Tomasz Pijanka - CFO of LIM Center - interview
Past, present and future of LIM Center - an interview with Tomasz Pijanka, CFO of LIM Center
The history of your professional life has been connected with LIM Center from the very beginning.
Right after graduating from SGH, somewhat by accident, I was hired in accounting at the Marriott Hotel. That was 32 years ago. Interestingly, it was also the beginning of LIM. The complex began its operational activities in October 1989, and I had already been here since September 11, undergoing training in hotel structures. How proud and happy I was at that time to be given the opportunity to work for such a distinguished company, and an American one at that!!!
From day one, LIM had a pioneering role to play on the Polish market.
Yes, our company was a forerunner and the best example of the changes taking place in Poland at that time. LIM was the first company established under the Law of April 23, 1986 on Companies with Foreign Participation. At that time we received all possible permits from the authorities, including the right to have bank accounts in foreign banks and the possibility to take out an investment loan from an Austrian bank. Today this is nothing unusual, but at that time almost no one had such privileges. From a business perspective, therefore, it can be said that Free Poland and LIM are peers.
However, the LIM Center continues to grow and has not emerged from its role as a pioneer to this day.
Otherwise, we would not have survived in such good shape for 32 years in this highly competitive market. Over time, we have learned to recognize and exploit the potential of our building more and more. In the 1990s, the retail space on both the first floor and level -1 was expanded, and a telecommunications mast was installed on the roof. Both decisions proved to be very successful. In a short period of time, we were able to rent out all the commercial space, and the mast was getting more customers and antennas every year. The interest in the latter services was so great that we had to start doing strength analyses of the tower.
Thanks to our efforts, the LIM building also became a connection center between various operators, a kind of telecommunications, colocation and database hub. This boom continues to this day. Admittedly, the technology has changed, so we support less antennas and more fiber optics, but today we rent nearly 4,000 sqm in the building for high-tech business. We also already have two Data Center spaces ourselves, which we run with our own efforts, and more are under construction.
One of our freshest ideas is electricity trading, for which we received a license in 2015. This idea has also proven to be very good, as today we sell about 17 Gigawatts of energy per year to our tenants.
So how do you see the future of LIM Center
The LIM Center has always been a multi-functional building, offering the highest standard of hotel rooms, a variety of gastronomy, extensive event, banquet and conference facilities luxury offices, good retail space, swimming pool, fitness center, spa, hairdressing, laundry services, car rental, gifts, flowers and much more too numerous to mention.
This will certainly not change.
Cutting-edge technologies, a unique location and our very modern infrastructure also allow us to think about development in further areas of great interest. As a result, we look to the future with optimism and confidence that we will be able to maintain our market position.
And how did your life shape up at LIM Center
Returning to my humble person, I went through all levels of career in the final and accounting department of the hotel, reaching the position of key Operational Controller in this department. Then I moved to the company's Management Office and took the position of Chief Accountant of LIM. After 5 years, in 2002, I became Chief Financial Officer and was appointed to the Board of Directors, on which I served for 6 years. After the acquisition of the building and, in time, the company by Israeli capital in 2008, I continued to hold the position of CFO until July 2017. Then fate threw me to another company with French capital involved in consulting and tax consulting. There, in the circle of other problems and other tasks, I spent the next, very fruitful, 3 years.
Today, on the other hand, you are again part of LIM Center
Yes. I don't even know how or when the current management of the company invited me back to work with them as CFO of the group, and here I have been for a year now entering the fourth decade of both my adult life and the LIM Complex.
