This article is a part of Poland Unpacked. Weekly intelligence for decision-makers
In its very first year, GCG Partners secured contracts worth several million zloty. “We would prefer to issue large invoices for presentations, but the real challenge lies in implementation and managing change. Still, we choose the harder path,” the founders emphasize. A new recruitment company is helping them complete their offering.
“Consulting and advisory services have a poor reputation because companies have had bad experiences. We do not want to be just advisers,” the founders of GCG Partners said a year ago, shortly after launch, in an interview with XYZ.
The company was founded by three managers with extensive experience in well-known groups. Marcin Czyczerski served for years as CEO of CCC, Kacper Grabowski was a member of the management board at Michael Page Poland, and Bartosz Grabowski led marketing and communications teams at Wirtualna Polska Holding.
The business model quickly proved effective, leading to further strengthening of the team. In February, Natalia Wardejn joined as a partner. She had previously worked, among others, for CCC and Zalando.
The next step came in April, with the launch of a Human Capital company headed by Grzegorz Iwanowski, formerly of Wyser Poland and Michael Page, where he was responsible for executive recruitment for private equity funds.
“We are moving beyond pure recruitment. We combine strategic and operational advisory with hands-on leadership experience. As a result, we do not only design solutions – we help implement them,” says Grzegorz Iwanowski, CEO of Human Capital.
Recruitment arm as a catalyst for growth
Since the beginning of the year, Kacper Grabowski (who previously combined this role with his position at Michael Page) has been fully dedicated to GCG. This shift marked the company’s stronger entry into HR-related projects. In April, Grabowski also became an independent adviser to the owner of fashion company La Mania.
“Previously, some of the changes we planned with clients hit a barrier: the lack of new competencies. It was difficult for owners to find the right people to implement them. Now we can complement client teams and leave behind someone who will continue coordinating the new strategy. We are no longer only working with existing organisational structures; we are strengthening them in key areas. We already have several such projects, and this is an incredible growth catalyst,” says Kacper Grabowski, co-founder and partner at GCG Partners.
“In nearly 90 percent of cases, our consultation with a client ends with the question of whether we can recommend someone. Providing this closes our plan to deliver real value that goes beyond traditional consulting. It gives entrepreneurs a guarantee that, after we leave, they will not be left alone with the implemented changes,” adds Natalia Wardejn, partner at GCG Partners.
What drives the most important recruitment decisions?
Business practice shows that the initiative for a change in staffing can come from either side. Sometimes it is GCG that suggests to a client that they bring in support in a specific area; at other times, the client themselves takes the initiative.
“Recently, we started working with the owner of a fashion company generating around PLN 100 million (approx. EUR 23 million) in annual revenue. He needed a chief operating officer and told us directly: ‘You know better than I do who will perform well in this role.’ Clients are therefore sometimes willing to hand over the burden of recruitment to us,” says Bartosz Grabowski, co-founder and partner at GCG Partners.
The new recruitment arm opens the door to larger contracts for the firm.
“Every C-level recruitment [senior executive roles, typically ‘Chief…’ positions] stems from dissatisfaction or a specific problem on the owner’s side. However, completing the hire is only the beginning. For us, it is a key that unlocks access to a broader strategic project expected to deliver the desired results,” explains Kacper Grabowski.
Implementing strategy and delivering fast results
After their first year in operation, the founders of GCG identified two key lessons. First, meaningful change cannot be implemented effectively without a “roving” transformation manager. Companies need a change ambassador who is present with the client on a daily basis and oversees the execution of new decisions.
“Second, it is hardly surprising that most consulting firms stop at the strategy design stage. Everything that comes afterwards is exceptionally difficult. We would prefer to issue a hefty invoice for a beautiful presentation, because the real problem only begins with implementation and explaining the necessary changes. We have chosen the hard path, but we intend to continue along it,” explains Kacper Grabowski.
The entrepreneurs’ conviction – that responsibility for implementing strategy is crucial from the client’s perspective – has been reinforced in practice. In previous years, Szymon Negacz, founder of WiseGroup, also came to similar conclusions, as he discussed in an interview with XYZ. It has also become clear that GCG’s clients expect quick results.
“Large presentations spread over several years may look good on paper, but liquidity constraints arise along the way. Entrepreneurs expect changes that deliver measurable results within a few months and finance the next project. They come to us because we professionalize organizations in a pragmatic way, based on the experience of people who have actually done it in practice,” says Bartosz Grabowski.
Expert's perspective
Why combining consulting and implementation is difficult
Among the advantages of consulting is the ability to view organizations in an agnostic way – free from constraints, stereotypes, and established patterns. Another asset is access to a broad knowledge base available to the world’s top consulting firms, as well as a strong understanding of markets and competitors grounded in research, data, and trends.
Consulting also has its limitations. One of them is a lack of sensitivity to nuances that define true domain expertise. Consultants often work across multiple industries and segments, which makes it difficult for them to become deeply specialized in a narrow field. Their perspective can also remain overly theoretical, which may lead to simplifications or conclusions that are difficult to implement in the reality of a given organization. Moreover, consultants typically do not take responsibility for the ideas they develop – and it is precisely implementation that is the most difficult and riskiest stage.
