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She is not a fan of boredom
Women in technical professions

As a young woman, Justyna Kwiatkowska-Bącalska was interested in geoinformatics, or GPS. She took a different career path. Today, she leads a team at the ceramics plant in Koło (PL) – the team of GPS engineers.

“I really wanted to work in GPS – and here I am!“ Justyna Kwiatkowska-Bącalska laughs out loud. It is a twist of fate that as a student she was enthusiastic about the applications of the Global Positioning System, i.e. geoinformatics, but today she works in a completely different area, which is nevertheless called GPS (Geberit Production System) internally.

Just a stopover 

The combination of geography and the technological possibilities of surveying and positioning fascinated Justyna Kwiatkowska-Bącalska so much that she began studying engineering at the Technical University in Wrocław (PL), specializing in mining and geology. After graduating, she looked for work – and initially found nothing in her field. So she took her time searching and took a temporary job at the ceramics plant in Koło in the customer service department. That was in 2013.

A woman with glasses and a white shirt with unique patterns laughs while engaging in conversation with a man in a workshop setting.
Every day, Justyna Kwiatkowska-Bącalska attends meetings with shift and team leaders in production to find out about everything that is happening. She particularly likes the open, friendly culture at the plant. (all photos ©Rafał Cwenk)

Preferably at the forefront 

Two years later, Geberit also took over the Polish ceramics plant as part of the Sanitec acquisition. “From then on, it became very exciting,“ recalls the now 33-year-old. “A revolution was taking place in production in particular with the introduction of new technologies and processes. And I didn't want to leave.“

In 2016, Justyna Kwiatkowska-Bącalska switched to production – as a GPS engineer. She trained in production planning and management on a part-time basis. At this time, the plant began to gradually introduce automated processes and technologies. In 2020, preparations for the installation of pressure casting technology began at the ceramics plant, and the pressure casting machine has been in operation since 2022.
 

"A revolution was taking place in production. And I didn't want to leave."
Justyna Kwiatkowska-Bącalska, team lead GPS, ceramics plant in Koło (PL)

Interdisciplinary work 

Together with her three-person GPS team, Justyna Kwiatkowska-Bącalska was responsible for developing and adapting the work and production processes for this major interdisciplinary project. This is because the switch to pressure casting technology affects a wide range of areas in the plant, from structural measures to new work processes and safety precautions.

The engineer was in her element. “Since then, I've learned an incredible amount about every single area of work every day,“ she says, visibly happy about her diverse range of tasks. She won't stop smiling for a long time yet: The second pressure casting machine is currently being installed in the ceramics plant.

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