Robert Kalbarczyk is the second of three employees to take up the acting CEO position and, while he has only been in the role for a month, he has already set out the leader he wants to be – an approachable and adaptable CEO who has the ability to build a high performing team that delivers results. 

 

Robert has a wealth of experience as an entrepreneur, investor, start-up leader and management board advisor. This, alongside his business development background, means he is able to develop solutions that will grow revenue streams and inevitably make a huge influence at Kinguin. We found time to chat with Robert where he told us about his personal Kinguin journey, how he plans to nurture a people-first culture and his strategy for making an impact on the business. 

 

When joining the company in 2018 I instantly realised that the beauty of Kinguin lies in every employee being free to be themselves and to contribute to the business. Sometimes it drives me crazy, in a good way, just thinking about the huge potential yet to be unlocked. It’s why I’m looking forward to the next stage of my journey with Kinguin so much.

 

My time has been full of notable moments, many of them learning curves. One which sticks out was two years ago during a period which offered many internal challenges to the company’s cash flow. Then the pandemic hit and people turned to video games and we saw an opportunity to reverse our fortunes. Our team really pulled together – they demonstrated belief, passion and a work ethic I’ve not seen anywhere else. We ignited the fire that grew the business to where it is today – and I’m proud to be part of a team that didn’t give up. 

 

When Kinguin Founder, Viktor Romaniuk Wanli, asked me to take on the acting CEO role alongside Brandon Doerfler and Adam Gruda, I knew my first priority was our people, they are the most important layer of our business. As Brandon previously highlighted, they are our greatest assets and advocates, and while he has already cemented a solid people-first philosophy, I want to put my own stamp on it. 

 

From my perspective, personal development has to come front and centre. I want to work closely with our employees and encourage them to take ownership of their own goal setting. This is how we will lead them down a path to becoming the best versions of themselves, which will inevitably make Kinguin the best it can be. 

 

This links closely to my other priority – considering ways we can impact the business. As a team, we need to be aligned in our strategy and goals. And to do this, our employees must understand the bigger Kinguin picture and specifically, how they can add value. In my experience, people in leadership roles talk about inspiring their workforce and I buy into that, but without context it serves no purpose. So, with that in mind we now hold weekly meetings where we present top-level strategy decisions to the entire company. This keeps everyone in the loop, and also gives them a voice. Two-way communication is crucial to any successful company, and our people are game changers – they will always come armed with solutions and valuable insights to help with growth and cash flow.

 

2022 will be the year of personal growth and company success for Kinguin – it’s all about achieving clarity in goals and traceability of impact. But for this to be successful, it will be my job to remove any obstacles on our way to excellence. It may only have been one month since I took on this role, but I look forward to carrying these insights, and the Kinguiners, into the next chapter with me.