Adam Komarnicki
Investment Manager, Innovation Nest
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About me
Entrepreneur at heart, I have worked in huge corporations, an international consulting firm, run a non-profit organization and helped build two startups – all of this in seven different countries, in three different languages. I have operational experience in such areas as finance, data analytics, online marketing, sales, customer success, monetisation strategies, business development and product development.

I currently work in a Kraków-based early-stage Venture Capital firm, where I am looking to fund the best entrepreneurs and companies from Europe and help them become global successes.

I like to have an interesting life also outside of work. I have made a speech at Trafalgar Square to several hundred people, talked business on Polish CNBC channel, hosted a debate with a former Polish prime minister, run three voter turnout boosting campaigns, travelled several months solo in South and Central America, run a non-profit organisation in London, helped another one in Buenos Aires, worked (at 17) over the summer in an Irish pub in Camden Town, etc. More to come.

I also love taking photos (photo.net/photos/Komar) and enjoy writing. I used to be a correspondent from Spain for Polish think-tank Instytut Obywatelski (www.instytutobywatelski.pl/tag/komarnicki) and wrote an article for Polish weekly "Polityka" that was nominated for Amnesty International (Poland) award for journalists. I also used to be the main contributor to a blog (blog.fundacity.com) for startup accelerators and another for startups (startuphacks.wordpress.com)

I have worked and lived in Poland, United Kingdom, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and have visited almost 50 countries to date. I am fluent in Polish, English and Spanish.
Education
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) 2005 - 2008
Accounting
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) 2005 - 2005
Accounting
Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wrocławiu (daw. Akademia Ekonomiczna im. Oskara Langego we Wrocławiu) 1998 - 2004
Management and Marketing
Experience
Investment Manager, Innovation Nest 01/2015 - current
Innovation Nest is an early-stage Venture Capital firm looking to fund the best entrepreneurs and companies from Europe and help them become global successes.

I focus on Polish startups - from deal sourcing/screening to supporting our portfolio startups.
Chief Customer Officer, Fundacity 08/2013 - 11/2014
Fundacity connects startups and investors offering online tools to help them grow the next big thing. Fundacity clients are accelerators, angel investors and VC funds. At my time at Fundacity we would help them:
- collect, review and evaluate applications from startups
- manage their deal flow
- receive regular updates about performance of their portfolio startups

We also launched a startup investment platform focused on Brazil, to enable small investors co-invest in startups together with experienced angel investors.

I was responsible for all Fundacity activities and processes related to our clients: sales, customer success, product management and development, marketing and analytics. I also used to blog at blog.fundacity.com and blogdoinvestimento.fundacity.com
Director of Strategy and Business Development/ Head of Customer Services, New Media Ventures Sp. z o.o. (Freebee.pl) 11/2012 - 07/2013
Freebee is the first Polish loyalty coalition platform for SMEs that takes full advantage of mobile technologies and is available to everyone. You can find more information at www.freebee.pl.

As a Director of Strategy and Business Development I was responsible for:
- managing a fundraising process with a prospective corporate investor
- preparing proposals for and maintaining relationships with prospective business partners
- identifying new business and monetization opportunities
- preparation of analyses underpinning product development initiatives and customer acquisition efforts

Subsequently, as a Head of Customer Services I was in charge of creating and running a team responsible for:
- creating a bespoke loyalty programme for each customer
- setting up Freebee infrastructure and providing training to staff at customer premises
- monitoring the performance of each programme and acting accordingly to make sure it meets customer's objectives
Manager, Restructuring, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) 03/2006 - 10/2012
I worked with financially distressed corporations and their lenders being based most of the time in London and the last year in Barcelona. I started as a graduate, earned ACA qualification (chartered accountant) and got promoted to manager. Before moving to Barcelona, I took 8-month-long career break. My responsibilities and key project experience:

1. Business plan analysis
• Railway logistics operator, Poland. Critical analysis of business plan assumptions, modelling the impact of resulting sensitivities on the forecast cash flows.
• House builder, UK. Analysis of the business plan, preparation of options and recommendation of exit strategy for main lender.

2. Analysis of short term cash flow forecasts
• Steel mill, Poland and Spain. Liquidity analysis, preparation of recommendations for lenders.
• Window profile manufacturer, Belgium. Analysis of assumptions supporting the forecast, recommendations for improvement of the forecast methodology.
• Construction equipment rental company, Spain. Analysis of assumptions supporting the forecast, preparation of recommendations for lenders, monitoring the company´s performance.

3. Management of insolvent businesses
• Airline (Spanair), Spain. Design and implementation of sales plan for aircraft assets (from bolts to engines), other tangible assets, as well as CO2 emission rights.
• Lehman Brothers, UK. Dealing with customer and employee issues of Wealth Management division in the first week of the insolvency.
• Autoclave
President of the Executive Board, Polish Professionals in London 08/2009 - 10/2011
PPL is an organisation of 200+ members. My main achievements were: operational restructuring of the organisation, negotiating and signing a sponsorship agreement, launch of a mentoring programme for Polish students in the UK (www.poprostu.org.uk), attracting 100+ new members to the organisation.

I managed a team of volunteers to run the organisation and was elected for the position for two consecutive terms.
Associate in Assurance and Business Advisory Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers 09/2005 - 02/2006
6-month secondment to Assurance and Business Advisory Services, studying for ACA qualification and auditing clients from different industries in East of England.
Intern, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 09/2004 - 08/2005
Assisting Global Geography Partner in his liaison role between PwC Global Leadership and Territory Senior Partners.
Intern in Corporate Finance, KPMG 07/2004 - 08/2004
Assisting managers in their work related to M&A. The role encompassed research and analysis of financial and non-financial information about markets and companies, both for business development and for clients. Moreover, the role involved preparing presentations for pitching purposes and assisting in due-diligence process.
Intern in Product Development Department, GE Consumer Finance 07/2003 - 10/2003
Responsible for developing new bancassurance product and its
distribution channels; market research and analysis,
negotiations with insurance partner.
Intern, Greek Telecom (OTE), Athens 07/2002 - 09/2002
Intern in Investor Relations Department - responsible for tracing and analysing investor movements of OTE shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Intern in Marketing Department - involved in a project analysing possibilities of introducing new telecommunications services for tourists in Greece. I performed relevant market research and prepared proposals of such services.
Intern, Banco Comercial Portugues 11/2001 - 03/2002
Internship in various departments, focused on Corporate
Banking and getting to know how the bank works. Assignment
in Group’s Investment Bank – analysis and report on Polish
banking and insurance sectors.