Two-Part Blog Series: My Journey to MGP | Part 1: Origins - Where MGP Came From
Some Background
We all have an origin story - some more exciting than others - though we all get started somewhere. My story could go back decades to when my grandmother, aunts, and dad came to Boston from Poland. Where my aunts went to Southie High and my dad instead chose to go to Boston Trade High School, graduate and work for someone else, and then quickly quit to open and successfully run his own auto repair shop in Dorchester. That story could and should probably be a book one day on its own, though let's keep it more simple and go back to when I studied abroad in London in 2008.
Long-story short, I went with Hobart College's Economics program where we also had an internship during our time abroad. There were two books we read and discussed as part of the school work: "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman and a book on Globalization. My internship? Market research for a currency exchange broker that also originated and facilitated cross-border loans for residential properties. I didn't realize it at the time, though there was also a pretty significant global financial event occurring that led to the Global Financial Crisis ('GFC').
As the GFC unfolded, I made a pivotal decision to continue my education by enrolling in Simon Business School's "Early Leaders" MBA program. In hindsight, this turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. The program's strong foundation in Economics helped me develop robust critical thinking skills and taught me how to apply various models and frameworks to different business situations - a capability that would prove invaluable throughout my career.
Just as valuable was the program's international diversity. More than 50% of our class was made up of students from around the world, which provided me with daily, practical experience in working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and perspectives. This immersive experience reinforced what I had begun to understand during my time in London - that global collaboration wasn't just valuable, it was essential.
I believed that to be competitive, I'd have to work smarter and harder because I began to realize the world was actually flat in that companies could take advantage of our interconnectedness and work with talent from anywhere in the world. My MBA experience with classmates from across the globe crystalized this belief and further fueled my desire to work internationally and figure out how to participate in this globalization, while helping others.
Speaking of helping others, the purpose of this two-part blog is to help you understand where I am coming from, what I believe is happening across markets, and why this ‘MGP Trading Company’ is not just a random person who quit their job to work on their own - as their dad did decades earlier - though someone with practical experience in 3 countries and backed with a network of high quality partners.
In this first part, I'll give you an idea of what problems I've seen across markets, some of my experiences that are relevant to address these challenges, and a moment where I realized I needed to make this happen.
A Career Spanning Borders and Data
After completing my MBA at Simon during one of the most challenging economic periods in recent history, I found my way into the B2B data industry, which would become my professional home for the next 12+ years. What began as a job quickly evolved into a passion for understanding how data drives business decisions across different markets and use-cases.
My career has taken me across three countries - the United States, the United Kingdom, and Poland - where I've worked with global partners across a spectrum of use-case types: Sales & Marketing, Credit & Risk, and Supply Chain & Compliance. Throughout these experiences, a common thread emerged: the need to co-develop solutions that plug gaps to support clients' needs, especially when standard offerings fell short.
During my time in Partnerships at Dun & Bradstreet, I found myself regularly applying those strategy frameworks from my MBA. I began noticing patterns across markets, industries, and use-cases - seeing how the same data sets could be leveraged to solve entirely different problems. This analytical approach allowed me to structure deals in various ways depending on the specific situation, adapting to partner and client needs rather than forcing them into rigid and pre-existing templates.
One of my most significant professional challenges came when I worked on the due diligence and integration of Dun & Bradstreet's largest acquisition in its history - Bisnode, a company with operations in over 10 European markets. This experience taught me invaluable lessons about the complexity of merging not just processes, systems, and data, but also people, cultures, and business philosophies across countries.
These experiences, combined with roles at companies of varying sizes - from the enterprise scale of D&B to smaller, more agile environments like NetProspex and LeadIQ - provided me with a unique point of view on what works and what doesn't in global business operations.
Common Challenges Across Markets
Over the years, I've observed several consistent challenges that transcend company size, industry, and region:
First, there's a striking shortage of people with deep knowledge of data and how to use it in a practical way to derive insights for specific use-cases. Companies collect mountains of 1st and 3rd party data, but often lack the expertise to transform it into actionable insights - not to mention manage it within their enterprise. This gap exists whether you're in Boston, London, or Warsaw.
