Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
I make complex things work — because I understand people as much as I understand systems and business. I lead large, politically complex IT and digital transformations in regulated industries — energy, financial services, utilities, media — where the cost of getting it wrong is operational, not just financial. Over the past decade, I have led two such transformations end to end. At ELMŰ-ÉMÁSZ (Innogy Group), we digitally transformed an organisation serving 2.5 million customers: we halved customer service headcount, launched Hungary's first utility app (900,000 monthly transactions) and its first customer service chatbot. At ALTEO, we built an enterprise-grade IT organisation from a small, fragmented setup — from 6 to 17 FTEs, from HUF 425M to HUF 1.3bn — delivered Hungary's first brownfield SAP RISE migration on HANA with zero business-day downtime, and prepared the company for NIS2 and critical infrastructure compliance. There is something that runs through my entire career: I have always performed best where something needed to be built or taken to the next level — an organisation, a team, a system, a process. In 2004, my wife and I co-founded Hungary's first online ticket retailer with personal capital, and reached market leadership within two years. In 2013, together with 12 other parents, we co-founded a Waldorf primary school — today it serves 100 families. For me, building and transformation are inseparable, because one does not work without the other. What I am looking for: an organisation where IT needs to understand the business and actively support it — where the work is to build and transform, not just to operate. I am seeking CIO and Transformation Director roles across the CEE region in energy, utilities, financial services, and digital media. I am also open to interim mandates of 6—18 months where a clearly defined brief exists: turnaround, integration, or compliance.
Mandate: upgrade the IT function to enterprise level standard capable of supporting the company's growth strategy, including NIS2 and critical infrastructure compliance. SCALE AND ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH • Scaled the IT organization from 6 to 17 people and the IT budget from HUF 425M to HUF 1.3B over three years, supporting 39 locations across Hungary. • Renewed project management governance and introduced project portfolio management with a Project Portfolio Board operating under a three person governance model (two deputy CEOs and myself). STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY DELIVERY • Executed Hungary's first brownfield SAP RISE on HANA migration, consolidating licenses, infrastructure and support under a single predictable OpEx envelope. Zero business day outage during cutover. (9 months, HUF 320M) • Renewed the company's HR workflows through complete digitization on SAP SuccessFactors: 7 modules from Employee Central through compensation and headcount planning. (1.5 years, HUF 110M) • Built a redundant CISCO SD-WAN network across 39 sites, enabling 24/7 power plant portfolio operations with 99,9 SLA. • Redesigned the ALTEO data center on Microsoft Azure in line with NIS2 requirements and current cybersecurity standards. (12 months, HUF 60M) • Deployed Microsoft Copilot across the M365 environment. COMPLIANCE AND M&A • Initiated NIS2 compliance program in 2024, ahead of regulatory deadline. • Led IT due diligence and integration planning for multiple domestic and CEE regional M&A transactions, covering both power plant assets and company level acquisitions. CULTURAL AND DIGITAL CHANGE • Launched a company wide digitalization program in 2024, including knowledge sharing events, a Digital Champion competition, and the establishment of the Digital Committee overseeing the digital transition.
During organizational restructuring, I was assigned to lead the IT related project portfolio while retaining digital program responsibilities. The team expanded to 5 internal and 5 external project managers; managed budget grew to HUF 2.5B. The EON acquisition during this period created a series of complex new challenges. • Established a project office with reporting, resource planning, and a PMI based project framework. • Created the Project Portfolio Board, overseeing company level projects under a four person governance model (two board members, the IT director, and myself). • Led two IT carve out workstreams (Jupiter and Pantheon projects) to separate IT systems for the divestiture of the company group. • Built a 90 person project organization with its own project office; recruited two former C level executives to lead the workstreams. • Total managed budget: HUF 10B.
Joined this long established utility to lead its digital transformation. • Halved customer service headcount (from 650 to 325) over three years through a coordinated program of digital channels, automation, and self service, while maintaining customer satisfaction and service stability. • Launched Energiapp, Hungary's first public utility mobile app, with photo based meter reading and card payment. The app handled 900,000 cases per month. • Launched Hungary's first customer service chatbot in 2019, when commercial AI was not yet broadly available. • Implemented an RPA program automating 40 work processes, reducing headcount by 19 FTEs. • Redesigned all of the group's digital channels, including websites and online customer service. • Led the digital@ELMŰ cultural program (Digital Day events, Show Me Now program), aligning local execution with parent group standards. • Served for 5 years as a member of Innogy Group's Digital Leadership Team, representing Hungary in the parent group's CEE digital portfolio. • Team: 5 FTEs, budget: HUF 1B.
Led the development of the bank's new online platform. • 3 Scrum teams plus architects, agile delivery. • Total project investment: HUF 500M.
Provided professional leadership for project managers and web designers across Sanoma's Hungarian digital portfolio. • Team: 11 FTEs, managed budget: HUF 2.2B. • Led development of major Hungarian digital products: Startlap, Profession, 24.hu, Szállás.hu. • Built an entire online retail division from scratch, including web shops, logistics and payment systems: Polc.hu, Egészségbolt, Szépségbolt. • Built Story TV's digital presence: launched the website and made programmes available for online catch-up viewing. • Developed video content and streaming for smart TVs: LG, Panasonic, Samsung. • The Cosmopolitan online coupon days and birthday campaign system, designed and developed under my leadership, was adopted internationally by Hearst Corporation.
Co founded and ran Hungary's first online ticket marketplace for theatre and concert tickets, at a time when local e-commerce infrastructure was virtually non existent. • Built the venture with personal capital, owning full P&L responsibility and business risk. • Reached market leading position within 2 years against established offline competitors. • Built end to end e-commerce capability: ordering, online payment, logistics, customer service. • HUF 55M peak annual revenue; 3 person team; 6 years of continuous operation.