The Most Influential HR Executives in Hungary 2025
Published in 2025 • Editor-in-chief: Robin Marshall • Contributors: Annamária Bálint, BBJ Staff, Gergely Herpai, Mihály Kovács, Csilla Lengyel • Lists: BBJ Research (research@bbj.hu) • News and press releases: Should be submitted in English to news@bbj.hu • Layout: Zsolt Pataki • Cover image: Hilch / Shutterstock.com • Publisher: Tamás Botka, Business Publishing Services Kft. • Address: Madách Trade Center, 1075 Budapest, Madách Imre út 13-14. • Telephone +36 (1) 398-0344 • Advertising: AMS Services Kft. • CEO: Balázs Román • Sales: sales@bbj.hu
Foreword
Welcome to our annual deep dive into the world of human resources, and the experts who ply their trade within it. For those of you not familiar with Top 50 Executives: The Most Influential HR Executives in Hungary 2025, this publication is a listing, rather than a ranking, of some of the leading HR personalities in the country, a selection based on our more than 33-year history of producing the biweekly Budapest Business Journal and the annual Book of Lists, and the accumulated knowledge of our management, editors, journalists, and sales executives.
At the heart of the publication are its biographies, which seek to introduce the personality behind the professional. As a business publication, we are more aware than most of the critical importance of data. Equally, we also understand that business is a human-to-human activity; from bankers to lawyers, you will hear senior executives describing their speciality as, at heart, a “people business.” That is never more true than with HR. So, whether you are in the sector yourself, are looking for sales leads or simply want to know more about an individual, we trust you will find this section of enormous interest.
We have also curated a section of content relevant to the field of study. We assembled a “Super Six” group of experts from the recruitment sector and a “Magnificent Seven” of temporary staffing specialists to provide us with their overview of where the market stands today and, just as significantly, where it may be heading tomorrow. Because we believe that best practice involves learning what works
elsewhere, regardless of profession, we offer a couple of case studies from industries that may not always see the limelight. Logistics and construction are very different from one another, and may be very different from your own business, but both face stark challenges today in terms of growing numbers of vacancies and an aging workforce. We speak with their HR directors about how they plan to overcome the challenges they face.
And since the dominant trend (or at least the one that sucks up most oxygen in terms of discussion) is artificial intelligence, we asked an HR specialist from the field to mark our card about what to expect here. Her view is that AI isn’t diminishing the importance of human resources departments; on the contrary, it’s making HR indispensable for shaping how people work, how they grow, and how they connect with the organization’s purpose. This, says AI architect Kata Illés, is HR’s moment, if its practitioners only dare to lead. How about this for a rallying call for the industry: “AI is not about replacing people. It’s about amplifying them. But for that to happen, HR must own this transformation. It’s not a tech project. It’s a human project.”
We hope you find our look into this “human project” informative and helpful.
Robin Marshall Editor-in-chief Budapest Business Journal
Time for HR to Step up and Lead in the Age of AI
If companies are to stay relevant, competitive, and humane in the AI era, HR must evolve fully from a support function to a strategic leader. As part of that endeavor, it needs to step up and lead the charge towards a cooperative coexistence with technology. Kata Illés, AI architect and co-founder of Indivizo Zrt., believes that while it is increasingly difficult to strike a balance between cost efficiency and workforce anxiety, it is up to HR to ensure that work remains meaningful and that a people-first approach continues to be central.
By BBJ Staff
Nearly every executive seems to agree that HR is assuming an ever-bigger role in the lives of organizations, yet complains that the gap between strategic importance and actual contribution to business results is widening.
Specialists would like to see the acceleration of HR’s growing influence because it is clear to them that the most valuable asset of a company is its staff. In the age of AI, this matter is of utmost importance, as businesses are forced to present themselves as AI-ready, undergo structural transformation, and reskill all at once. And there is data to back this sense of urgency. According to S&P Global, companies that score high on employee well-being metrics enjoy a market valuation that is more than 150% higher than those that don’t. In other words, HR is becoming absolutely fundamental to the bottom line.
“People have become the most valuable asset, and finally, that’s something organizations can’t afford to ignore,” Kata Illés, AI architect and co-founder of Indivizo Zrt. tells the Budapest Business Journal in an exclusive interview. She believes now is the time to embrace that approach.
“AI isn’t diminishing the importance of HR; on the contrary, it’s doing the opposite,” she explains. “In fact, it makes HR indispensable for shaping how people work, how they grow, and how they connect with the organization’s purpose.” This transformation is not happening in a vacuum. HR leaders are facing mounting expectations: to boost productivity, manage the growing talent gap, and maintain the delicate balance between automation and a peoplefirst imperative. The pressure is on, but as always, opportunities present themselves in parallel.
Kata Illés, AI architect and co-founder of Indivizo Zrt.
Case Study: With Truck Drivers in Short Supply Across Europe, Waberer’s Shifts HR Strategy
The shortage of qualified drivers remains one of the most pressing challenges for the European transport and logistics sector. Waberer’s Group, a major player listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange, has responded by placing renewed emphasis on driver retention in its HR strategy. This focus now extends to both road and rail, as the company has begun employing locomotive engineers alongside truck drivers.
By Gergely Herpai
In recent years, Europe’s driver shortage has become a frequent topic of concern, with significant impacts on productivity and profitability throughout the logistics supply chain. According to Waberer’s, the question of how to retain skilled drivers has become central to the sector’s outlook. The company’s latest strategy goes beyond compensation to address training, working conditions, and communication.
