– I didn't know what salary to determine. Too low? Too high? It would be a shame. So we have such a program, addressed to me and to my managerial staff: if the share price exceeds a specific value, then the bonuses start – explained Dariusz Miłek, president CCC during the speech at Impact'25 in Poznań. – I think it's a very honest program. It was well received on the market. We are not interested in small increases – added one of the richest Poles and the founder of the company. “Forbes” estimates his assets at $ 1.5 billion. It can be said that it was also a “new – old” president, because he was in this position from 2009 to 2016, and later he returned only in 2023, when the company fell into financial problems, including because of the pandemic.
Dariusz Miłek took matters into his own hands
From the owner's point of view – giving the helms to external managers slows down the processes. Definitely, in my opinion. Structures are formed, at least it was like that that complicates management. The point was not that I “went on vacation”, but I dealt with other things: expansion, obtaining a license, a product. And the entire organization and operational divisions operated separately
he explained.
– Each manager is ambitious, and if they are not his foamit creates the structures even more: a network of directors, deputies, specialists. As a result, the decision -making process is extended. Nobody is responsible, the decisions are collective. At some point I decided that this could not be done. We return to the ownership model, closer to the family business – I managed by me, but above all with quick decisions, that if the decision is to be made tomorrow, it is made tomorrow – he added.
Shops were closed and Halfprice was invented. Yes, CCC reacted to a pandemic
And there were a lot of these decisions in a difficult pandemic time. – We decided to close three countries – Switzerland, Austria, Germany. Nearly 500 stores. It was a very, very difficult decision, but you can see that the right time – for that time – recalls Dariusz Miłek. The company also broadcast twice rescue sharesto save liquidity. Pandemic 2020 closed the company from PLN 988.9 million, and together with losses from the discontinued activity – PLN 1.28 billion. – We had closed stores nearly 6 months. Production, however, operated in our factories all the time. There was a moment when we had 35 million pairs of shoes in the warehouse. And closed shops, and you had to keep it and start selling. Not only to sew – adds the president of CCC.
– We don't sell there to “sell anything”. We have many channels: e-commerce and Halfpricewhich we came up with in Pandemia. Because what generates movement? At that time, we had large, overwhelmed commercial space, often on flexible contracts. There were 3-40 points in Europe immediately. It allowed us to react quickly – Dariusz Miłek further. – We had shops, we had a supply, we had ends from Modivo. We had relationships with brands, access to products. And we were able to run such a concept. Nobody in Europe has effectively opened off-price networks. There were trials, but ineffective. Today, there is no large off-price network that has remained. And yet – who does not want to buy for half the price? The password itself is good, sensational availability, everyone understands what is going on – he adds.