Meet Women's Business Link Member of the Month -January: Anna Magryta-Urban.

Who are you, and what do you do?

I am a Financial Advisor, but my previous experience is in the third sector. I run an organisation in Poland, and I also founded London Spark, a charity in the UK that supports the Polish community.

What are you good at?

I am good at my job because I have a sincere intention to help my clients. You just have to find the right solution and sometimes have enough determination. I believe I am an expert in affordable housing schemes that help first-time buyers get on the property ladder, which is difficult in London. It is a great joy for me when my clients succeed and become homeowners. 

In the social sphere, I have delivered many successful projects that provided effective support to less fortunate people.  Since April 2022, I have been volunteering at West London Welcome, where I support refugees from Ukraine in interpreting legal and social advice.

What is the best business advice you were ever given?

It comes from the late Prof. Pełczyński, a Polish-British political philosopher, scholar and activist. I was his assistant at the School of Leaders Association in Warsaw when he was 73 and I was still a student of international relations at Warsaw University. But the advice came a decade later, when we met again at a workshop for local leaders organized by the Association. My colleague and I complained to the professor that in our town women in their 50s did  not want to learn new things and get involved, because they said  they were too old. Mr. Pełczynski said "it's never too late! I was 68 when I retired from Oxford University, and I founded the School of Leaders in Poland." The organization continues to train young leaders to this day, and Prof. Pełczynski was involved in running it until the end of his 95-year life.

How often do you learn something new?

As my mentor, Prof. Pełczynski proved it is never too late!  I follow his advice and keep learning and trying new things.  However,  I have shifted from academic studies to more practical ones.  At the age of 35, when I came to London, I decided that I wanted to become a financial advisor. As I get older, I become more spiritual, reading about psychology, healthy eating, practising yoga and learning professional massage. I believe that at the age of 50, I will learn to cook 😉!