Hidden Gems: Meet Kasia Olechnowicz of Twente Additive Manufacturing BV

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kasia Olechnowicz.

Hi Kasia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hi and thank you for having me. So, my name Kasia and I was born and raised in Szczecin, Poland and I am a mother of two beautiful girls nine and two year old.  By the age of 19 during my first year of Bachelor degree I was given the opportunity to study simultaneously in Poland and in the Netherlands. After graduating from both countries with two bachelor degree’s, I decided to move permanently to the Netherlands. In the meantime, I was doing my master’s degree in international business administration in Poland, which I also completed.

The beginnings in a foreign country were not easy, but with time I managed to learn the language and settle in. In regards to my career, my first job was in customer service, followed by years as a business editor and office manager. In my 30’s, I applied for a job at Canadian automation company PH Solutions with its subsidiary in the Netherlands. During my time there I was given great opportunities to grow further in my career and I have met incredible people like Ian Comishin and Marc Robitaille, the founders of the company.

After selling the company to Gurit a Swiss public company they decided to go into the 3D construction printing business, which was in its early stages back then and that is how Twente Additive Manufacturing was created. Together with Ian, Marc, and few other colleagues, we are the founders of the company, which now has a global presence. I definitely wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Ian and Marc, from whom I have learned a lot and I still do. They are great leaders and I always say the best bosses you could ask for.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The main struggles for me were moving to a different country, not knowing the language, culture, and traditions, and leaving all my friends and family behind. I moved to the Netherlands to Enschede in January 2004 when Poland just became a member of the European Union and because of that I was no longer eligible for a free course in the Dutch language and the paid ones were not available at that time.

Looking for my first job was definitely not easy, because I was either too high educated for certain positions, or speaking the Dutch language was a must. It took me almost 1.5 year by the time I got my first position in an American company as a customer service, where the spoken language was English. During that time, I was also studying Dutch language on my own, by watching lots of Dutch programs, reading the newspapers even though I didn’t understand words and eventually I learned it fluently.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am one of the co-founders of Twente Additive Manufacturing B.V. (TAM) and head of compliance and finance. TAM is a 3D construction printing company founded in 2018 with it’s headquarter in Enschede, the Netherlands and global clientele and subsidiaries in Canada, Dubai, and Germany. TAM is reckoned to be one of the world’s leading developers of advanced 3D printing construction methods. TAM’s products list includes medium and large 3DCP Systems as well as Laboratory and entry-level printers.

What sets me apart from others, is I think my strong personality, never give up motto and do not take no for an answer, as there is always space for negotiation.

How do you define success?
Success to me is meeting a combination of company and personal goals. I believe that effective goals motivate us to push ourselves and grow, and as a result of meeting such goals, we not only help the company by meeting its objectives, but we also become more effective and can contribute to even greater growth in the future. Important is reaching both small and large milestones towards a goal. During that process, you always face some challenges, but those encourage me to look at things from different perspectives and to find creative solutions to problems and work even harder in achieving those goals. Very important is perseverance and not giving up easily.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.twente-am.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twente_am/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwenteAdditiveManufacturing/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/twente-additive-manufacturing/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@twente-am

Image Credits
Ronald Rael