If I had to make such a decision myself, I would not choose to combine consulting with execution. Effective implementation of new ideas, projects, or strategies within a company is indeed possible with external support. However, it is often not the domain of consulting firms, but of highly specialized organizations with concrete expertise, such as marketing agencies or IT companies.
A bit like a marketplace
In 2025, GCG exceeded PLN 3 million (approx. EUR 0.7 million) in the value of signed contracts. The founders see this as a very strong result for just nine months of operations. Demand has clearly outpaced their expectations.
“We see significant potential, so it would be good to achieve 100% year-on-year growth this year. However, it is difficult to state this definitively, as we are increasingly settling accounts based on the results of implementations, which sometimes take over a year. That said, from the outset we have made sure the company remains profitable. We are building long-term value without having to draw on private savings,” says Bartosz Grabowski.
Last year, the company worked with 15 clients, and it continues projects with most of them. Long-term relationships are a key priority. In parallel, it also delivered smaller assignments referred to as “military reviews,” which can serve as an entry point for broader cooperation.
“In the first year, we spoke with nearly 100 potential clients. We will not serve all of them, as from the beginning we assumed a lean structure. We want to maintain low fixed costs and high flexibility. We focus on the best specialists in our key areas. We are approaching ten full-time employees and plan to add a few more. We operate somewhat like a marketplace. We deliver projects by connecting clients with 200 experts, for whom we take responsibility with our own reputation,” says Marcin Czyczerski, partner and co-founder of GCG Partners.
Rarely from scratch, more often after initial attempts
GCG serves a broad segment of the market. At one end are companies with PLN 30–50 million (approx. EUR 7–11 million) in revenue, for which it designs and executes the entire strategy. Further along are firms with PLN 100–300 million (EUR 23–69 million) in turnover that need targeted support – for example in streamlining processes or international expansion. At the top end are large corporations, where GCG builds solutions from A to Z, such as launching e-commerce operations.
“There are situations where we encounter a company with a tabula rasa and, for example, implement e-commerce completely from scratch. More often, however, in similar proportions, we take over a project after internal attempts by the company or after other consultants have been disengaged,” explains Kacper Grabowski.
Together with their partners, they primarily work with entrepreneurs. These clients naturally first want to test whether they can do things on their own, as that is always cheaper. In practice, however, it often turns out that it requires more time and resources than they are able to commit – or it begins to pull them away from running the business.
“Sometimes they also use the services of a firm that limits itself to preparing a strategy. As a result, we do not position ourselves in opposition to large consulting firms – we complement each other perfectly. Where their role ends, we step in with implementation,” explains Kacper Grabowski.
Good to know
Focus on entrepreneurs
GCG Partners primarily focuses on serving Polish entrepreneurs. In Poland, they are still often perceived as leaders who manage with a firm hand and make all decisions independently.
“There is the truth of time and the truth of perception – the management style has changed over the years. However, we also work very well with these iconic Polish entrepreneurs. They understand their businesses perfectly and want to focus on what truly creates value – just like we do. At the same time, they are not always proficient in certain innovative areas – for example, e-commerce is still relatively new for many business owners in the retail sector – so they need a partner who helps them verify results,” explains Marcin Czyczerski, partner and co-founder of GCG Partners.
Beyond that, he sees himself and his partners as translators between business owners and employees, ensuring that the flow of information and expectations functions properly.
More interest in investors than stock market debuts
Among the areas where GCG provides support is preparing companies for stock market listings. However, IPO candidates on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW) remain scarce. The last major initial public offering (IPO) was carried out in February 2025 by Diagnostyka, followed by a mid-sized listing by Arlen four months later. Smyk ultimately did not go public, nor did Studenac before it. The negative trend may be reversed in the coming weeks by Rex Concepts.
“Few entrepreneurs in Poland are currently thinking about a stock market debut. However, we work with many companies that within a few years may open up to an investor – financial or strategic. We help them understand where company value is actually created and remove risk factors that could significantly reduce valuation already at the stage of initial discussions,” says Marcin Czyczerski.
“There is already a significant group of entrepreneurs at succession age, as well as relatively young founders, who would like to sell their companies and move on to something completely different. We are also seeing an increasing number of owners considering bringing in an investor for strategic purposes – particularly to support expansion into Western markets. Giving up a minority stake to a local partner can be much cheaper than building position and structures from scratch. With my arrival, we are further developing our M&A practice [mergers and acquisitions], especially in the DACH region [German-speaking countries], which is close to my experience,” adds Natalia Wardejn.
Focus on mature businesses rather than startup investments
The founders’ initial vision of the market did not fully materialize. They have pragmatically revised their assumptions, including in the area of co-founding – i.e. building companies jointly with clients.
