Born on 9 May 1969 in Warsaw. He graduated from the Faculty of Marine Fisheries and Food Technology at what is now the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin in 1993. He obtained his doctoral degree cum laude in 1997 at his home university. He has also completed postgraduate studies in Environmental Science and Policy at the Central European University in Budapest and a Master of Business Administration course at Szczecin University.

He was a Junior Fellow of the Regional Environmental Centre in Budapest (1994), the German Marshall Fund (1995) and the Open Society Foundation (1998). In 1997 he received a young scientist medal from the Szczecin Scientific Society.

During his studies his various duties included being a member of the board of Coalition Clean Baltic, an international nongovernmental organization focused on protecting the Baltic Sea, and a member of the National Selection Committee of the Global Environmental Facility Small Grants Programme. In January 1999 he was appointed director of the Social Communication Department of the West Pomeranian Regional Health Fund. From March to December 2000 he was employed at the Szczecin Municipal Board Press Office. He was a member of the National Environmental Protection Fund?s Supervisory Board in 2001.

He joined the Foundation for Polish Science in December 2000 as its director for development. Following a decision of the Foundation Council, he was appointed vice-president of the Foundation Board on 1 December 2001.