Małgorzata Szymczuk
Founder and Managing Partner
Founder and Managing Partner
Started her career in international oil&gas industry as a specialist at the Research and Exploration Department of Polish Oil and Gas Company (PGNiG SA) and later with Shell Poland.
Since 2008 her professional life has been developing in Africa, where she first worked as an expert on UN with the embassy of Poland in Nairobi. Between 2009 and 2013 she was the consul of Poland in Luanda. In 2013 she was appointed as acting chargée d’affaires of Poland in Luanda. The embassy she was in charge of representing Polish interests in 6 countries of Central Africa with total area of ca. 4,7 m km² and population of over 143 m.
Throughout her diplomatic career she considered a priority the promotion of economic and commercial cooperation between Poland and countries of Central Africa. She co-organized multiple Polish business missions to Angola and other countries of the region and supported Polish companies in their endeavours to enter African markets.
She decided to end the diplomatic career to pursue new challenges in business. Using the vast experience acquired in Africa and a broad network of contacts, she developed the business model Quenda Group is based on.
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Founder and Managing Partner
Has been professionally involved with Angola since 2004. He worked in the country as a university lecturer and a manager. He wrote several articles and books about Angola, Portuguese speaking countries and Southern Africa.
Since 2008 he has been working on international construction projects in Africa. While working for Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs he supervised the implementation of projects under polish development cooperation programme in Kenya and Rwanda and afterwards in Angola and the Republic of Congo.
Having concluded diplomatic career as a deputy head of mission at the Polish embassy in Luanda in 2012, he took part in the management of the construction and equipment of the Namibe Fishery and Marine Science Academy in Angola, considered to be the biggest Polish project in Africa. In 2017 he started a new chapter in his professional career by joining Quenda.
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Chief Technical Officer
Five decades of Krzysztof’s professional experience, which includes implementation of large-scale projects in Poland, Africa and the Middle East, is a significant contribution to the quality of Quenda’s undertakings. Having graduated from the Technical University of Gdańsk as Master of Civil Engineering specialized in hydraulic structures, went on to build an impressive portfolio, combining roles of designer and manager. He was chief designer of some of most significant infrastructural projects in Poland including the construction of water reservoir in Kamieniec Ząbkowicki, Deepwater Container Terminal – DCT in Gdańsk, container terminal in Ostrów Grabowski at the Port of Szczecin, refurbishing of Swedish Wharf at the Port of Gdynia or the construction of Large-scale Steel Structures’ Production Plant in Ostrów Brdowski, Szczecin. He also developed technical designs of the Central Sea Port in Gdańsk and of the cooling system of the first Polish nuclear power plant.
Krzysztof’s first foreign assignment was in 1982 in Iraq. For 2 years he was designing and supervising the construction of an irrigating system in Al-Khalis district in Central Iraq, and supervised the construction 23 water treatment plants near Basra.
At the end of 1990s he was involved in the project of expansion of Nigerdock shipyard in Lagos, Nigeria. Over the years he worked as chief engineer, designer and head advisor to the Contract Engineer, being responsible, i.a, for managing over 300 employees of local subcontractors, collaboration with a Dutch technical partner, relations with Nigerian authorities and supervision over the warranty period.
In the following years he developed several projects in the field of maritime infrastructure in Libya. Krzysztof was the general designer in projects such as: the conversion of part of the port of Tripoli to a container terminal, construction of a fishing port in Garabulla, refurbishing and conversion of the Port of Derna. He was also active in Malta, designing Grand Harbour marina.
Krzysztof’s professional involvement with Angola dates from 2011, when he developed technical specifications of the 2nd phase of construction and equipment of Namibe Fishery and Marine Science Academy (currently University of Namibe). Subsequently, as chief designer he was responsible for development of the entire technical documentation of the project. Between 2014 and 2016 he worked in Namibe supervising the construction works under the project. After few years of work in Poland, Krzysztof decided to return to Angola by joining Quenda. As the Group’s CTO he is based in Angola, where he coordinates the work of local teams and supervises other activities underway in Poland.
His personal presence in Angola reflects the importance Quenda Group attributes to quality of its projects’ quality.
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Director of construction of the Regional Maritime Surveillance Centre in Lobito
With a professional career spanning over 40 years, Jan is a highly experienced civil engineer. After graduating from the Technical University of Cracow, he worked as a structural designer at Miastoprojekt, an architecture and urban planning office. Jan’s first foreign assignment was in Iraq in 1989, where he worked as site engineer at a petrochemical complex in Baghdad. His experience in civil engineering in Africa dates to 1992, when he supervised execution of essential structures at a petrochemical complex in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. After several years of working as a structural designer in the Netherlands, Germany and Poland, Jan returned to Africa.
