about us
Meet ourteam
Maria Deskur
CEO of the Foundation. Publisher, reading expert, collective impact practitioner. Graduate of the Sorbonne, in Romance Studies and Communication. Long-time managing director of Egmont and Burda Books. An expert in promoting reading, the author of The Superpower of Books: A Guide to Reading Promotion and co-author of #ReadingDad and The Reading School. Ashoka Fellow and a Member of the Public Benefit Work Council.
Grzegorz Majerowicz
Lawyer, graduate of the University of Warsaw, bookseller and publisher, vice president of the Polish Book Chamber, co-founder and board member of the Universal Reading Foundation.
Catherine Konopka
Project manager at URF, graduate of journalism, publisher and marketing specialist. She worked in the marketing departments of the Znak and Egmont publishing houses. For several years she had benn working at the Consulate General in New York, supporting Polish Community Abroad. As a publisher, she was responsible for children's books at the Słowne publishing house.
Magdalena Kosch-Maćkowiak
Managing Director of the Foundation, expert in marketing and digital communication. Winner of two E-commerce Awards and a Silver Award at the Power of Content Marketing Awards, recognized for promotional campaigns and social initiatives promoting reading among children. She has many years of experience as Marketing Director at Wolters Kluwer, Egmont, and HarperCollins.
ALEKSANDRA CHABERSKA
Communication and Project Manager with 20 years of experience. Expert in stakeholder relations, internal and external communication, and the implementation of comprehensive marketing strategies. Graduate of the University of Warsaw and the Warsaw School of Economics. Previously worked in the media and book sector, including Egmont and HarperCollins Poland, where she managed nationwide educational projects promoting reading.
Aleksandra Strzelecka
Communication and media specialist at the URF, graduate of journalism and sociology. She specializes in integrated communication. For several years, she has been involved in content creation, communication planning and building Social Media strategies for companies and organizations, as well as training in this area.
Agata Kalwarczyk
Event and Logistics Coordinator. She has experience in managing commercial and non-profit projects, including team coordination and collaboration with partners and subcontractors. For many years, she was involved in the training industry, where she organized trainings and educational events.
Agnieszka SZAFRAŃSKA
Fundraising Specialist at the Foundation. Professionally involved in the non-governmental sector since 2011. She specializes in individual giving and has gained her experience in organizations such as the Little Brothers of the Poor - Friends of Elderly, Compassion in World Farming and UNICEF Poland.
Agnieszka Nyc
Project manager, graduate of the University of Warsaw, publisher by education, marketer by profession. She has worked at several marketing agencies and the Egmont Publishing House, where she was responsible, among other things, for the reading promotion campaigns aimed at parents, schools and libraries.
Katarzyna Brzozowska
Project Manager, graduate in Art History. Previously worked in the optics industry, focusing on management and e-commerce, as well as in the beauty sector.
Monika Skóra-Kaniewska
Finance and Administration Manager of the Foundation, graduate in Economics and investment specialist. She has many years of experience in the banking sector, including managing relationships with business clients.