New Poczta Polska CEO Faces Long List of Challenges
Translated from Polish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Magdalena Gaj will take over as CEO of Poczta Polska on June 1, 2026, replacing Sebastian Mikosz.
- Gaj, who has extensive experience in state administration and telecommunications, previously served on Poczta Polska's supervisory board.
- She faces significant challenges including a declining mail market, shrinking share in the parcel services sector, and the need to modernize the company's IT systems and improve employee relations.
Magdalena Gaj is set to assume leadership of Poczta Polska, Poland's postal service, on June 1, 2026. Her appointment follows a competitive selection process, and she succeeds Sebastian Mikosz, who was dismissed in late March. Gaj brings a wealth of experience from public administration and the telecommunications sector, having previously served as deputy minister in infrastructure and administration ministries, and as president of the Office of Electronic Communications.
For the first time in many years, we have a CEO of Poczta Polskiej who knows this company, this operator, so well. I remind you that since 2024, Magdalena Gaj has been the chairwoman of the supervisory board. This is extremely important because since Przemysลaw Sypnicki, who was at the helm of Poczta Polskiej from 2016-2020, it was run by people who had nothing to do with the postal market. The new CEO doesn't have to learn the company, so this is definitely a big change for the better.
Experts view Gaj's appointment positively, noting her familiarity with Poczta Polska, having chaired its supervisory board since 2024. This insider knowledge is seen as a significant advantage, especially compared to previous leaders who lacked direct experience in the postal market. Dr. Mateusz Choลodecki, a postal market expert, highlighted that Gaj "doesn't need to learn the company," marking a substantial positive shift.
However, Gaj inherits a company facing formidable challenges. Choลodecki points to the shrinking mail market, which declines by 5-10% annually, as a primary concern. Equally pressing is the declining market share in parcel services, which fell by 13% year-on-year in 2025, leaving Poczta Polska with a minimal presence in this crucial sector. These trends are not unique to Poland but affect postal operators globally.
The mail market, which is the main source of income for Poczta Polskiej, is consistently shrinking by at least 5โ10% annually. This cannot be reversed and is a challenge not only for Poczta Polskiej but for every major postal operator in Europe and the world.
Beyond market dynamics, Poczta Polska requires significant modernization of its IT infrastructure and equipment. Furthermore, Gaj must address employee morale. The company, a major employer, has seen its workforce decrease over the past decade, with the previous CEO's focus on staff reduction creating a strained relationship with employees. Improving these relations is identified as a key priority for Gaj's tenure.
Secondly, the parcel services market in Poland is constantly growing, in which Poczta Polska has consistently lost market share since around 2020. According to data for 2025, it fell by 13% year-on-year. This is an extremely dangerous trend, because we can say that Poczta Polska practically no longer participates in the parcel market in our country.
Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.