Breakdown of Nowak pełni funkcję prezesa, ale występuje jako konsultant.
ale
but
jako
as (in the role of)
Nowak
Nowak
pełnić
to perform
Questions & Answers about Nowak pełni funkcję prezesa, ale występuje jako konsultant.
Why is konsultant in the nominative case instead of the instrumental? I thought professions usually take the instrumental.
You are right that verbs like być (to be) take the instrumental case for professions. However, the word jako (as) works differently: it acts like a transparent mirror, copying the case of the noun it refers back to. Since it describes the subject Nowak, which is in the nominative case, konsultant must also stay in the nominative.
Why is prezes in the genitive case (prezesa) here?
It is in the genitive because it directly modifies the noun funkcję (position/function). Just like the English phrase "the position of CEO", Polish uses the genitive case to link these two nouns together to show that relationship.
Why use the verb pełni with funkcję instead of just saying ma (has)?
While ma funkcję would be understood, pełnić funkcję is a strong, natural collocation in professional Polish. It translates to "holding a position" or "serving in a role", which sounds much more appropriate and formal than just "having" a job title.
I learned that występuje means "performs" (like an actor). How does it fit into this business sentence?
While występować does mean "to perform" on stage, in formal, legal, or business contexts it means "to appear", "to act as", or "to present oneself". In this sentence, it means that even though Nowak officially holds the CEO title, he presents himself to the outside world as a consultant.