“We realized we are closer to private equity funds than venture capital. The former support the expansion of a proven business model, while the latter separate the wheat from the chaff. We can contribute more at the scaling stage than at the prototype creation stage. This brings greater benefits both for the company and for us. In this model, we are compensated via a fixed fee with an option for a success-based bonus,” explains Kacper Grabowski.
Together with their partners, they had also signaled readiness to invest capital. So far, they have taken an equity stake in one startup: eWoman.pl. They helped shift its direction from a general e-commerce platform to a specialized provider of educational offerings for women. The company is now developing without their involvement, as they have moved into a passive role.
“We realized that by dedicating the same amount of time to more advanced projects, we can achieve more. After discussions with a dozen entities, we selected three, and negotiations with one of them are very promising. We assume strong operational involvement – for example, taking responsibility for specific areas – in exchange for a minority equity stake. We are not closing ourselves off to investment, but our goal is not simply to buy ourselves a seat at the shareholders’ table,” says Marcin Czyczerski.
Fireside chat
AI is not killing consulting, the Polish market is evolving rapidly
XYZ: What structural change is taking place in the Polish advisory market?
Szymon Negacz, CEO and founder of WiseGroup: The market is increasingly stratifying, and this is a healthy process. Global players – primarily the “Big Four” (PwC, EY, KPMG, Deloitte) as well as McKinsey and BCG – are treating Poland more seriously than ever. At the same time, a wave of domestic boutique firms is emerging, often founded by people who were previously clients of these larger firms. In recent years, a third category has also developed.
What is that?
These are Polish advisory firms that have grown out of boutique consultancies and now employ 100–300 people. They still operate from the position of local practitioners rather than global brands. At WiseGroup, we are exactly at that stage: around 190 employees, PLN 70–80 million (approx. EUR 16–18 million) in revenue, and a strong B2B specialization. We are no longer a boutique, but we are also not competing in the same league as the largest players.
Competition between these segments is often only apparent. Large firms sell decision security – buy a recommendation from a global brand and present it to the board, and no one will hold you accountable. Boutique firms, or companies of our size, sell real change delivered by consultants working directly with clients.
Are rapid advances in artificial intelligence killing consulting? Such claims are becoming more common.
They are killing only a specific model of consulting – the one that, for the past two decades, relied on armies of junior analysts producing Excel comparisons and 80-slide PowerPoint presentations. AI now does that faster, cheaper, and often better. That is why the “Big Four” are cutting headcount. This is not panic, but a rational response to losing a product that once justified a significant portion of their fees. But consulting is more than slide production.
So what is it?
It is building from scratch teams the client does not have – from recruitment, through onboarding, to delivering first results. It is implementing systems such as CRM, ERP, or marketing automation, and ensuring employees actually use them rather than clicking through them superficially. It is redesigning processes that exist in theory but are executed differently across departments. It is guiding companies through compensation restructuring without triggering mass resignations. And it is, ultimately, telling a CEO why a director hired three years ago has become a bottleneck.
Why can’t AI do this, at least for now?
Because it requires context, trust, responsibility for recommendations, and often the courage to tell a business owner something they do not want to hear.
AI is therefore an accelerator for consulting firms that truly implement change for clients, and a problem for those that have long been selling standardized knowledge products. This is visible in client requests. Almost no one asks us for recommendations alone anymore. They are almost always combined with implementation, because clients simply lack internal resources.
Key Takeaways
- Strengthening one year after launch. GCG Partners is a consulting and implementation firm established in 2025 by senior executives with experience at CCC, Wirtualna Polska Holding, and Michael Page Poland: Bartosz Grabowski, Marcin Czyczerski, and Kacper Grabowski. In recent months, the company has significantly strengthened its team. Natalia Wardejn – formerly responsible for strategy at Zalando’s headquarters – and Grzegorz Iwanowski, with experience in executive search for top management roles, including for private equity funds, have joined the firm. Iwanowski has been appointed head of a newly created GCG subsidiary, Human Capital.
- End-to-end responsibility for strategy. The new business line stems from limitations the company encountered in practice. Some of the changes it designed for clients ran into a barrier: the lack of new competencies. Business owners struggled to find the right people to implement them. GCG now relieves entrepreneurs of this burden by drawing on its own network of around 200 experts. It also guarantees that clients are not left alone after changes have been implemented. At the same time, GCG gains access to larger contracts. “Every C-level recruitment stems from dissatisfaction or a specific problem on the owner’s side. However, completing the hire is only the beginning,” explains Kacper Grabowski of GCG Partners.
- Scale and scope of operations. In its first, partial year of activity, GCG closed contracts worth over PLN 3 million (approx. EUR 0.7 million). Demand exceeded initial expectations, so the target for this year is to double the scale of the business. GCG serves a wide range of companies. For firms with PLN 30–50 million (EUR 7–11 million) in revenue, it designs and executes full strategies. For those with PLN 100–300 million (EUR 23–69 million) in turnover, it provides targeted support, such as process optimization or international expansion. For large corporations, it sometimes builds solutions from scratch – for example, launching e-commerce operations. GCG focuses on large, long-term projects, but also handles smaller HR assignments it calls “military reviews.”