Jan Wejchert
Encyclopedia
Jan Bohdan Wejchert was a Polish
businessman and media mogul. Wejchert was the co-founder of the ITI Group
, one of Poland's largest media groups, as well as the co-founder and co-owner of the TVN
television network
.
Faculty of the University of Warsaw
. In 1974, Wejchert began his career as a businessman by working for Konsuprod, GmbH & Co., a German
trading company
. Wejchert later incorporated
the new Polish subsidiary
of Konsuprod in 1976, the first instance of direct foreign investment in Poland
, which was under Communist rule.
. He ran ITI in a partnership with Walter and Bruno Valsangiacomo. He later co-founded and co-owned both the TVN
television network
and TVN 24
television networks. He sat on the management
board of TVN.
He was also the co-owner and deputy president of the Onet.pl
group. Additionally, Wejchert co-owned the Legia Warszawa
football club.
In 1991, he was appointed to the US-Poland Action Commission, which was headed by Zbigniew Brzezinski
. Wejchert was a co-founder of the Polish Business Roundtable, a business club, and served as the organization's first president. The Polish Business Rountable is headquartered at the Sobański Palace, a 19th century Warsaw townhouse
owned by Wejchert since 1996. Wejchert restored the townhouse in the late 1990s.
Wejchert also purchased Stara Papiernia, a suburban Warsaw paper mill
which was destroyed by fire
in 1984. He restored Stara Papiernia and reopened the building, incorporating it into a shopping center in November 2002.
, a suburb
of Warsaw
. He was married, and the couple had five children.
Jan Wejchert died on October 31, 2009, at the age of 59. Wejchert had fought leukemia
since 1993, which he had kept secret from the public. However, the cause of his death was a heart attack due to an infection
and sepsis
.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
businessman and media mogul. Wejchert was the co-founder of the ITI Group
ITI Group
ITI Group , known as Grupa ITI in Polish, is a large media conglomerate headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. ITI Group controls the Polish television network, TVN, among its many holdings.The ITI Group was co-founded by businessmen Jan Wejchert and Mariusz Walter in 1984...
, one of Poland's largest media groups, as well as the co-founder and co-owner of the TVN
TVN (Poland)
TVN is a major Polish commercial television network. The broadcaster was co-founded by Polish businessmen Mariusz Walter and Jan Wejchert. The network launched on October 3, 1997. TVN belongs to the TVN S.A...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
.
Early career
Wejchert graduated from the EconomicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
Faculty of the University of Warsaw
University of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw is the largest university in Poland and one of the most prestigious, ranked as best Polish university in 2010 and 2011...
. In 1974, Wejchert began his career as a businessman by working for Konsuprod, GmbH & Co., a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
trading company
Trading company
Trading companies are businesses working with different kinds of products which are sold for consumer, business or government purposes. Trading companies buy a specialized range of products, maintain a stock or a shop, and deliver products to customers....
. Wejchert later incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
the new Polish subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Konsuprod in 1976, the first instance of direct foreign investment in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, which was under Communist rule.
Career
Wejchert co-founded the ITI Group in 1984 with businessman, Mariusz Walter. Wejchert became the ITI Group's first president and founding shareholderShareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
. He ran ITI in a partnership with Walter and Bruno Valsangiacomo. He later co-founded and co-owned both the TVN
TVN (Poland)
TVN is a major Polish commercial television network. The broadcaster was co-founded by Polish businessmen Mariusz Walter and Jan Wejchert. The network launched on October 3, 1997. TVN belongs to the TVN S.A...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
and TVN 24
TVN 24
TVN24 is Poland's first 24-hour news channel, launched on 9 August 2001. Being a part of the TVN Network, TVN24 is owned by ITI Group. It gained broader popularity after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the USA, which was the first major incident to be covered by TVN24...
television networks. He sat on the management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
board of TVN.
He was also the co-owner and deputy president of the Onet.pl
Onet.pl
Onet.pl is the largest Polish web portal. It is owned by the Kraków-based Grupa Onet.pl S.A. It was founded in 1996 by Optimus company. According to Alexa rankings, as of December 2007, it is the 45th most popular website worldwide and the 3rd most popular site in Poland.Onet is currently owned by...
group. Additionally, Wejchert co-owned the Legia Warszawa
Legia Warszawa
Legia Warszawa is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. It was founded in March 1916 in the area of Maniewicze in Volhynia as the football club of the Polish Legions...
football club.
In 1991, he was appointed to the US-Poland Action Commission, which was headed by Zbigniew Brzezinski
Zbigniew Brzezinski
Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski is a Polish American political scientist, geostrategist, and statesman who served as United States National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981....
. Wejchert was a co-founder of the Polish Business Roundtable, a business club, and served as the organization's first president. The Polish Business Rountable is headquartered at the Sobański Palace, a 19th century Warsaw townhouse
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
owned by Wejchert since 1996. Wejchert restored the townhouse in the late 1990s.
Wejchert also purchased Stara Papiernia, a suburban Warsaw paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
which was destroyed by fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
in 1984. He restored Stara Papiernia and reopened the building, incorporating it into a shopping center in November 2002.
Personal life
Wejchert was a resident of Konstancin-JeziornaKonstancin-Jeziorna
Konstancin-Jeziorna is a town in Piaseczno County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 16,963 inhabitants . It is located about 20 km south of downtown Warsaw and is a part of the metropolitan area of that city....
, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. He was married, and the couple had five children.
Jan Wejchert died on October 31, 2009, at the age of 59. Wejchert had fought leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
since 1993, which he had kept secret from the public. However, the cause of his death was a heart attack due to an infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
and sepsis
Sepsis
Sepsis is a potentially deadly medical condition that is characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state and the presence of a known or suspected infection. The body may develop this inflammatory response by the immune system to microbes in the blood, urine, lungs, skin, or other tissues...
.