areas of expertise:
Office real estate market in Central Eastern Europe
Central and Eastern Europe – general economic overview and markets’ performance Sustainability and certifications of the office buildings
Wellbeing
Ethics and corporate responsibility in business
Previously attended as a speaker on the following events (examples):
EXPO Real, Munich, Germany 2019
#ETTalks, Warsaw, Poland 2018
Participates in the sessions:
-
Opening session. Challenges for the commercial property market: investment security, financing, and profitability of the property business
The world has changed. People have changed. The property business must change as well. How to prepare the prop-erty business for a new future and new geopolitical, economic, social, environmental, and technological challenges? A risk map: What is a matter of the utmost concern to the sector? Strategies for tough times. New opportunities. And this is what we will ask key investors, developers and experts about:
Investment security:
- The ongoing war in Ukraine across our eastern border affects investment decisions being made by property players – global corporations, manufacturing companies, or investment funds. Uncertainty among investors, who have adopted a wait-and-see strategy, is one of the most noticeable effects of Russian aggression in the property market. How has the investment attractiveness of Poland changed in the eyes of investors? Is the invested capital safe? The end of the war, stable law, predictable taxes, and investment incentives: What does it take for Poland to remain a magnet for new investments?
Debt is getting increasingly expensive:
- Banks are cautious about financing commercial property. Nowadays, it is more difficult to get a loan for an office building. Are hotels and shopping centres doomed? Warehouses are still the jewel in the crown, but there are requirements too. How is the policy pursued by institutions providing funding for property chang-ing? Will the high cost of money result in fewer new investments?
Property is (not) profitable. The profitability of the property business:
- Double-digit inflation, interest rate hikes, the rising costs of building materials and labour, and rising energy prices… How have recent events changed the profitability of property investments? Strong warehouses; battered hotels and shopping centres; office buildings waiting for the end of remote working, and flats chas-ing record after record: Which sectors are at their best today? What attracts investors’ attention?
