Solange Olszewska

Solange Olszewska (born January 4, 1951 in Warsaw , Poland ) was CEO of the Polish bus and tram manufacturer Solaris Bus & Coach SA from 2008 to April 1, 2015

Life and activity

Olszewska studied dentistry at the Medical University of Warsaw . Living in Berlin since 1982, she was a lecturer in pediatric dentistry at the Free University of Berlin from 1986 to 1994 . In February 1995, her professional career experienced a turning point when she switched to self-employment. Olszewska was involved in the family business Neoplan Polska, which was renamed Solaris Bus & Coach in 2001 . From 2008 to 2015 she was chairman of the board. Solaris employs over 2,000 people in Poland, and more than 300 others work for foreign subsidiaries.

In addition to her work in the company, Olszewska is involved in scientific and social projects as well as in charity work. It is one of the initiators and founders of the German-Polish Medical Association in Berlin and has supported German-Polish cooperation in the fields of business and culture for many years. On her initiative, many sustainable projects were launched at Solaris, including safety training for bus drivers, traffic education programs for children, the foundation “Green Dachshunds - Help the Unprotected” and the day nursery for children of Solaris employees “The Green Dachshund”.

In recognition of her services to the development of economic cooperation between Germany and Poland as well as her social commitment and charity work, she received the Golden Cross of Merit from the Polish President in 1999 and the Cavalier's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2013. Her professional involvement in the bus industry was awarded the title "Bus Builder of the Year" in 2005. This award, presented at the European bus exhibition Busworld, recognizes Solange Olszewska as an outstanding personality in the bus industry.

She is a member of the Program Council of the Polish Women's Congress and a member of the Polish Business Council. In 2011, the German business newspaper Handelsblatt named her as the only Polish woman among the 100 most influential business women in the world.

Solange Olszewska is married to Krzysztof Olszewski , the founder of Solaris Bus & Coach. They have two children, Małgorzata and Jan.