Witold Bielak is the Senior Project Manager at CoolPlanet. He studied Mechanical Engineering and Applied Computer Science at the Technical University of Lodz. He has a keen interest in motorsports and helped build a FSAE race car.
Tell us a little bit about yourself…
I am currently based in Poland. I studied mechanical engineering and applied computer science at Technical University of Lodz. When I was young, my family and I lived in Australia for 4 years. I started primary school there - English was my first language, so when someone asks me why I speak English so well I always credit it to that.
During University, I participated in an Erasmus year in Denmark which was vehicle engineering. I had the opportunity to participate in an extra-curricular project to build “The Viking II” FSAE race car. I ended up extending my Erasmus year for a second semester to finish building the car. We built it from scratch, I was part of the suspension team and a colleague raced it at Silverstone. I have always loved motorsports.
Where did you work prior to joining CoolPlanet?
I spent 6 years at Procter & Gamble. I started off as a process engineer involved in building razor blades at the biggest Gillette factories in the world (the size of 27 football pitches). My responsibilities included maintaining machines, keeping them running at peak performance, helping operators and mechanics solve their problems hence optimising production processes.
After that, I spent some time working for Mondelez. My role was senior project engineer. I was responsible for expanding the Cadbury chocolate production line. Although I got too much free chocolate - there was chocolate everywhere. It was really hard for a person to say no!
What does your job entail?
A lot of contact with senior management and potential clients, but also during installations hand in hand work with technicians, getting my hands dirty when helping them out.
Right now, the company is very busy so it varies from planning projects, implementing projects, liaising with engineers to validate design with clients, liaising with vendors, Doing Opportunity Assessments and Investment Grade Audits for new client sites and pitching our solutions to prospective clients.
I am currently leading a few projects, the big one is in Czech Republic and we’re about to start working on site in Poland for a meat processing company helping them with energy efficiency and carbon management and reduction initiatives.
What do you enjoy most about working at CoolPlanet?
It’s great to be working as part of a multinational team and being surrounded by different cultures. One of the best parts of working for CoolPlanet is the type of exposure to high profile projects and people.
I was trusted with a huge budget and a very big project on my first day when I joined the team.
What keeps you motivated and driven on a daily basis?
Being a part of a company that is progressive and passionate about the environment and having the opportunity to work on new projects with different clients from around the world.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I like to be as active as I can. I love the outdoors, at the moment I’m enjoying running, biking and swimming. I also go kitesurfing and hiking when I get a chance.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a child, I would say I wanted to be a fireman. After I completed my studies I wanted to work in the motorsports industry as a specialised field engineer.
What are some interesting facts about you?
- I have dual citizenship these include Poland and Australia.
- I’m a real DIY type of person, I can usually fix almost anything.