Employee profiles

After she completed her studies and was called to the bar in the late 1990s, Agnieszka spent two years with the Montreal law firm Bélanger Sauvé. She then shifted gears in June 2000 and went to work in the tourism industry, joining the Transat team as a legal counsel. She was promoted to a Director position in the Legal Affairs department in September 2005, and then became Senior Director in July 2010. “I didn’t think I’d stay with the same company for so long. But the pride and sense of belonging I feel here count for a lot in my motivation,” she says.

Agnieszka made that career shift a decade ago because she wanted to be involved in the business end of law practice. “In a firm, you aren’t as close to the client. Plus, being at Transat allows me to learn a lot about the travel industry, which is something I’m passionate about,” she enthuses.

Travel, you see, has been part of Agnieszka’s life since a very early age. Born in Poland, she moved with her family to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) when she was just four. Eight years later, the family immigrated to Canada. Besides her mother tongue, French and English, this citizen of the world is also fluent in Spanish—a definite plus when it comes to reviewing contracts written in that language, spoken in many countries of the Caribbean, where Transat does a great deal of business.

In her current role, Agnieszka now oversees the legal affairs of both Air Transat and Handlex (which provides ground handling services), while continuing to handle air transportation matters for Transat Tours Canada. She also sits on the Air Transat Executive Committee and is a member of the carrier’s crisis-management unit. Lastly, she manages the legal aspects of several of the company’s major contracts.

All that work brings its share of challenges. “Working with several different departments means you’re constantly fielding requests left, right and centre—most of the time, urgent ones. Besides thoroughness, adaptability and versatility, it requires really good time-management skills. It takes nerves of steel and superior stress resistance,” she says. It’s a good bet that her thrice-weekly hot yoga sessions are a big help!