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THE other IRON LADY There’s no “poll tax” associated with this woman who constituted a one-person crusade to bring new dental practices to restricted mar- kets in the face of some of the world’s toughest political audiences. Dame Maria Teresa Pietrok successfully opened and developed den- tal company A-dec’s market in sixteen ex-Soviet countries, lifting the iron curtain to introduce new opportunities in dental care and tech- nology. Through education, she introduced new dentistry concepts including infection control, ergonomics, and practice management that were all unknown at that time in a volatile region of the world. “I suppose that my journey has been trying to make a difference in people’s lives.” A-dec marks its 60th Anniversary in 2024. Immersing herself in learning the Russian language and culture, she established dealers, taught them how to be capitalists and how to do business that was completely foreign to them. “This was one of the most rewarding learning opportunities of my life.” For her accom- plishments, she was knighted into the Order of St. Martin. After retirement in 2013, she wrote the book, “Piercing the Iron Cur- tain,” available on Amazon. She recounts the challenges and tribu- lations that she encountered in making a market in a region of the world where the word “business” was perceived as something “ugly.”
Pietrok is pictured in the grand salon of the private residence on this issue’s cover on a recent visit to exchange ideas on cultural impact. Photo: Cameron Perkins Photography
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