During well over a decade, he was involved in construction of various infrastructures for oil&gas industry in Nigeria, including residential and administrative buildings, hospitals, roads, airstrips and jetties. Most of the projects were in Bonny Island. He was responsible for management of construction sites and ensuring the compliance of cost, schedule, quality and HSE requirements, that are very strict in oil&gas industry. His final Nigerian assignment was construction of a hotel in Lagos for a renowned international brand. Back in Poland he managed the civil construction component of an energy infrastructure project.
Before joining Quenda in 2024, Jan worked in East Africa, as a construction manager of a resort and residential project on Zanzibar Island, Tanzania.
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Site director of the 3rd phase of construction of the University of Namibe
A Wrocław University of Science and Technology graduate. Wiktor started his professional career during studies. He worked as site engineer on road construction projects, including a ring road within S11 expressway and a bridge in Kostrzyń nad Odrą.
In 2022 he moved to Denmark to work as site engineer on construction of Mary Elisabeth children hospital in Copenhagen. While working in Poland and abroad his responsibilities included planning and supervision of the works to meet quality standards, verification and obtaining of approvals of material, analysis of technical documentation and reporting.
In 2023 Wiktor joined Quenda’s team to manage civil construction works in the project of 3rd phase of construction and equipment of the University of Namibe.
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Civil engineer in Namibe
A Warsaw University of Technology graduate with experience in supervising and managing construction projects.
For over 10 years he has participated in public procurement and commercial projects in Poland and abroad. He participated in construction of schools, hospitals, churches, public utility buildings and cultural heritage sites. Before joining Quenda he worked as site supervisor in Belgium and site engineer in Sweden.
He is interested in construction with use of natural material.
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Civil engineer in Namibe
Angolan cvil engineer, born in Lubango. Despite her young age, she managed to acquire considerable professional experience.
She participated in various construction projects in Southern Angola, including residential and public utility buildings, such as a hospital, offices or even a flight simulator for the air force. She worked both in contractors’ team and as technical supervisor.
Paulette’s skills, dynamism and dedication prove that Quenda’s decision to seek young Angolan talents and to assist their growth was right.
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Office manager and PR person
His diverse career includes professional sports and law studies. As a footballer he left Angola for the UK, where he lived between 2006 and 2010. Afterwards, he became a sport official, reaching the position of vice-president for football at the Clube Nacional de Benguela sports club between 2014 and 2016.
In the following years he worked with several Angolan companies as a PR person. In March 2022 he joined Quenda, working first in Lobito and Namibe during setting up of the company’s local offices. In August 2023 he assumed the current position at Quenda’s main office in Luanda.
The skills and abilities aquired by Edi during his career in sports, such as resilience, discipline and a strong team spirit make up his contribuition to Quenda’s activity.
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Financial coordinator in Angola
Graduate of the Methodist University of Angola, one of the leading higher education institutions in the country, Suaíla has over 12 years of professional experience. She joined Quenda in 2023, becoming responsible for finance and accounts of the Group’s Angolan company. She is exceptionally dedicated, precise, rigorous and patient, which all are very desirable traits in her profession.
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Civil engineer in Namibe
Graduated from the Technical University of Gdańsk, with master’s degree in civil engineering and post graduate studies in project management. During her professional career of over 8 years, she has participated in residential, road and railway construction projects. She supervised execution of concrete, structural and finishing works. And supervised subcontractors’ teams. Her curriculum also includes work at a design bureau.
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Translator and administrative coordinator in Lobito
Altough excellent working knowledge of Portuguese is key element of her current job description, Martyna graduated in Danish philology at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. During her professional career she worked at Danish Crown Global Business Services, IBM and as language teacher. All her positions required good organizational skills and autonomy. Martyna learned Portuguese as a hobby. She was recruited by Quenda during her trip through Southern Africa, having traveled across Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Mozambique.
At our site office in Lobito, she is responsible for administrative matters and translator from Polish to Portuguese and from Portuguese to Polish. She acts as interpreter during meetings and activities on the construction sites and translates technical documentation and correspondence.
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Translator and administrative coordinator in Namibe
Born in Angola, at the age of eight Taryane moved to Poland where she completed primary, secondary and high school and went on to study business management and project management and data analysis. It was also in Poland that she started her professional career as customer service and workforce management specialist.
Her unique combination of Angolan origin and extensive Polish background puts Taryane in a position to strongly contribute to Quenda’s activity in Angola.
At the office in Namibe, which oversees the construction sites of the University of Namibe and the Regional Maritime Surveillance Centre, Taryane is responsible for administrative matters and translations. She participates in day-to-day relations with our local partners and service providers, also acting as interpreter. She also takes care of accountancy and HR-related issues at the local level. Taryane also translates technical documentation and correspondence.
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