We had the pleasure of meeting Joyce Wieczorek, a lawyer whose journey into the world of corporate law and strategic leadership is nothing short of inspiring. Her remarkable story is a testament to the power of perseverance and passion, and shows how dedication and expertise can shape a career that leaves a lasting impact.

From her early days as a legal executive to her status as a trusted advisor to senior executives and board members of multiple companies, Joyce’s inspiring trajectory shows that it’s possible to work with executives while retaining a joyful soul and a taste for ethics. Her commitment to excellence and unwavering pursuit of success remind us that, with determination and drive, anything is possible.

To discover Joyce’s ideas and learn from her experiences, dive into our interview below. And if you’re not in the mood to read, we’ve also got a video right here.

Joyce’s Journey

Kingsley: Hello Joyce, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

Joyce Wieczorek: I am Joyce Wieczorek, I am 35, and I am a corporate lawyer specializing in financial regulation, mergers & acquisitions, and corporate governance. I’m a company administrator, and I also specialize in assisting executives, CEO, and public figures with strategic projects and communication positioning.

K: Can you tell us about your academic background?

JW: I studied law 5 years at Liège University, I then did an LLM focused on financial regulation and cross-border mergers & acquisitions at the London School of Economics and Political Science. I also followed multiple executive programs, one in HEC, and one in Harvard Business School.

K: Can you tell us about your professional career?

JW: I worked for more than 10 years in an international business law firm. I became a company administrator in 2020. I specialize in holding executive programs for executives, CEOs, board members, and public figures in strategic projects and communication positioning. Not only that, but I am also a strategic advisor to regulated and non-regulated institutions on strategic issues such as transformation projects, governance strengthening plans, and improving external relations, among others.

K: If you had to give 3 adjectives about yourself, what would you say? 

JW: I would say that I am without a filter, which can be surprising at first. But always with benevolence. And I would say I have the capacity to think in and out of the box.

K: What was your dream job when you were young? 

JW: When I was young, I dreamed of being Perry Mason, it’s an old American TV show about a Lawyer who’s fighting for justice, he was defending everybody. My goal was really to be him when I was younger.

K: And today, what is your dream job ? 

JW: Today, since I have seen the difference between the fiction and the reality of being a lawyer, I don’t want to be Perry Mason anymore. My ambition today is to be someone with a positive impact in our economic and our society, but also on the people I collaborate with.

K: If you had an advice you would give to Joyce from 10 years ago? 

JW: This is something I was reflecting on recently, and I think I would say “always aim for excellence and don’t be scared to try“. I feel like we have a tendency to stay in our comfort zone because we are scared of failure. I think that trying is always a positive thing, the true failure is if you had an experience and did not learn anything from it.

Work Life

K: Can you tell us about your role as an HEC Liège lecturer ? 

JW: I give courses to executives, people who already have work experience, to sensitize them to their obligations as administrator of companies. The board of directors carries the ultimate responsibility of a company, so if there’s a malfunction there it will have impact on the company as a whole and in other ecosystem too, which is why it i so important to have board members which have the good competencies, good reflexes and that are conscious of the responsibility they carry.

K: What is your role as a regulatory lawyer? 

JW: My role is to assist company that need to work within a very precise framework. For example, financial institutions, listed company and others have a framework within which to operate. So I am here to assure that companies are within this framework, this is not only legal work, it has also business implications and communication implications.

K: How does your different roles as an administrator, as a lawyer and as a lecturer complete each other ? 

JW: In my role as a lawyer, I have assisted numerous regulated and non-regulated companies in various types of strategic plans for transformation, acquisition and strengthening of governance. These experiences have enabled me to see the mapping of all the risks and problems that companies can face. In my role as a board member, I have this sensitivity to the porous nature of companies, which enables me to identify risks and make decisions in a fairly structured way in relation to these different risks. And of course as a lecturer this is totally complementary, I have this business side, this legal side which allows me to have and share an overview of risks and how to manage them in business.

K: How do you manage the versatility of these different roles?

The way I manage my different functions, I think it’s linked to the fact that I’m passionate about them, I don’t feel like I’m working. Of course, it requires a lot of personal investment, evenings and weekends, and a lot of agility in terms of schedule management, but the reality is that I’m passionate about these jobs, and I don’t think you feel like you’re working when you’re so passionate. You have to find a balance with your private life, of course, but today I have a balance that suits me by doing things I’m passionate about.

K: As one of the first women in the board administration of FN Herstal, which impact do you think you have on the organization and on the strategies of the company ? 

JW: A board of directors is a collegial body, so we win together, we lose together. But I think that with the Board of Directors as it is now, we’re making this company evolve with greater transparency, rigor and openness to the outside world. It’s a company that has a whole history with women that’s very interesting to discover, and it’s a great source of pride for me to be part of this Board.

K:What skills do you think it takes to be a leader in the world of law?

JW:  For me, a good leader in the legal sector, but a good leader in general, is a person who is exemplary. This may sound like a cliché, but I think it’s very important. Someone that can inspires his colleagues, employee and stakeholders. A second point would also be someone who never finds themselves in a situation where they can get their arm twisted and always hold their ethical views.

K: If you had an advice for the leaders of tomorrow, what would it be ? 

JW: I’d tell them that it’s impatience to win that makes you lose. Today, we can clearly see people’s impatience to become a leader, to manage teams, this desire to evolve extremely quickly. But I think it’s important to take the time to learn, to develop one’s portfolio of knowledge and competencies, and to make the most of it.

Today’s women

K: Do you have the feeling to evolve in a masculine world in your professional life ? 

JW: It’s a fact that there are more men than women in influential roles. That said, the situation is evolving, even if it’s not progressing very quickly, but it’s evolving in the right direction. We still need quotas, which is a pity, and we’d like to see real equality of opportunity and a true meritocracy, but that’s not going to happen any time soon. However, I’m hopeful.

K: Do you feel that you have been discriminated because of your gender during your career ? 

JW:It’s clear that in the course of my career, I’ve had inappropriate, unpleasant, irrelevant comments from men, but I haven’t made a generalization about it, it’s just certain men at certain times, and it’s never had an impact on me.
Typically, there are unspoken dress codes in business circles, where women are expected to dress all in black, wear certain outfits… I’ve never given in to that kind of injunction. I think that no matter what you do, no matter what you say, you’ll always find someone who has something to say. So you might as well simplify your life and be yourself.

K: What advice would you give to young women that aspire to a career similar to yours ? 

JW: When I was younger, I wish someone had told me that you only have to please two people in your life: you when you were a little girl and you when you’re 90. I would have liked to have been told to listen to myself and to please myself, because in the end I’m the only one who’ll live through my whole life.

K: What does being a woman in 2024 mean to you?

JW: For me, being a woman in 2024 means being an independent, free woman who can be herself as she wishes. Independent in every way, financially independent, independent in spirit.

I wish someone had told me that you only have to please two people in your life: you when you were a little girl and you when you’re 90, because in the end you are the only one who’ll live through your whole life.

Joyce’s impressive career trajectory, coupled with her spirited demeanor and unwavering dedication, serves as a shining example of how passion, clarity of purpose, and hard work can pave the way for a successful and fulfilling legal career