As part of the Stars Night Awards 2025, Maria Anna Furman interviewed Tomasz Putynkowski, nominated in the Business Star category. Yet this conversation was far more than a presentation of professional accomplishments. It was a profound, moving portrait of a man who built a company and, more importantly, rebuilt himself from the ground up.

Tomasz did not arrive in the UK with a grand plan for success. His story began unplanned and quickly unfolded into a series of life’s sharp turns. An accident robbed him of physical mobility, but it never broke his spirit. On the contrary, in moments that for many would be the end, he found a beginning. He launched his first business from the bed where he was expected to spend the rest of his life. Not to earn money but to feel he was still useful, needed, and present.

The conversation, guided with sensitivity and grace, revealed Tomasz as a man deeply rooted in values. His approach to work and life can be summed up in one word—empathy. The company he created is not just another accounting office—it’s where the person matters: their needs, fears, and dreams. There is no space for soulless procedures or the anonymity of clients. Instead, there is room for dialogue, support, and trust.

Personal themes were not absent from the interview. Tomasz shared his story not as a success hero, but as a man who has had to rise from his knees more than once. With humility, he spoke of failure, doubt, and the moments when the only thing keeping him going was hope that something could still be done. He did not present himself as a winner, but as someone on a journey who keeps moving, even when the destination is not yet visible.

What also stood out in this conversation was the thread of social engagement. For years, Tomasz has supported people with disabilities, the elderly, and those struggling with exclusion. His professional and social work are intertwined, creating a coherent life story that only finds true meaning when it serves others. And even though he doesn’t speak of it openly, his attitude stands as a quiet yet powerful testimony to what responsible leadership and human-centred entrepreneurship can be.

The interview with Tomasz Putynkowski was not just a segment of the award programme—it showed that success does not always mean reaching the top, but sometimes simply the ability not to give up on yourself, even when everything else falls apart. It is a story of courage that does not shout but acts, of strength that knows no bounds because it rises from within.

Editor Maria Anna Furman