The measure of his business genius was his ability to share his knowledge, experience and skills and gradually give the field to his successors, thanks to which the NDI Group, in its fourth decade of existence, is stronger than ever.
Being asked once about the recipe for success, he answered: ‘It's a lot of work and a bit of luck’.
In his case, he lacked neither the one nor the other, and there is no doubt that the identity of our company was shaped by the vision of one man. Today, we as NDI Group are indebted to Jerzy Gajewski (1950-2020), our founder, creator and long-standing CEO.
The Road to NDI
Before he breathed life into the ‘NDI project’, he had worked for a dozen or so years in the Middle East – in Syria, Iraq, Kuwait.
In 1990 he returned to Poland and decided to apply his experience and acquired knowledge in his own enterprise. As he himself used to say, property development and construction seemed to him the most obvious choice.
Today, the remainder is all history. Much has been written about Mr Jerzy’s professional achievements, the awards he has won and the words of praise he has received.
Those of us who were lucky enough to meet him in person will remember a charismatic leader, an open and sincere man, who often seemed to be bothered by details, but who inspired passion, vision and had the gift of transforming the impossible into the possible.
His words that work must be fun and that fulfilled employees are those in whom one believes and who are given responsibility and decision-making powers were not empty platitudes, but convictions put into practice every day.
CEO Gajewski has always emphasised that people are the foundation of the company's success.
The current multidisciplinarity of the NDI Group is undoubtedly the result of his wise management and setting ambitious goals.
This has brought us two Forbes Diamonds, and President Gajewski, among others, the titles of Top Manager of Pomerania 2011, Builder of Pomerania or Golden Oxer, an award granted for taking up the most difficult challenges in the construction industry and going beyond the beaten track.
In 2017, he was awarded the title of Polish Hercules by Builder magazine for his special achievements for the development of modern construction in Poland and his exceptional professional attitude. Apart from being actively involved in the patronage of culture, science and sport, CEO Gajewski has always supported many charitable initiatives.
Those who knew Jerzy will remember a genuinely good man who, with his sometimes rough and ‘soldierly’ style of being, covered up an extremely brilliant and empathetic nature, curiosity about the world, openness to others and a constant desire to help fellow human beings in need.
