About me
I grew up in a family that cultivated Greater Poland values, such as diligence, reliability, and systematicity—traits I strive to embody in both my professional and personal lives. Fate brought my wife, Grażyna, whom I met while studying at Nicolaus Copernicus University, and I to Toruń. It was here that our children were born, and it is here that our professional lives unfold.
My wife worked for many years as a methodologist at the Toruń Center for Methodological Consulting and Teacher Development and as a biology and chemistry teacher at School Complex No. 8 in Toruń. I have pursued a career in the food industry. For several years, we have lived in the Łysomice Commune, adjacent to Toruń, where our children and four grandchildren often visit. I currently serve as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Cereal Partners Toruń-Pacific—a company that has transformed over the years from a local starch factory into a global breakfast cereal manufacturer. The food industry is my passion, but I also find time for community activities, including the Volunteer Fire Department and the Toruń Rotary Club.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family. We enjoy reading together, taking walks in the woods, and sailing in the summer.
Alteri vivas oportet, si vis tibi vivere.
Wojciech B. Sobieszak
About me professionally
Working in the food industry was part of my family history—both my father and grandparents on both sides were involved in the food industry. Although I considered a career in science after graduating, in 1976 I began working at the Potato Industry Plant—first in Trzemeszno, then in Bronisław, before moving to Toruń in 1977. It was here that the local starch factory was implementing a new breakfast cereal production line.
My career began as a clerk in the investment department, then I took over the production department, and in 1987 I became the director of the Potato Industry Enterprise (PPZ) in Toruń—the youngest director of a company in Poland at the time.
In 1990, I had the honor of leading the company through the privatization process, which resulted in the formation of Toruń-Pacific—currently the largest breakfast cereal producer in Central Europe. In 1994, the company became part of Cereal Partners Worldwide, an international group formed by Nestlé S.A. and General Mills, whose goal is to develop the global breakfast market.
As CEO, I led the company from its inception in 1990 until 2019. During this time, I gained invaluable experience and knowledge that shaped me as a manager. Since 2004, I have also been responsible for the development of breakfast markets in Central Europe within CPW.
Since January 1, 2020, I have served as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Cereal Partners Poland Toruń-Pacific.
Wojciech B. Sobieszak
Cereal Partners Poland
Toruń-Pacific
The company was established in 1990 following the privatization of the Potato Industry Enterprise in Toruń, which dates back to the 19th century. The history of breakfast cereal production in Toruń began in 1977, when instant corn flakes were first produced.
Since 1994, Toruń-Pacific has been part of the Cereal Partners Worldwide group, a joint venture established by Nestlé S.A. (the world’s largest food company) and General Mills Inc. (an American food manufacturer, including breakfast cereals). Nestlé and General Mills Inc. each hold a 50% stake in Cereal Partners Poland Toruń-Pacific.
The Cereal Partners Poland Toruń-Pacific factory in Toruń supplies breakfast cereals to many countries where CPW and Nestlé operate, including: CPP Toruń-Pacific also exports to Central European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and the Baltic States), the Balkans, and Turkey. CPP Toruń-Pacific also exports to the Persian Gulf countries, Israel, and Western Europe. Including low-volume markets, CPP Toruń-Pacific exports products to over 60 countries and is one of the largest food exporters in Poland.
Cereal Partners Poland Toruń-Pacific currently employs over 900 people. 100% of its employees are qualified Polish staff. In 2017, the company generated PLN 793 million in net sales. It is one of the largest companies in Pomerania and Kuyavia, listed among the largest Polish companies. In September 2003, the company’s second factory, located in Lubicz near Toruń, was opened. The plant produces “cereals and milk,” which are bar-shaped breakfast cereals, and muesli, which is a mixture of cereals and dried fruit. Since October 2004, Toruń has been the headquarters of Cereal Partners Central Europe, meaning the Toruń-based management directly oversees the Czech, Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, and Hungarian markets.
CPP Toruń-Pacific is a patron and sponsor of numerous sporting and cultural events. Since 1994, the company has been the main partner of the Toruń Cycling Club PACIFIC, whose alumnus, Michał Kwiatkowski, won the elite road cycling world championship title in 2014 in the road cycling mass start category.
