Interview with Karolina Liszka - Coordinating a global function for Information Protection

“I grew up in Krakow, the second biggest city in Poland and graduated as an attorney at law from the Faculty of Law at Jagiellonian University in Krakow. For my personal and career development, I also undertook postgraduate studies in Project Management and various law, negotiation, arbitration and problem-solving courses.

My first job was as an assistant in the Legal Department of the Air Liquide Engineering & Construction center in Krakow. I started during my final year of studies and when I graduated, I was offered a permanent position.

I always knew that I wanted to be a lawyer, but not with a classic legal job involving litigation and going to court. A legal background gives you “universal” knowledge that can be applied to many fields, depending on your opportunities and determination. Given that I'm open minded and willing to travel, I wanted to work in an international environment where I could use my different language, personal and professional skills.

With its network of Centers all around the world,  Air Liquide Engineering & Construction provides lots of possibilities to develop your professional skills and receive specialist training, while working on exciting international projects.

I worked in the Legal Department for 8 years where I was involved in diverse internal and external projects. I created and led a local Communications Department in Krakow. However, I was primarily involved in different EPC projects as a lawyer. For the last year, I've been in charge of Information Protection - coordinating the function, building an international network and establishing interconnections with management.

One of my most exciting projects was helping coordinate a major investment in Hungary, where I was responsible for managing all legal issues from proposal to project execution including creating a local branch office. This was a very challenging project which reinforced my professional expertise and skills.

I enjoy the high level of corporate culture, including the emphasis on ethics and intercultural awareness, at Air Liquide Engineering & Construction. I appreciate the policies and standards built over the years to create a safe, reliable and open workplace.

If you want to embark on a similar career, you should keep your eyes and ears open and seize opportunities when they arise. Don’t be afraid of getting out of your comfort zone and taking new challenges, even if they seem big and scary or require changing jobs or locations.”