BIO

President of the Management Board

On the Management Board of ORLEN Ochrona Sp. z o.o. since March 2024. He directly supervises, among others, the area of the personnel office, finance, control department, the Centre for Specialised Training and the branch in the Czech Republic and the subsidiary UAB ‘ORLEN Apsauga’.

Mr. Piotr Gąstał is a graduate of the University of Warsaw, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism and National Security Studies at the Institute of International Relations, as well as National Security Studies – Combating Terrorism Policy and Strategy at the Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, Ca, USA.

He completed the Officer Candidate Course at the Higher School of Mechanized Forces in Wroclaw after which he was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant, Special Forces Officers Course (SFOQC ) at JFK Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, NC. He is also a graduate of the Combined Fire Support course at US Air Force base, Spangdahlem, Germany, the Combined Joint Special Operations (CJSOTF) course at NATO School, Oberamergau, Germany, and the Defense Resource Management course at the Defense Resource Management Institute, Monterey, Ca. He attended the Advanced Special Operations course in Combating Terrorism at Joint Special Operations University, Tampa and the Intelligence in Combating Terrorism course at National Intelligence University, Washington, DC.

From 1989 he was affiliated with the National Air Defence Forces, while from 1991 he served in the GROM Military Unit, where he held a number of positions in the reconnaissance and operational cells, as well as in combat teams undergoing various specialist training courses.

In 1993, he was assigned to a group tasked with creating a Combat Boat Section in the Marine Counter-Terrorism Team of the GROM Military Unit.

In 1994, he took part in Operation Restore Democracy in the Republic of Haiti. There, he performed tasks of direct protection of the commander of the operation, General David C. Mead.

In 1996, together with the Special Group separated from GROM, he took part in the United Nations mission in Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES) in the former Yugoslavia. And in 1997, in cooperation with the International War Crimes Tribunal (ICTY), he actively participated in the operation to apprehend the first war criminal in the Balkans.

In 1999, he participated in the OSCE mission (Kosovo Verifikation Mission) in Kosovo, during which he performed personal protection duties for the Head of Mission Ambassador William Walker.
Between 2003 and 2004, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, he performed tasks as an operations officer for TF GROM in the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Arabian Peninsula. Together with US Navy Seals and Army Special Forces, he conducted numerous operations to identify, counter and eliminate terrorist threats to coalition forces. On his return home, he was appointed to form the Joint Task Air Support (JTAC) Guidance Group.

He was appointed by the Minister of National Defence as the commander of the GROM Military Unit, where, between 2011 and 2016, he was responsible for, among other things, programming the Unit’s development, maintaining international contacts, overseeing the appropriate level of combat training of operators and the harmonisation of combat teams. He managed personnel and logistical resources, approved and was responsible for procurement from the procurement plan, maintenance and development of training infrastructure, as well as taking care of the Unit’s level of logistical completion. As commander of the counter-terrorist unit, he participated in the preparation of plans for counter-terrorist security for the UEFA Euro 2012 European Football Championship, the NATO summit and the World Youth Day in 2016. He participated in the creation of the key elements of building the counter-terrorism strategy from the legislative process, through the creation and supervision of the services appointed to carry out counter-terrorism tasks, as well as the identification of international threats, to the submission of key solutions for the Polish state in the form of the Act on Anti-Terrorist Activities of 10.06.2016.

During his service, he participated in many exercises, trainings and tactical workshops with partners from US, European and African special forces gaining extensive experience in international operations and activities, expanding his knowledge of political-military affairs with an emphasis on counter-terrorism. During his stays in Afghanistan as part of the ISAF mission, he monitored and supervised the strengthening of coordination mechanisms between allied forces and Afghan troops, clarified the tasks and areas of responsibility of individual Afghan services and military units and the principles of cooperation between them ensuring the possibility of effective action in the case of terrorist crimes.

He has repeatedly advised the Polish President, Prime Minister, Ministers of National Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs, Commander-in-Chief of the Police on security and terrorism issues. He has been a guest lecturer at many Polish universities and has provided anti-terrorism training to many civilian institutions and organisations.

For his commitment to service, community service and international cooperation, he has been awarded numerous medals including the Distinguished Service Cross for Bravery, the Iraqi Star, the Medal for Meritorious Service to the Police, the Pro Patria Medal, the Honorary Badge of Merit for Polish Culture and, at the request of the US Congress, the US Flag.