Wojciech B. Sobieszak
You must live for others if you want to live for yourself.
I continually draw inspiration for my social work from this golden principle of Seneca. Through my involvement in employer organizations, I champion the cause of promoting ethical behavior in business—for our common good, as well as for the integrity and transparency of economic life. As a Rotarian since the early 1990s, I have also promoted the idea of ”Service Above Self”—so needed in today’s Poland. I also continue my family’s firefighting traditions—I am a volunteer firefighter with the Volunteer Fire Department in Lubicz, where one of the factories belonging to the company I manage is located.
Wojciech B. Sobieszak
BCC
Wojciech B. Sobieszak served as Chancellor of the Toruń Lodge of the Business Centre Club from 1998 to 2006 and as Chairman of the Council of the Toruń Lodge of the BCC (2006-2018). Through his activism, he secured 34 significant businesses in the Toruń region for cooperation within the BCC. He organized meetings between Lodge members and representatives of the government, parliament, and tax officials to exchange information and promote entrepreneurship.
Wojciech B. Sobieszak
Rotary Club Toruń
Wojciech B. Sobieszak, a member of the Rotary Club of Toruń since 1992, served as President of the Rotary Club of Toruń for the 1995-96 and 2004-2005 terms.
Rotary is a social and charitable organization dedicated to professional development and maintaining a high ethical standard in all activities, while also fostering friendships and social contacts. Rotary was founded by Paul Harris [1868-1947, USA], who, together with three friends, organized the first Rotary meeting in February 1905 and founded the first club. The name Rotary comes from the fact that meetings were initially held on a rotating basis in the offices of individual club members. Rotary International currently has nearly 1.2 million members in approximately 30,000 clubs in 163 countries.
During the communist era in Poland, Rotary, as an independent international organization, was unable to operate. After the 1989 revolution, the first Rotary clubs appeared in Warsaw, Lublin, and, of course, in Toruń. The initiator was Leonard Zawacki [1916-2001], an American of Polish descent born in Grudziądz, who encouraged his home club, Medford-Rogue [Medford, Oregon, USA], to help organize a club in Toruń. Several Swedish clubs from Helsingborg later joined in this effort. In December 1989, another American Rotarian of Polish descent, Frank Surma, arrived in Toruń, and weekly meetings began. The official inauguration of the Toruń Rotary Club took place in May 1991.
The club’s several years of operation have brought numerous achievements: approximately 60 young people from Toruń completed a year-long internship in the USA or Canada, and the same number of young Americans have become acquainted with Toruń and Poland. Medical equipment worth approximately $100,000 was donated to the Toruń Children’s Hospital. There were also incubators for newborns and a van for ambulance transport. Total donations exceeded $200,000, all with the support of international clubs and the Rotary Foundation. For several years, the Club has funded 10 scholarships for talented but low-income middle school students. These are just some of the achievements of this important institution in Toruń: the Rotary Club of Toruń.
Club meetings are held weekly, always on Mondays at 6:00 PM at the Zajazd Staropolski in Toruń, at 10/14 Żeglarska Street.
Wojciech B. Sobieszak
Other social activities
- As CEO of Cereal Partners Poland Toruń-Pacific, he initiated the company’s collaboration with sports, cultural, and educational organizations in Toruń and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region. In recognition of his achievements, including his social activities, the Mayor of Toruń honored him with the Thorunium medal, presented on February 7, 2015.,
- He served as the president of the Association of Friends of the 10th Secondary School and Junior High School No. 11 (from March 3, 2003) in Toruń, collecting PLN 140,000, allocating it to the expansion of IT systems at the school, training of teachers and launching the “International Matura” program.
- Member of the Provincial Social Dialogue Commission at the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivode from May 2002 to March 2018, representing the employers’ community (BCC),
- Member of the Board of the District Branch of the Volunteer Fire Department Association in Toruń (since 2011), volunteer firefighter in the Volunteer Fire Department unit in Lubicz (since 2006),
- Member of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Entrepreneurship Council at the Marshal of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship – since November 2003, representing the employer community in the Council,
- Member of the Award Committee of the Marshal of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, appointed by the Marshal of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship in June 2007.
- In the years 2020-2025, Chairman of the Business Council at the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Management of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
