Engineering a total turn­around: What can be learned from a scandal in Poland in the receivables purchase market.

Why has the market changed in Polish receivables management and what does it mean for the future? Managing Director Dariusz Petynka provides insights into his plans for EOS Poland.

When Dariusz Petynka took over EOS in Poland some five years ago, he encountered Poland’s most volatile financial market situation to date. A competitor had cornered almost the entire NPL portfolio market and EOS concentrated on contingency services. Then the NPL market collapsed in a scandal. In just five years, EBT at EOS in Poland has grown twentyfold and the company won a prestigious national award as Best Investor. How? With a total turnaround of top staff, innovative HR policies, and a clear focus on new markets. 

It has been a roller coaster ride, to say the least. When Dariusz arrived, there was nothing on the market. The key perpetrator of what might be Poland’s biggest financial scandal ever was purchasing everything – at above market value, as it turns out. In the vacuum left by its collapse, everything changed. With the rest of the market still focused on the troubled market for NPL, EOS leveraged its advantageous position with support and trust from the Group and found its niche in mortgage-secured loans. With an established, financially strong position, the company has since entered new markets and, in 2020, purchased a record volume of unsecured loans.

Alongside the niche market, organizational change has been instrumental in the company’s success. Dariusz created a highly skilled new team. With changes partly driven by COVID, the team is now implementing a flat operational model with clearly defined processes that entrusts employees with responsibility and gives them freedom to act. The flexibility of the model encourages engagement and innovation. The addition of two new members to the Board — a Chief Investment and Technology and a Chief Financial Officer — is intended to enhance stability and insight.

Improving is easy when you start from almost zero. Now that the company has achieved the profit of a small bank, staff ambition remains strong. Dariusz Petynka: “In the past two years, we have won national awards as best investor. These completely objective awards show we are heading in the right direction. We’re now looking at new markets, enlarging the team, and implementing a culture based on trust, empowerment and responsibility. I am really proud of our team. Our original ambition was to be in the Top 5 collection companies within five years. We’re already second in terms of our result. It’s an exciting business, and we’re all hugely motivated by our success and our contribution to the further growth of the EOS Group.”

Photo credits: EOS