Second, I've watched countless organizations fall prey to "shiny-object syndrome" where they chase the latest technologies or trends, while neglecting the foundational work necessary for lasting success. This approach merely kicks the proverbial can down the road, creating larger obstacles in the future.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, I've learned that everything ultimately comes down to people and how effectively they work together. The technical solutions are relatively straightforward compared to the human elements of collaboration, trust, and shared vision.
Fourth, I've observed a persistent tendency for organizations to default to either "do it ourselves" or the "do nothing" approach instead of looking externally for partners who could help them scale more effectively. This resistance to external collaboration often stems from organizational pride or budget concerns, but it overlooks the implicit costs of having the wrong people execute on projects as well as the opportunity costs of delayed value capture. Companies frequently underestimate how much time and resources they'll waste trying to build expertise from scratch rather than leveraging specialists who already have the required knowledge and experience.
Finally, I've noticed a troubling shift toward transactional relationships in business. Companies and people increasingly focus on short-term gains rather than creating lasting value through meaningful partnerships. This short-term thinking undermines the very relationships that are crucial for sustainable success.
The Genesis of MGP
The decision to start MGP Trading Company wasn't made lightly. The name itself carries special significance where MGP represents my initials, which I also share with my father. In a very real sense, MGP represents a continuation of family legacy, echoing my father's entrepreneurial spirit when he left his job to start his auto repair shop decades ago.
I deliberately chose to include "Trading" in the company name because at its core, almost all business is based on trade or exchange - whether it's for time, money, knowledge, or services. This fundamental concept of value exchange has been with us since the earliest human civilizations, and it remains the foundation of business relationships today, regardless of how technologically advanced we've become.
MGP Trading Company is about building something that reflects my values and experiences, something that can grow into a legacy that honors both my journey and my family's history.
As I reflected on my years working in different companies, I recognized a unique opportunity to address the challenges I'd observed. With my background living and working in multiple countries and my experience in navigating complex partnerships, I realized I could offer something valuable to organizations struggling with the very issues I'd helped solve throughout my career.
The Decision Point
The catalyst for launching MGP came during my time at LeadIQ, where I observed some concerning trends in the B2B Data / Martech / Salestech space. I was increasingly frustrated watching companies chase new technologies while completely ignoring the historical context and evolution of the broader space. It was as if each new startup believed they were inventing solutions in a vacuum, disregarding decades of industry learning and development.
Initially, this frustration made me want to leave the space entirely and pursue something different. But as I reflected more deeply, I realized there was an opportunity here. I saw a chance to leverage my experience to help companies see a better way forward. One that acknowledged the lessons of the past, while embracing genuine and useful innovation.
When I first started reaching out to cold prospects and even to my network on behalf of MGP, I quickly discovered something interesting: my personal brand equity seemed to be much lower today compared to when I started working at Dun & Bradstreet. Back in 2016, a year after D&B acquired and integrated NetProspex, I had far less experience and knowledge than I do today, yet people seemed to view me on a higher plane simply because I had the D&B name behind me. The juxtaposition in perception from then to now was striking and even humbling.
This realization affirmed my belief that sharing my "why” - my journey, experience, and vision - would be essential as I build out MGP. It isn’t just about establishing credibility; it is about demonstrating the depth of understanding and perspective I offer, regardless of what company name appears behind me.
Looking Forward
In the second part of this blog, which I'll be posting next week, I'll share my vision for the future and how I believe MGP Trading Company, together with our network of partners, can help address the challenges I've observed. Part 2 will be more concise than this first post, as MGP Trading Company itself is still a work-in-progress. It will continue to evolve and adapt as we engage with more clients and refine our approach to address needs related to People, Data, and Technology.
What I can commit to is a practical perspective that draws on my years of experience across this globe. I will focus on how companies can avoid what I've witnessed, while building bespoke offerings and partnerships that create sustainable value.
For now, I'll leave you with this thought: In a business world increasingly dominated by AI, automation, and digital transformation, the human elements of trust, relationship-building, and genuine partnership are becoming more valuable, not less. This is the space where MGP operates, bringing together technical expertise with a deeply human approach to solving business challenges.