A Director’s Insights on the Importance of Nurturing Professional Relationships, Developing Transferable Skills and Staying Open to Opportunities

Filip Bajson is a Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s (A&M) Corporate Transformation Services practice in Warsaw, Poland. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Bayes Business School in London (formerly Cass Business School).

In this Q&A, Filip discusses his journey at A&M, emphasizing his impactful work in corporate transformation and the influential mentors who have shaped his career, such as Lynn Evison, Andreas Knott and Marija Simovic. He shares his passion for travel and Muay Thai, explaining how these hobbies help him manage stress and maintain focus. Filip also highlights the profound support of his wife, whose dual career as a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) lawyer and part-time tattoo artist has significantly influenced his perspective on work-life balance and personal growth.

What key factors, including aspects of A&M's culture or opportunities, influenced your decision to return to the firm in January 2024?

Having worked at several other consultancies in different locations, A&M stands out with our execution-driven and hands-on approach. I firmly believe that we deliver more practical value to our clients than the more superficial approaches that other firms take focused on diagnostic or pure strategy work.

Another critical factor is our team structure, which offers significant learning opportunities. I can collaborate with and learn from seasoned industry operators, former private equity (PE) or banking professionals and experienced restructuring advisors daily. During my work experience at a competitor, most of the team consisted of recent graduates, and I often found myself the most experienced person in the room.

Lastly, our market trajectory reinforces this. Our teams are expanding across all service lines, and we are opening numerous new offices, attracting top talent from competitors and experiencing double-digit revenue growth. Meanwhile, other competitors are barely growing and announcing staff cuts.

High-Value Transferable Skills to Develop for Professional Growth

Reflecting on your time at A&M, which skills have you gained, and how have they fueled your success?

Stakeholder and relationship management, along with influencing others, are skills that are highly transferable to various career paths and personal life. I have experience building relationships with diverse individuals—from PE professionals and lawyers to logistics operators in the Bosnian countryside and family business owners in Indonesia. Consulting offers unparalleled exposure to diverse environments right from the start of one's career. Strong communication skills are necessary to articulate complex financial and operational concepts clearly and persuasively to stakeholders.

Adaptability and flexibility are crucial in consulting, where projects often involve imperfect conditions such as late or incomplete data, conflicting stakeholder views and long hours in remote locations over extended periods. Addressing these challenges positively and creatively is essential. It's important to note that we rarely work alone; we have a supportive team that helps us navigate challenges and enjoy the process of delivering challenging work.

"Making sense of chaos" and prioritization are essential skills when handling vast amounts of information under time pressure and within unstructured client environments. This capability enables me to quickly analyze complex issues and identify critical areas and opportunities to focus on during project delivery.

Networking and Relationship-Building Strategies Crucial for Professional Development

Who are your closest mentors, and what vital lessons have you learned from them?

Lynn Evison, Andreas Knott and Marija Simovic, Managing Directors at A&M, have profoundly influenced my development. They took a chance on me and trusted me during the delivery of high-profile and difficult engagements. They pushed me to grow, take on more responsibility and become a better professional. They consistently fostered a fun and inclusive work environment, even during challenging moments.

All three are seasoned transformation and turnaround advisors and former industry operators. They epitomize A&M’s hands-on and practical approach to our work. Working closely with them allows me to fully appreciate the unique value we bring to our clients.

Additionally, my wife has significantly influenced my career, helping me become more assertive and decisive when setting work-life boundaries.

With your experience of being headhunted multiple times, what advice would you give professionals to make themselves appealing candidates and navigate recruitment opportunities successfully?

For me, varied experience was crucial. This involved proactively seeking opportunities within A&M and externally, spanning different geographical locations – developed and emerging economies, within and beyond Europe – across multiple service lines such as restructuring, private equity and diverse industries. This approach enabled me to position myself as a versatile candidate and brand myself as a general turnaround/transformation advisor capable of effectively navigating various client scenarios.

Always remain open to conversations; you never know where they might lead. This is precisely how my journey with A&M began. A recruiter initially invited me to a discussion at A&M. At the time (late 2015), I wasn’t actively seeking a job change and had limited knowledge about A&M. However, my future colleagues at A&M made a significant impression during that initial discussion, completely altering my perspective.

Share your strategy for building and maintaining relationships with colleagues and clients. How do these connections bolster your effectiveness in your current role?

Typically, people (i.e., clients, colleagues and team leads) prefer working with individuals they like and trust. While there's no one-size-fits-all formula for becoming likable and trusted, I always prioritize:

• Maintaining a can-do and positive attitude – believing that every challenge can be overcome with enough creativity and ingenuity and that teams can find enjoyment even in tough situations.
• Being approachable – avoiding artificial divisions (clients vs. us or Team X vs. Team Y) and remaining down-to-earth and humble (I don’t claim to be an all-knowing expert.) Whenever possible, engage in casual activities like getting coffee or beer or attending team outings outside of work.
• Keeping your word – when you commit to something, do it well and do it on time (even if no one is breathing down your neck).
• A smile and a good sense of humor go a long way, especially in tense situations.
• Keep in touch, follow up and show genuine interest in others.
• Be mindful of cultural context.