Waberer’s has been investing heavily in multimodal solutions, notably expanding its rail freight operations. The European Railway Agency reports that more than half of EU member states now face a critical shortage
of locomotive drivers, with a significant proportion of the current workforce aged 50 or older. The lack of young entrants, especially those under 25, underscores the urgency of attracting new talent to the sector.
The International Road Transport Union, meanwhile, estimates a driver deficit of more than 233,000 across the EU, Norway, and the United Kingdom, expected to rise to 750,000 by 2028 without significant intervention. The average age of a truck driver in Europe is 47; one-third are already over 55 and approaching retirement. The representation of women in the sector remains extremely low; only 4% of European truck drivers are female (Germany leads with just over 7%, while in Romania, the figure stands at 6.1%; a quick internet search puts the Hungarian figure at 1-2%).
The growing scarcity of drivers is prompting European countries to issue more work permits to foreign nationals. In 2023, more than 42,000 permits were granted for driver positions, compared to just 14,000 in 2019. This trend is a clear indicator of the widening labor gap and its increasing impact on the European economy.
INCENTIVES AND RETENTION
With nearly half of logistics companies reporting a direct impact on productivity from the labor shortage, and 39% experiencing revenue loss, most are implementing new incentives and retention programs. More than 70% of companies in the sector have already introduced performance-based bonuses and higher salaries to attract and keep drivers.
Waberer’s says it is working to make truck driving a more attractive career path, offering robust compensation packages along with clear pathways for advancement and further training. The firm has minimized fleet downtime, relaunched optimization of both vehicle
Katalin Fészki-Fehér, Waberer’s group HR director.
The Rise of RPO, Changes to Third-country Employment, and Life in the ‘Recruitment Trenches’
As we enjoy the summer heat and move deeper into the second half of the year, what is the mood of the recruitment market in Hungary? Which roles have been proving most challenging to fill? How actively (and genuinely) are Hungarian employees seeking new jobs, and how typical are remote roles in the Hungarian picture? Are government policies regarding third-country workers having an impact? How significant is recruitment process outsourcing becoming? Half a dozen of the leading market specialists give us their report card on the local employment market.
Sándor Baja
By BBJ Staff
BBJ: How would you describe the mood of the sector? Is it upbeat and expansionist, or more typically, a wait-and-see approach? And who holds the upper hand; is it candidate-driven or employer-driven?
Sándor Baja: The HR market is full of ambiguity. According to a Randstad survey from the beginning of the year, 50% of the companies expect net sales growth this year, which is 500 basis points more than a year ago. The Hungarian indicator is higher than in Romania or Czechia, which are considered reference countries for us. Analyzing the different industries reveals that FMCG is the most optimistic about 2025, with 75% of companies expecting growth. IT and construction are more confident than they were last year, which indicates a recovery in the economy. Finance and services are consolidating; they experienced significant growth last year and now aim to match their 2024 results. It is fascinating that, within one industry, some companies can be in decline while others have bright horizons ahead of them (see the automobile industry). On the other hand, only 30% of the companies want to grow the number of employees this year (the same as in 2024). Every 10th decreases, while 13% are not replacing those who leave.
Some Optimism Visible, but Firms Remain Cautious About New Hires
We assemble a “Magnificent Seven” of temporary staffing experts to gauge the state of the market in Hungary. Which way is the pendulum swinging: Are firms looking to take on staff or let them go? Which occupations are hardest to fill, and how are government policies impacting the workplace?
By BBJ Staff
BBJ: What is the general mood of the sector? Are firms looking to take on or let go of temporary staff?
Gábor Berta: In many instances, our clients have begun replacing staff who have left. Larger volumes can be observed in specific projects, but this is not the trend.
Most of our clients primarily prefer local Hungarian employees, and only after one to two months of searching do they begin to open up to foreign employees.
Róbert Csákvári: Many companies are scaling back their workforce needs and downsizing their leased staff. Economic uncertainties forecast for Q2 2025, particularly the potential effects of a new trade war, may negatively impact labor market trends. While some segments
remain active, the focus has shifted from expansion to cost efficiency and optimization in managing the leased workforce.
Viktor Göltl: Based on temporary employment data and the demand observed in the first quarter of this year, it is evident that companies have a higher labor demand than they did at this time last year. The volume reported at WHC is nearly two and a half times greater than what we experienced last year, which we consider an extremely positive sign. An exception to this growth is the automotive industry, which continues to exhibit subdued recruitment trends, although some increase in demand has emerged in connection with new developments. Recruitment efforts to address workforce needs related to recent automotive investments in the country are already underway, affecting the impacted regions. Meanwhile, the commercial, logistics, and tourism sectors demonstrate a clear upward trend in temporary staffing, providing further optimism for this year.
Balázs Langó: HD Direkt has every right to be optimistic about its outlook; our order book is increasing. Government policies have ensured that our industry is even more professional and concentrated; HD Direkt alone consolidated two other qualified agencies with further transactions in the pipeline. There is also an unprecedented level of FDI arriving in Hungary.
Péter Makay: Based on our experience, companies remain cautious about hiring new employees. Currently, they are only considering replacing employees who are leaving and do not plan to significantly increase their staff numbers. They are, however, striving to retain high-quality labor in their workforce.
Lóránt Pestovics: Temporary agency work is one of the most sensitive sectors. When the economy is in a cyclical upturn, demand for our services increases. However, the last year has been a decyclical period, and this applies to the
Gábor Berta
HR EXECUTIVE BIOGRAPHIES
Top HR Companies in Hungary
LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
COMPANY NAME WEBSITE
TOTAL NET REVENUE IN 2024 (HUF MLN)
OWBERSHIP: HUNGARIAN NON-HUNGARIAN (%)
Adecco Kft. www.adecco.hu 11,402 (–) The Adecco Group AG (100)
