S02E01 Inga Kopala: Making it Personal

What’s behind the success of Amberth, the high-end kitchens and bathrooms design studio in London, which enjoys a great reputation for quality and reliability as well as style? 

It’s led by a woman, MD Inga Kopała, and around half the workforce directly employed are women, too. Is that the key, or is that just part of it? Amberth deals mainly with residential clients and frequently it is the woman in the household who takes most interest in the detail of the kitchen or bathroom design. Certainly, women feel less likely to be talked down to or patronized when discussing construction or design with a female designer.

Amberth is a family firm, run by Inga, with her husband as Project Director, and his brother in Poland manufacturing the furniture. 

Inga is committed to the value of people and the role they play. Of course, Amberth uses only the best materials and appliances, but if the communication and trust is not there between clients and design/installation ream, the client will not appreciate the end result and it will all be for nothing.

Leadership showed during lockdown, too. When they had no choice but to close the showroom for a while, the company discovered that it was actually an opportunity. Inga led her team to brainstorm ideas to respond to lockdown restrictions which led to innovative solutions, better in the long run for their clients. Now, Amberth has honed their remote consultation process to a fine art. 

Lockdown also gave Inga the time to bring in an outside perspective in the form of a business Action Coach. Effective leadership means admitting when you don’t have all the answers.