Adrianna, our Safety, Health and Environment Manager

“When life goes wrong, you need a good team around you.” 

From running shutdowns that impressed 20-year veterans to redefining how we think about workplace safety, Adrianna Łobodzińska has become a driving force behind Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) at Mondi. Her journey began 13 years ago as an ambitious and curious graduate trainee and, after her fair share of personal and professional challenges, she now leads the way as SHE Manager in our Corrugated Solutions business segment – driven by a passion for keeping people safe. 

I’ve learned so much and it’s helped to develop my confidence. 

I joined Mondi as a trainee at our Świecie paper mill in Poland and worked in each department, including production. I became a process engineer and it was my job to coordinate technological trials aimed at improving quality and reducing costs. One of my most challenging – and memorable – tasks was a paper machine rebuild project, where I worked with contractors and made sure the rebuild went smoothly, running tests and overseeing process setting. 

I’m very driven. I’ve always wanted to do something more. 

I was promoted to production engineer, which meant I got to help my manager plan and organise a regular maintenance shutdown. We took care of everything, from safety to production efficiency. Running a shutdown for the first time, I had a lot on my shoulders. One colleague said afterwards that it was one of the best shuts he’d ever worked on – and he had been working at Mondi for about 20 years! It was a big compliment. 

Safety has always been key to how I approach everything in life. 

I built up my knowledge of environmental topics and local legislation as an environmental manager, and was then invited to join the SHE team. I’d already been doing similar work, but this brought a fresh perspective, where I could look at things through a safety and health lens. We learn so much at Mondi, and it sticks with you; for example, you’ll find me putting on my safety goggles and gloves when helping my dad with small home improvement projects. It’s important to prepare, to be safe and to be a role model – whether at home or at work. 

I was attracted to a SHE role because of our ‘human’ approach to safety. 

Safety is about so much more than standards, rules and procedures. We also consider the social psychology of risk, which puts people at the centre of everything we do in SHE. Finding out what’s going on in our conscious and unconscious minds is fascinating. It allows us to better understand the factors that drive the world, and how we make decisions. We try to treat everybody fairly, to make their lives and the workspace better and, in that way, get more value out of people. 

We learn in social psychology that you can’t influence everything.

I was painfully reminded of that in December 2023, when someone crashed into me on the slopes the day before Christmas Eve. I’ve skied all my life, but this time I tore a ligament in my knee. The accident was completely out of my control, and the injury left me feeling vulnerable and unsure when I’d walk properly again. Thankfully, Mondi allowed me to work from home, but my life became very restricted. That experience taught me how quickly things can change and just how important it is to have a strong, supportive team around you. The challenges I’ve faced have made me more grounded, more mature and a much better manager. 

Our ‘people first’ safety approach has a positive influence on the shop floor. 

Instead of telling people what to do and how to do it, we have open discussions. It’s a human-centric approach: from how we prepare machine updates to more complicated tasks. We include everyone and encourage colleagues to speak freely. As a management team, our visibility and availability on the shop floor have increased. This has driven a personal connection with colleagues, who now think far more about safety. We are constantly asking our colleagues to share their own ‘reasons to be safe’ and have built an entire campaign around the question. 

My journey has allowed me to develop my knowledge and leadership skills. 

My experiences have helped me to understand and to better appreciate the value that each team member can bring. I’ve learned to be more thankful and more patient. As a SHE manager, you are always asked for advice, and you are also expected to challenge, to set standards, define strategies and to provide theoretical and practical support. Working in SHE gives you a very wide range of skills.  

After thirteen years, I love my colleagues, and I love what I do.