Paweł Wojtunik Appointed to Orlen's Management Board, Michał Wójcik Candidate for Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board of PKN Orlen made key personnel changes on Wednesday, appointing former Central Anticorruption Bureau head Paweł Wojtunik to the company's management board. According to the company's statement, Wojtunik will hold the position of management board member responsible for security and protection areas. His term will begin on March 1. In parallel, the official candidacy of Michał Wójcik, the Minister of State Assets, for the supervisory board of Energetyka Cieplna was announced. This company is controlled by Orlen and is responsible for the group's heating operations. An extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of Energetyka Cieplna, convened for March 18, is to vote on Wójcik's appointment. Wojtunik served as President of the Central Anticorruption Bureau from 2017 to 2022, having been appointed by the Law and Justice government. After leaving the CBA, he worked as a business advisor. Michał Wójcik, a PiS politician, was Deputy Minister of Justice in Mateusz Morawiecki's government, responsible for, among other things, the judiciary reform, which sparked numerous controversies at the time. He currently heads the Ministry of State Assets.The personnel changes come at an important moment for Orlen. The company is preparing for a major share issue, estimated to be worth billions of zlotys. The aim of the issue is to raise capital for further investments, including projects related to the energy transition. The new management and supervisory boards will therefore decide on financial and strategic issues crucial for the company's future. These decisions fit into the broader political context of managing the State Treasury's strategic companies. „We conduct these changes to strengthen the security and management efficiency of our strategic assets.” — Michał Wójcik Previous actions by Donald Tusk's government, which upon returning to power in 2023 conducted extensive audits and leadership changes in state-owned companies – often criticized by the opposition as purges – and controversies surrounding the previous minister of state assets, Kamil Bortniczuk, form the backdrop for the current moves. Wójcik, responding to media questions, emphasized that the appointments are the result of a considered strategy, and that Wojtunik has the experience necessary to protect national assets from corruption and other threats. Orlen did not provide details regarding the new board member's remuneration.