Solorz and sons take charge of Polsat strategy

Polish media magnate Zygmunt Solorz has strengthened the role of his family on the defining the strategy of leading broadcast and pay TV group Polsat, while handing day-to-day control of operating units to trusted managers.

Solorz’s son Tobias Solorz will join the supervisory board of Polsat and communications sister company Polkomtel. Tobias Solorz is currently president of the Polsat Group, having served as president of Polkotel since 2015.

Zygmunt Solorz is also giving his younger son Piotr Żak an enhanced role within the group. Żak, who has been involved in digital media initiatives within the group, will also join the supervisory board.

Tobias Solorz’s move to supervising the overall group means that TV broadcasting arm Telewizja Polsat president Mirosław Błaszczyk, a long-time associate of Zygmunt Solorz, will take on the role of president of pay TV arm Cyfrowy Polsat and Pokomtel, operator of the Plus network.

Błaszczyk and Maciej Stec, vice-president of Polsat and Polkomtel, will together form the supervisory board of Telewizja Polsat.

Stanisław Janowski, managing director of Polsat Media will become the new president of the Telewizja Polsat.

Zygmunt Solorz said that Tobias Solorz had been responsible for executing the vision of combining a media group with a telecom company, a first for the Polish market. He said that the management changes would mean that he, Tobias Solorz and Piotr Żak would jointly oversee the implementation of a long-term strategy for the group while handing over management of operating units to trusted managers.

Solorz said that Polsat was now “a local Polish player that competes with global giants” and that there was a need to establish “a clear vision for the company” to meet this challenge.