The award recognizes Polish business leaders, who have demonstrated vision, determination and courage in the development and implementation of various projects, despite difficult market conditions.
The entrepreneurs and business managers are acknowledged for their creativity in developing new projects, courage in risk taking, implementation of new solutions and persistence in pursuing ambitious goals.
Piotr Voelkel has been recognized for innovative synergy of science, education and business, where on the one hand the knowledge of social sciences and humanities is applied in the field of design and manufacturing and on the other, business experience and practical know-how are utilized in the education process. This fusion prepares young people for solving social problems in the real world and develops their entrepreneurial competencies.
Moreover, this approach fosters cooperation between academia and business. It capitalizes on best practice sharing, exchange of ideas, and the combined potential, which translates into the development of innovative products and services that improve quality of people’s lives.
Piotr Voelkel is a co-founder of VOX Capital Group, which includes companies operating in related industries, such as manufacturing of construction materials, interior design, and furniture design. He also co-founded Concordia Design, a design center in Poznań, and VOX-ARTIS Foundation for the promotion of Polish contemporary art.
In 2008, he was appointed the President of Institute for the Development of Education, which acts as the founder of SWPS University. Additionally, he is a co-founder of Collegium Da Vinci, a higher education institution offering degree programs in Arts and Engineering (IT), in Poznań, as well as Da Vinci Education Group that includes primary, middle and secondary schools.
Moreover, Piotr Voelkel is the President of Wielkopolskie Towarzystwo Zachęty Sztuk Pięknych [The Greater Poland Society of Zachęta National Gallery of Art], whose collection is included in the permanent exhibit at the National Museum in Poznań.
In 2014, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of Polish business and for contributions to the community.