Leading high impact transformations across a changing region
Interview with Krystian Kamyk, Partner and CEE Lead of A.T. Kearney Sp. z o.o.
Central and Eastern Europe has undergone profound economic transformation over the past three decades, creating opportunity – and complexity – for companies operating in rapidly evolving markets. As digitalization, geopolitical uncertainty and shifting regulatory landscapes reshape entire industries, management teams face unprecedented pres¬sure to make faster, more resilient decisions. Consulting firms equipped to translate complexity into measurable results have become essential partners. In this environment, Krystian Kamyk, Partner and CEE Lead at A.T. Kearney Sp. z o.o. in Warsaw, shares how the firm supports organizations through high-impact change.
European Business: Mr. Kamyk, to begin, could you briefly introduce yourself and your path to Kearney?
Krystian Kamyk: I joined Kearney in 2008 after early roles in marketing advisory and banking. I wanted to explore business more broadly, and consulting offered that. What drew me specifically to Kearney were the people –pragmatic, easygoing and doing amazing work. I became a Partner in 2020 and now lead the CEE unit after previously heading the Polish office. My work focuses on transformations, especially M&A, operating model redesign, and large‑scale change across banking, telecoms, energy and other infrastructure‑heavy industries.
European Business: How has Kearney evolved in Poland?
Krystian Kamyk: As Kearney marks its 100-year anniversary globally in 2026, it is also a moment to reflect on how the firm has evolved locally. In Poland, we celebrate this year 30 years and this journey mirrors the region’s transformation. In CEE, our first office opened in Prague before expanding to Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Croatia. We had offices in Kyiv and Moscow, but closed the latter after Russia’s aggression.
A key milestone was our management buyout around 2005, which restored the global partnership model. EU accession then triggered major national transformations – telecoms, energy, oil and gas, infrastructure – where we played a significant role. Later, between 2015 and 2025, we expanded our work in private equity and expanded into health, e‑commerce, technology, and built a CEE hub for data science, machine learning and AI. What has remained constant throughout this evolution is the way we work - with a partnership mindset and a strong focus on long-term impact for our clients.
European Business: What distinguishes Kearney’s consulting approach?
Krystian Kamyk: We are a full‑house strategy and management consulting firm focused on high‑impact, low‑frequency challenges. Our portfolio spans strategy development, market entry, M&A including carve‑outs and integrations, restructuring, and increasingly AI‑driven and automation‑driven transformations. Our brand promise “Impact first” means going beyond decisions – projects must translate into real change. We manage complexity, align large organizations and provide an external layer of objectivity that internal teams often can’t. We help organizations anticipate what is next, translate bold ideas into tangible outcomes - an approach that matters even more in today’s increasingly turbulent environment.
European Business: How has your team grown in response to market changes?
Krystian Kamyk: We experienced rapid growth until around 2006, then stagnation during the financial crisis. Since 2015, we have tripled in size in Warsaw. Today, we have a little more than 100 people in Poland and over 300 in the region; globally Kearney employs around 6,000.
European Business: Digitalization and AI are reshaping consulting. How do you stay ahead?
Krystian Kamyk: Being a global partnership helps us share and scale new practices quickly. Our CEE data science hub started in the late 2010s and was already working with generative AI in 2020. Digitalization is no longer a differentiator – automation, robotics and AI are the next frontier. At the same time, sustainability remains a core driver: decarbonization, energy transition, mobility, circular economy, waste and water management, and resilience. These areas continue to fuel demand for high‑value consulting.
European Business: What values define Kearney’s culture?
Krystian Kamyk: We talk about “Kearney Originals” – people who embody curiosity, boldness, generosity, solidarity and passion. Curiosity and boldness are typical consultancy traits, but generosity and solidarity set us apart. New colleagues often remark on the transparency and collaboration across the partnership. Passion matters because consulting is a high‑effort industry; without passion, frustration quickly sets in. Kearney’s ambition remains unchanged: to make a meaningful, lasting impact. Every era of our journey has brought new challenges and opportunities, and each has shaped who we are today.
European Business: Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest challenges for clients?
Krystian Kamyk: Resilience is now both technical and strategic. Technically, companies need agile processes and resilient value chains. Strategically, it requires a new culture of governance – decision‑making that adapts quickly when crises arise. Predicting everything is impossible, so organizations must be prepared for rapid change. Even within Kearney, when the recent Middle East crisis emerged, our CEO issued guidance within twelve hours. This level of readiness is essential for global organizations.