Based on your journey, what advice would you offer to professionals contemplating a return to A&M or rejoining a former employer?

Maintaining and nurturing relationships with former colleagues is crucial, regardless of whether you plan to return. Your former colleagues or lead MDs may one day become your clients, business references or even colleagues again in a new workplace. Therefore, it’s important to stay in frequent touch with your colleagues and team leads after you leave.

Professionally departing from your employer is essential. It involves informing your team lead in a face-to-face conversation, ensuring that critical workstreams and deliverables are completed and ensuring your team and clients do not feel abandoned. Last impressions matter!

Being Cognizant of Cultural Context in Consulting

How did living and working in London and Singapore reshape your views on global business practices and impact your approach to managing turnaround and restructuring projects?

Consultancies like A&M are global firms that employ proven methodologies for turnaround and restructuring projects. However, these standardized practices and behaviors must be adapted and contextualized within our client's business and cultural environment to ensure effective project delivery and lasting organizational change.

Cultural context and flexibility are indispensable in navigating complexities and achieving success in today's globalized landscape. Professionals who prioritize understanding and adapting to diverse cultural situations enhance their effectiveness, contribute to inclusive workplaces and encourage diversity of ideas and client solutions.

The majority of my work experience has been gained outside of my home country, and I always approach each project with a culturally open mind, listening and observing to understand what works best for the client and my team.

Some of my most significant cultural learning experiences include building teams with colleagues from Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar, collaborating closely with functional leads in Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia, and supporting restructuring efforts for a Middle Eastern hospital chain during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Describe the office culture in Warsaw from your perspective.

Recently, A&M kicked off the effort to expand the Polish office to serve as a broader hub for Central Eastern Europe (CEE). The regional practice currently consists of several experienced Directors based in Poland, including two colleagues from Ukraine. Due to the circumstances of the war, they have brought their expertise here, reinforced by our sister offices in Kyiv, Prague, and Vienna.

Historically, our team has been serving clients across the broader region from the Balkans to Ukraine, paired with projects in Western Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. I visit the office every few weeks between international projects and my colleagues also use the office as needed. This setup allows us to maintain a flexible and dynamic working environment, ensuring we can effectively collaborate and support our clients locally and across the continent.

Understanding the Importance of Hobbies to Achieve Work-Life Balance and Personal Growth

How have your hobbies, like Muay Thai boxing, skateboarding and alpine skiing, influenced your professional approach and personal growth?

One of the greatest benefits of these hobbies is their ability to help me fully disconnect and focus on the present moment. One moment of inattention could lead you to fall or get punched in the face. Physical and mental fitness are interconnected, enabling me to be more productive at work and better handle the stress and demands of constant travel.

I strongly believe in bringing our "full selves" to work rather than conforming to a traditional consultant or professional advisor image. Just because we are consultants doesn’t mean we have to be boring. For example, during a long-term project across several Balkan countries, two hotels in Croatia and Slovenia, where I frequently stayed, allowed me to store my skateboards and use them whenever I returned.

Lastly, my hobbies have often served as intriguing conversation starters.

In what ways has your wife's dual career as an M&A lawyer and part-time tattoo artist shaped your views on work-life balance, and how has her tattoo artistry impacted your personal life?

My wife's dual career has underscored the importance of having creative outlets for stress relief. Maintaining an active life outside the office – through hobbies, travel, sports, etc. – is crucial for career longevity and preventing burnout.

Her passion has introduced us to diverse people and perspectives, quite different from those encountered in our day-to-day professional lives. This exposure has sometimes challenged my thinking to be "less traditional." It also demonstrates that ambitious professionals and advisors don’t have to be one-dimensional and solely focused on their careers. Plus, a significant perk – free tattoos at home!

What makes Indonesia your favorite country to visit, and which cultural experiences have left the most profound impressions on you?

Indonesia is incredibly diverse – it's the world’s fourth most populous country, spread over 17,000 islands, with over 300 distinct native groups and more than 700 spoken languages. It is also one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, boasting some of the world's largest rainforests, which I love!

Indonesian cuisine is fantastic and vibrant, full of incredible spices, although it can be hard to find in Europe. Indonesians are known for being incredibly warm and open, with communal food sharing an important element of their culture.

Indonesia's vast number of islands and expansive rainforests allow for the discovery of truly remote locations without tourists.

I've had the opportunity to visit Indonesia several times across various locations. One of the most memorable experiences was a trip to Sulawesi, an island between Borneo and Papua. There, I had the privilege of viewing the world’s oldest human cave paintings, dating back approximately 40,000 years.