About NAJ International
Since 1991, we have helped companies recruit senior executives, managers and experts in Poland. We combine in-depth knowledge of the Polish market with access to trusted IESF partners when a search extends to other countries.
The right fit starts with
understanding the organization
We assess candidates’ skills and achievements, but a strong professional track record is not enough. We also consider whether they will be effective within the company’s structure and culture and whether they can meet the challenges of the role. Before making a recommendation, we take the time to understand both the candidate and the organization.
Polish market knowledge that helps us assess candidates more accurately
For more than three decades, we have recruited senior executives, managers and experts in Poland. We understand the realities of different industries and know that the same job title can involve a very different scope and level of responsibility. That is why we look beyond career history to assess achievements, how candidates operate and the context in which they gained their experience. Clients receive a clear recommendation supported by the evidence and reasoning needed to make an informed decision.
Reducing risk through local insight and international reach
As the exclusive IESF partner in Poland, we deliver international executive search assignments with partners who understand their local markets, business culture and candidate availability. We combine our understanding of the client’s needs with the expertise of the local team in the country where the search is conducted. This reduces the risk created by differences between markets and recruitment practices. We support international companies building teams in Poland, as well as Polish organizations looking for leaders abroad.
Meet the experts at
NAJ International
Every successful search depends on the people behind it. The NAJ International team consists of consultants with extensive experience in executive search and business. They work directly with boards, business owners and HR leaders. Their industry knowledge allows them to assess candidates against both the requirements of the role and the organization’s business context and culture.
Ewa Adamczyk
Managing Partner / CEO
Dorota Wróblewska
Senior Project Manager
Ewa Borek
Senior Search Consultant
Agnieszka Stempniewska
Search Consultant
Krzysztof Adamczyk
Partner / Finance Director
Client Success Stories
The strongest proof of our quality is our client loyalty: 93% of our clients return to us for subsequent projects. Read why international corporations and family-owned businesses trust us with their most critical C-Level & Board Member recruitment in Poland.
Ready to secure the perfect leader?
Don’t leave key appointments to chance. Contact us to discuss the candidate profile your organization needs to succeed in Poland.
The history of NAJ International
NAJ International’s development has always been closely linked to changes in the Polish labor market. As the market evolved, so did our search methods, the scope of our assignments and the scale of our international cooperation. We apply the experience gained at each stage to our work with clients and candidates today.
1991
NAJ International is founded
While working at the French Embassy and teaching marketing to French-speaking students at the University of Warsaw, François Nail identified two sides of the same problem. French companies entering Poland struggled to find the people they needed, while young professionals with foreign-language skills worried that they were not prepared for the emerging job market.
On August 22, 1991, François Nail founded NAJ International in Warsaw, one of Poland’s first private recruitment consultancies. He drew on recruitment practices established in France and other markets.
1993
30 companies trust NAJ International within its first two years
Just two years after it was founded, NAJ International was already working with 30 clients, including major international companies building their operations in Poland. The team grew with the market, and six of its members later went on to become HR directors at large international companies.
With no internet, mobile phones or widespread access to landlines, reaching candidates directly required far more work than it does today. Newspaper advertisements were the main, though not the only, source of candidates, and telegrams were sometimes used to contact selected individuals.
1999
Direct search becomes the primary search method
By the end of the 1990s, the growth of the internet and mobile communications had transformed the scale and pace of candidate searches. International managers were increasingly returning to their home countries, while experienced Polish managers were taking over key positions in companies operating in Poland.
Direct search, which NAJ International had already been using, gradually replaced large-scale newspaper advertising as the main recruitment method. As the number of successful managers who were not actively looking for a new role increased, executive search became increasingly important.
2001
François Nail develops executive coaching in Poland
After almost ten years leading NAJ International, François Nail handed over the company’s day-to-day management and focused on developing executive coaching in Poland. He founded RSQ Management.
2005
Ewa Adamczyk takes over the management of the company
Having joined NAJ International in 1994, Ewa Adamczyk progressed from Junior Consultant to Business Development Manager and Client Director. In 2005, she became General Manager and assumed responsibility for the company.
Over the following years, she continued to develop NAJ International and built a team of experienced consultants specializing in recruitment for specialist, managerial and executive positions, as well as advisory projects.
2011
Management buyout
In December 2011, Ewa Adamczyk completed a management buyout and acquired NAJ International. Since then, she has led the company as CEO and Managing Partner, overseeing its continued development.
2014
NAJ International joins IESF
Growing client demand for support beyond Poland, including the international expansion of Polish companies, led NAJ International to join the International Executive Search Federation (IESF) in the autumn of 2014.
Through this membership, clients gained access to executive search services in other countries and across continents, delivered in cooperation with local IESF partners.
2016
Ewa Adamczyk joins the IESF Leadership Council
IESF partners elected Ewa Adamczyk to a two-year term on the IESF Leadership Council, the federation’s rotating governing body. She represented Central and Eastern Europe and was the first woman elected to the Council in the history of IESF.
2018 – 2019
Poland receives the most international assignments within IESF for two years running
In 2018 and 2019, Poland, represented within IESF by NAJ International, received the highest number of international executive search assignments across the network.
Achieving this result for two consecutive years demonstrated the growth of international cooperation since NAJ International joined IESF in 2014. Ewa Adamczyk was recognized by the president of IESF for Poland’s performance in both years.
2020 – 2021
Executive search during the pandemic
NAJ International quickly moved candidate interviews and subsequent stages of its recruitment processes online.
This allowed assignments in Poland and abroad to continue despite pandemic restrictions and the locations of clients and candidates.
2022 – 2024
Regional roles and international assignments
NAJ International handled a growing number of searches for roles covering several countries, the CEE region or Europe.
In these projects, the company combined its knowledge of the Polish market with the local expertise of IESF partners, adapting the search strategy to the realities of each country.
2025
640 CEO interviews across 18 countries
IESF partners, including NAJ International, conducted 640 interviews with CEOs across 18 countries.
These conversations formed the basis of the first IESF Global CEO Outlook, which presented the main challenges and priorities of business leaders across different regions and industries.
2026
NAJ International celebrates 35 years
On August 22, 2026, NAJ International marked 35 years since its founding. Over this period, the company’s work expanded from recruitment for international investors building their first teams in Poland to executive search assignments in Poland, the CEE region and other markets, delivered together with IESF partners.
That same year, the second IESF Global CEO Outlook was based on 909 interviews with CEOs across 23 countries. The study showed how leaders’ priorities were changing in relation to growth, financial discipline, technology, strategy execution and access to talent.
Poland’s recruitment market through the eyes of our experts
NAJ International
in the media
Our consultants regularly share their expertise with leading business and industry media. Their contributions cover recruitment, salary trends and changes in the labor market in Poland and worldwide.
Get support and trust our experience
Every project starts with a conversation. Email or call us to receive a preliminary analysis of recruitment possibilities for your business in Poland.
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