The digital age has radically transformed business, culture, and relationships by evolving the way people interact with each other. Information is plentiful, readily available, and spreads like wildfire across the Internet, which fundamentally changes the way businesses and individuals alike build and maintain their public image and presence. Maintaining a strong digital presence and a positive reputation, both personally and professionally, has become a critical part of any successful venture.
Roman Sledziejowski, co-founder and current Vice Chairman of Savant Strategies, has a keen understanding of the role technology plays in the development and execution of modern business strategies. A company’s reputation online has an incredible impact on their success; no matter how effective or revolutionary the service or product may be, if consumers don’t have a baseline level of trust in the company, they will not engage with its offering.
Roman Sledziejowski leverages a suite of tools and technologies, paired with robust core values and business philosophy, to develop and maintain the positive reputation and presence needed to thrive in the digital age.
Entrepreneurial Foundation
Roman Sledziejowski hasn’t built his digital presence and reputation from nothing; the Poland-born businessman has 20 years of experience under his belt to draw on.
He began his career in New York City at Salomon Smith Barney at the age of 17, and after turning 18 he became the youngest National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) licensed stockbroker in the United States. In 2002 he rose to Vice President of Investments and Prudential Securities, and then to First Vice President in 2004. At the age of 25, Sledziejowski became the Senior Vice President and Investment Officer of Wachovia Securities, and used his free time to invest in multi-family rental properties in three states. Between 2004 and 2009 he purchased and redeveloped almost 400 residential units, and his success with this independent venture sparked his own entrepreneurial instinct.
He co-founded MyPlace Development in 2007, a real estate development company based in Poland, where he served as the Chairman of the Board until 2010, after he sold his stake in the company to his co-founder Sebastian Kulczyk. In 2013, Roman Sledziejowski co-founded Savant Strategies to provide management consulting services to middle-market companies in Latin America, Europe, and South Africa. After taking some time away, he returned in 2021 to take on the role of Vice Chairman, where he remains today.
Baseline Reputation and Digital Presence
All business is built on the foundation of good, reliable relationships, and such relationships are affected by the reputations of the involved parties. In the digital age, building and maintaining a positive reputation is a multifaceted affair, but new tools and technologies blend with time-honed strategies to allow individuals and organizations alike to manage their digital presence.
Roman Sledziejowski leverages a number of practices to build a positive digital presence for himself and his company. Foremost among them is the most historically effective: he focuses on delivering consistent value to his clients and partners. A reputation for integrity is developed through actions, not words, and consistently fulfilling promises and obligations is the surest track to that goal. Beyond that, Sledziejowski takes steps to ensure that Savant Strategies’ online presence accurately reflects their expertise and achievements.
Client trust is paramount. Both current and potential clients need to be able to trust that Savant Strategies won’t be a liability for them. To this end, Roman Sledziejowski ensures that he and his company prioritize transparency in all communications and showcase successful case studies to build that reputation of reliability and trustworthiness. They expertly walk the balance between openness regarding their processes and strict confidentiality with client-specific information. Importantly, he also prioritizes investments in cybersecurity to protect client data and safeguard the trust between Savant Strategies and their clients.
Expanding Reach
No matter how strong the foundation, individuals and businesses alike cannot survive or thrive in the digital age without a strategy for growing their reach and making their digital presence as impactful as possible. Sledziejowski knows this, and is currently focused on expanding Savant Strategies’ reach in emerging markets, in part with new service offerings tailored to the post-pandemic business landscape. This goal requires keeping ahead of digital trends to remain relevant, which itself requires continuous learning.
“I regularly attend industry conferences, engage with tech innovators, and encourage our team to experiment with new digital tools,” Sledziejowski says. “We also closely monitor emerging technologies that could impact our clients’ industries.”
To enable these reach and growth initiatives, Sledziejowski and Savant Strategies take advantage of new technologies, recognizing their crucial role in modern business strategy. By leveraging a combination of cutting-edge data analytics tools, communication tools and platforms, and project management, they’re able to provide top-tier consulting to clients and keep a close eye on the market as it evolves. By evaluating new technologies and trends, Savant Strategies is able to maintain its competitive edge and offer innovative solutions.
Social media is an inevitable component of the growth strategy. Sledziejowski uses social media selectively to share industry insights, highlight Savant Strategies’ accomplishments, and engage with professional networks. He’s found the most value leveraging platforms like LinkedIn to maintain a professional image and build relationships with relevant stakeholders in the industry.
Embracing Criticism
Anyone who’s spent any amount of time on the Internet knows how quickly complaints and criticism can propagate across the digital landscape. A bad review from a sub-par experience, regardless of fault or responsibility, can grow like a disruptive weed in a company’s digital footprint. As a result, learning how to best manage these moments is important for any digitally-invested organization.
Roman Sledziejowski sees complaints, criticism, and feedback as growth opportunities. Both personally and professionally, Sledziejowski encourages open communication between the team and clients to make sure problems are solved quickly and new ideas are analyzed and integrated into the company’s business plan. Sledziejowski has long credited his calm demeanor and ability to stay cool under pressure for some of his professional success, which is a boon when analyzing and tackling negative press.
For every honest, good-faith negative review, however, there are myriad bad actors that will target an organization’s digital reputation for a number of reasons. Sledziejowski takes a proactive approach to safeguarding his digital reputation. Through regular monitoring of Savant Strategies’ online presence, swift and professional responses to online concerns, and robust, cutting-edge cybersecurity investments, Sledziejowski and his company protect their digital reputation, communications, and professional integrity.
By Chris Bates
