Editor’s note: In this ongoing series, INMA is profiling our most engaged members — our super fans — to give members a chance to learn more about each other. Today we profile Wojciech Ehrenfeld, head of IT solutions for RingPublishing.com in Kraków, Poland. 

As head of IT solutions for RingPublishing.com, a division of Ringier Axel Springer Tech in Kraków, Poland, Wojciech Ehrenfeld is constantly learning new things. Throughout 2022, his plan was to never stop learning new things — and in a rapidly changing news media environment, that’s probably not difficult!

One lesson that stuck with him is something essential to tech success but can be applied in many different areas of publishing: “Try and test simple stuff at the beginning of every project/process — and try not to overcomplicate it.”

When he’s out of the office, you can find Ehrenfeld enjoying the great outdoors. Depending on the season, he’ll be ski touring (cross-country skiing), biking, or running. INMA recently caught up with him to learn more about what he’s been up to.  

INMA: If you had your career to do over again, what would you want to know in the beginning?

Ehrenfeld: How essential the culture and power of the team are! The most important is to know who is on board and how they behave — so as not to be surprised in the critical moment.

INMA: What makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning?

Ehrenfeld: Fresh snow during winter and some sun and wind in the other seasons.

INMA: What is the craziest job or project you’ve ever done in media — and what did you learn from it?

Ehrenfeld: I’m an IT guy, and there were many media events/projects which I was involved in, but worth mentioning was taking a bold (sometimes I think a bit crazy) decision to start offering solutions for media in the SaaS model. 

INMA: What success within your company are you most proud of right now?

Ehrenfeld: We provide modern technologies to media leaders in Poland, Switzerland, Serbia, Slovakia, and Hungary. As a result, all of them became stronger through such tough pandemic times.

INMA: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?

Ehrenfeld: It is good to start with a helicopter view and answer three questions: why, how, and what. Later on, things are clear and manageable.

INMA: If you hadn’t gone into news media, what was your backup plan?

Ehrenfeld: I wanna be a rock star!

INMA: What is your favourite thing to read?

Ehrenfeld: It is nothing unique: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. 

INMA: What do you find the most challenging/interesting thing about the news media industry right now?

Ehrenfeld: The role of free media and independent journalism in the complex world of the 21st century.

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