Geographic Coverage

Metropolitan has performed most of its work in Poland. We have also assisted our Clients in the Czech Republic, France and Russia.

In contract, the Partners of Metropolitan bring together experience that spans several continents and over 50 countries.

We have been active across most markets in the CEE region, including a.o. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. We bring direct experience acquired in the Belarus, Russia, the Ukraine and Central Asia - serving both local and international investors. We know Europe inside out having worked in Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom to mention but a few core markets.

All of our Partners have lived or spent substantial time in the US and advised US clients and global institutions headquartered in the US. Two our Partners bring intimate knowledge of the Middle East and a substantial network of contacts, having been intensely active in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. To complement our global coverage, our Partners have been involved in projects in Latin America, China, India, Mongolia, Southeast Asia and Africa.

Wherever your business takes you, we will be more than happy to be your guides.

Geographic Coverage – examples of our experience

CEE

  • Waldemar Maj is Member of the Supervisory Board of Stock Spirits Group, an Oaktree portfolio company, with operations in Poland, Czech Republic and Italy. As Vice-President/CFO of PKN Orlen S.A., an oil refining and marketing company with operations across CEE and Germany, he was also Member of the Supervisory Board of Unipetrol a.s. (a Czech subsidiary) and Member of the Management Board of AB Mazeikiu Nafta (a Lithuanian subsidiary).

  • Wojtek Stankiewicz has been active across the CEE. Among others he has completed advisory projects in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania and Romania, in the banking, telecom and consumer goods sector. He has also been involved in a series of projects covering the whole region.

  • Artur Kluz has advised on renewable energy and real estate fund raising transactions focused on investments in Romania and Czech Republic.

  • Artur Kluz has advised on public acquisition tender offers for an oil company in Turkey.

Russia, Ukraine, Belorussia, and Central Asia

  • Waldemar Maj negotiated debt and equity investments in new mining projects in Russia (gold and silver), Tajikistan (gold), and Kazakhstan (copper). He also supervised an IFC portfolio investment in a $0.5 billion gold project in Kyrgyzstan.

  • Wojtek Stankiewicz has spent half a year in Kiev supporting SKM, a leading Ukrainian holding company, on restructuring telecom assets acquired. He has also spent half a year in Moscow supporting Alfa Bank in the area of retail banking. He is currently involved in a series of discussions in the Belarus.

  • Krzysztof Dresler is a chairman of the board of Polish Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, and also chaired the Supervisory Board of Kredobank, Ukrainian bank the subsidiary of PKO BP SA

Western Europe

  • Wojtek Stankiewicz has worked in several European markets, both while at McKinsey and at Metropolitan. He has lived as a child in Germany and Austria and subsequently studied in the UK and later in France. Projects he has completed have involved supporting a PE fund and a telecom player in France, FMCG companies in Germany, pharma and consumer goods players in the UK and telecom in Belgium to mention but the most relevant ones.

  • Waldemar Maj raised equity and arranged project finance for investments in mining projects in emerging markets sponsored by UK mining companies. He also worked at UBS Investment Banking in Zurich.

  • Artur Kluz is Member of the Executive Committee of Swiss family office in Zurich and practiced law with Wedlake Bell LLP in London. He advised on capital raising for investment funds and renewable energy projects in Spain, Germany and Switzerland and also advised on banking real estate portfolio restructuring in Spain. He has structured family offices, trusts and monitor of holding's portfolio of companies in London, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria and France.

  • Krzysztof Dresleris a member of Global Association of Risk Professionals and Professional Risk Management International Association.

USA, Canada, and Australia

  • Waldemar Maj worked over 4 years at Oil, Gas, and Mining at IFC/World Bank in Washington D.C. He raised equity and arranged project finance for investments in mining projects in emerging markets sponsored by US, Canadian, and Australian mining companies. The debt and equity packages also included investments in equity and warrants of sponsor companies listed on NASDAQ and Toronto Stock Exchange. He also studied 2 years at Harvard Business School in Boston.

  • Artur Kluz is Member of the Advisory Board of LeadPlace and DeedCast Inc, real estate technology companies based in New York. He was an Executive Director at Barcino Capitas Limited and worked for American Stock Exchange - New York Stock Exchange AMEX and Holland & Knight LLP in New York. He has advised on capital raising, fund formation and structuring, reverse merger, M&A and private equity transactions. He has provided legal advice on securities regulations, corporate law and assisted as a foreign lawyer within media litigation case before federal court in New York.

  • Wojtek Stankiewicz has lived a year in New York serving primarily clients in the pharma and medical devices sector on both strategic and PMM topics - on the East Coast, the Midwest and the West Coast. He has subsequently returned to the US to serve a leading global FMCG on its US distribution strategy.

  • Krzysztof Dresler as a deputy CEO of PKO BP SA took an active part in financial results conferences in the US.

Middle East

  • Artur Kluz worked on capital raising and growth capital investments in renewable energy, infrastructure and entertainment that also included investors relations and relationship building with SWFs, family offices, merchant families and HNW individuals in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Kuwait and Bahrain. He also provided legal and strategic advice for Swiss, German and Polish companies on their expansions into new markets such as United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.

  • Wojtek Stankiewicz has spent considerable time in the Middle East in the last years and brings an intimate knowledge of the region coupled with a strong network of contacts. Wojtek was spearheading McKinsey's entrance to Saudi Arabia and has for two years on an ongoing basis served clients in Saudi Arabia - primarily in the telecom and public sector. This has allowed him to establish contacts across the GCC, including in particular the UAE.

Latin America

  • Waldemar Maj as Senior Investment Officer at Oil, Gas, and Mining at IFC/World Bank in Washington D.C. negotiated debt and equity investments in new mining project in Mexico (silver) and supervised an IFC portfolio investment in a mining project in Bolivia (gold).

China, India, Mongolia, and Southeast Asia

  • Waldemar Maj negotiated debt and equity investments in new mining projects in China (anthracite coal), India (brown coal), and Mongolia (gold).

  • Wojtek Stankiewicz has served Reckitt Benckiser in China completing a detailed route to market strategy.

  • Artur Kluz worked on capital raising and fund structuring and reverse merger transactions in renewable energy, consumer products and entertainment that also included investors relations and relationship building with SWFs and private equity investors in Hong Kong, Singapore and India.

Africa

  • Waldemar Maj negotiated debt and equity investments in a new mining project in Mali (gold).

  • Wojtek Stankiewicz has spent considerable time in Egypt supporting Saudi Telecom on its 3G bid for the Egyptian market

  • Artur Kluz has advised on private acquisition tender offers for energy company in South Africa.