Katarzyna Gawlik is part of the core team that launched Superbet in Poland, more than 7 years ago. Starting off as Marketing Manager and, later on, becoming Marketing Director for Superbet Poland, she was involved in numerous exciting campaigns and sponsorship partnerships, like the agreements with the Polish Ski Federation, Lech Poznań and Wisła Krakow, just to name a few.
Kasia, as friends call her, is an in-depth expert of the world of sports betting, having held multiple marketing roles in the industry for almost 12 years.
Talking with her, we get a better understanding of what the Superbet brand means in Poland and how the strength and unity of the local team have transformed us into a challenger for the title of industry leader in this country.
You are part of the core team, that started with Superbet since day one in Poland and build the current amazing results in this market. What is the story behind this success?
Sometimes I still can’t believe the journey we have taken with Superbet in Poland and how amazingly we have grown over the past years. We now have a strong ambition to grow our presence even more, in Poland and across the world, as a company that aspires to become a global leader.
My story at Superbet started after my maternity leave from Fortuna Entertainment Group (FEG), when I was invited to take on the challenge of starting Superbet operations in Poland completely from scratch. It was a huge undertaking, but after almost a year-long break, I was open and ready to test myself in this new exciting project.
Initially, I was part of a compact team formed only by a few people, as we furnished the office, searched for new shop locations, planned openings, and looked for a brand ambassador to help build trust, as we were an unknown brand on the market at that time. Finally, in 2017 we were ready to announce the start of operations symbolically at the PGE National Arena in Warsaw, introducing, at the same time, Jerzy Dudek as our local brand ambassador.
It wasn’t easy to start operations only with retail in an intensively growing online market. It wasn’t simple to introduce our customers to a commercial offering which was completely different to what they were used to having on our market. While I was away, on my third and last maternity leave, we have finally launched the online platform in Poland. This was immediately followed by a complicated period, the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a freeze of business.
I returned from maternity leave in September 2020, to a completely different company, which I like to call Superbet 2.0, with Adam Lamentowicz taking over the reins and steering the company in the right direction.
For me, it was a new beginning, an exciting one, with a new management team in Poland, while also having a new central leadership in Superbet. I had a very intense start, but together with my team, we began to put the pieces into the right places, starting to run at a completely different pace. Those were thrilling moments, like shifting from driving a Fiat 500 to entering a Formula 1 car.
We have grown to become the second-largest online betting operator, capturing over 20% of the market share, and having received numerous awards and prestigious nominations in less than four years, starting from scratch. Behind this success, and something I will always emphasize, is our incredible team in Poland. They are a closely-knit group of hardworking and dedicated professionals, who are always supporting each other, while remaining humble and constantly reaching for even higher sights.
Looking at your experience, you have more than 12 years in the world of sports betting, having managed a multitude of successful marketing campaigns, always delivering strong results. How did you discover your passion for this field and what kept you engaged for more than a decade in this industry?
The beginning of my career in the sports betting industry was really a coincidence. I had experience in the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry, working for a pharmacy network in Poland, so I wasn’t afraid to try myself in betting when found a position opened at FEG. This opportunity came as I decided to move back after 10 years of living in Krakow to my hometown of Cieszyn.
Over the last decade, the market in Poland changed significantly. The dynamics of the environment and the opportunities I had in my job — sometimes running a one-person show and being involved in many projects — allowed me to learn extensively about the industry. From retail promotions, loyalty clubs, and events to launching the biggest sponsorship contract for FEG with Legia Warsaw in 2014, I gained experience in many business areas. This constant push for more has fueled my growth.
What positively drives and engages me in this industry, and makes me put my heart into it, is the variety of projects that I can manage, with results that match both my ambitions and the company's goals. It's the passionate and enthusiastic people, and the atmosphere that motivates me to give my best.
Out of all the exciting campaigns that you coordinated, which one stands out the most and why?
This is a hard question. Each campaign had something special about it. Every campaign was an interesting and enriching experience for me. With each one, I gained new skills and knowledge. Each was an amazing, very engaging and absorbing experience.
If I had to pick one, I believe the Supermoon campaign would stand out the most, where we took our ambassador Slawek Peszko to the moon, and placed Jerzy Dudek and Tomek Smokowski, also Superbet ambassadors, in the space control center. That was definitely a “game changer” in marketing communication within Poland. We were pioneers and leaders in introducing creative and bold communication in the sports betting category.
We made a difference, and it was clear that we inspired some competitors to think outside the box. It's rewarding to see how we've evolved from a market challenger to a trendsetter and benchmark for other brands and market competitors.
Speaking of the campaigns, I want to emphasize that this is a huge effort of the whole team, but I want to give a special shout-out to the indispensable Bartek Malaka and Martina Živković, who were always fundamental pillars and massive support on each campaign production.
We are very serious about diversity and equal opportunity, with your career path being proof of that. What would you say to other professional women who are looking to grow their career by joining Superbet?
Don't give up on your dreams, don't lose your confidence and treasure your self-esteem. I have often resisted my inner critic and fought the returning imposter syndrome, which I think many women often struggle with. I believe we've all been there, while chasing our ambitions, and trying to be perfect both at work and at home.
We are all superwomen, multitasking every day, trying to be mothers, wives or partners, and giving 100% at work. It is difficult, challenging, and sometimes frustrating because it's not always possible to do it all. So, embrace that reality, focus on the positives, learn from experiences, and move forward as confident, proud, and strong women.
However, it's important to acknowledge that a significant role here plays also the support of your manager. Knowing that you can always count on their support and understanding is crucial. I was fortunate to work with empowering managers, like Adam Lamentowicz and Łukasz Seweryniak, as well as having amazing people in my teams, and this helped me a lot to be where I am today.
In Poland, we have such a wide range of exciting sports sponsorship: ski jumping, football, darts, Speedway racing and a stage of the Grand Chess Tour. What is your favorite sport, the one which you love to practice in your free time?
The Superbet Rapid & Blitz from the Grand Chess Tour has become an incredibly exciting event, raising the standard of chess tournaments in Poland to a completely new level.
Thinking of more traditional sports, I remember the times when Adam Małysz was still an active ski jumper. I used to watch every tournament, and afterwards, I would call my friends to discuss the event, celebrating his victories or venting frustration at Sven Hannawald or Martin Schmidt, who sometimes outperformed Małysz. It was a national phenomenon, with half the population trying the telemark in front of the TV or cheering him on. So, it was quite sentimental for me to meet Adam Małysz now as the President of the Polish Ski Federation and watch the ski jumping tournaments with Superbet as a sponsor.
Now I enjoy watching Iga Świątek's tennis matches and occasionally watching football, holding onto the sentiments from the time I started the Fortuna-Legia Warsaw project or from the times I was supporting Wisła Kraków while studying in Krakow. Last year, I discovered Speedway at one of our events and enjoyed it very much, just as, unexpectedly, my kids did.
I love to travel and visit new places. Also, for the last 15 years, I haven't missed a summer visit to the Croatian coast. This year I also had the opportunity to explore Sri Lanka for three weeks, driving around this beautiful island, and I know I want to continue to show my kids the world, with all its diversity and vibrancy.
All in all, I enjoy my life journey and my work at Superbet, thanks to the great people around and to the thrilling campaigns in which I was involved. I feel that the Polish team at Superbet embodies that credo "Together we are super." This perfectly reflects our „local” DNA and it proves the passion that we put into every project.
