ESIS extension / Key Person Contacts and Organisations / Hungary / Update Memo 4

OMFB (National Committee for Technological Development), the organisation co-ordinating the country’s research and development activities and the allocation of funds for these has become part of the Ministry of Education.

An important event of this period has been IVSZ’s (Hungarian Association of IT Companies) general meeting for election of officials, and the prize distribution by the same organisation for the best domestic managers of the IT profession.

The former OMFB has become under the control of the Ministry of Education under the title Research& Development Deputy under-secretary of State with no alteration in its scope of duties. (www.omfb.hu)

Index’s news service, inner content development and design is managed by Péter Uj, while the management of outer content and service development is in the scope of Gábor Gerényi. Previously they both worked for the newspaper as senior members. (www.index.hu)

From January 2000, a new chief editor takes command of the bulky information science weekly VGA Monitor: László Guttray will replace the former editor and at the same time executive Hédy Szabó in the chair of the chief editor. (www.vgamonitor.hu)

Executive director Jeno Pénzes left GTS-DataNet Telecommunications Company Ltd. on 1^st January 2000, and was replaced by István Pesti, who is at the same time the chief executive officer of GTS Hungary. (www.gts.hu/about/datanet.html)

Minister Kálmán Katona appointed Tamás Varjú for the chief executive officer of the Hungarian Post with effect from January 10, noting that the person for the post of the chairman will be decided later on. (www.posta.hu)

With effect from January 1, 2000, the company introduced a new post: Chief Marketing Officer. Zoltán Tankó, who previously held the position of the Director of the Business Communications Business Unit, occupies this function. His scope involves Residential, Business Communications, International and Domestic Partner Providers and Public Payphone Business Units, and his professional leadership includes Matávcom. According to the decision of Matáv’s Executive Committee, Tamás Fellegi, Director of the Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs Branch, also fulfils his duties as a chief officer from January. The director’s duty at Matáv’s IT Directorate is temporarily taken over from Ferenc Farkas by Zoltán Jenei deputy director. (www.matav.hu)

Compaq Hungary in 2000 also fulfils tasks in new activity areas like outsourcing or bank system integration. The leader of the International e-Infrastructure Centre that is scheduled to be established on 1^st February at Compaq’s company seat in Budapest would be Péter Rajki, who had been the director of IBM Hungary’s Services Department. Compaq’s Regional Centre covering 70 countries will also be delegated a new leader, Ferenc Farkas, who previously worked as IT Director for Matáv. The head of the new outsourcing business unit is Tibor Psota, former leader of the Computer Science Department of the Commercial and Credit Bank Ltd. Compaq’s bank integration unit is headed by László Szentgyörgyi. (www.compaq.hu)

Microsoft Hungary re-elected the second line of its leadership. The position of the marketing director, which had been unoccupied for a long time, is now held by Péter Gaál from January on. The chief officer’s duty at Microsoft Hungary’s OEM (Office for Emergency Management) was taken over by former partner manager Tamás Székely from István Béres, who left for the state administration. (www.microsoft.hu)

Sysdata Computer Science Company Ltd., Siemens’ software engineering company operating in Budapest shifted to a one-man management. One of the chief executive officers, José Carlos Oliveras, returned to Spain. Christian Zwickl-Bernhard, the other CEO, will individually hold the position in the future. Sysdata, with its 350 employees, became the second most successful software houses in Hungary with its 3,5-billion-forint turnover in 1999. (www.sysdata.hu)

By the establishment of LaserBit Rt. in January, a change occurred in the leadership of Crown-Tech, a company limited which is renown for its network solutions. As directors Béla Gyori and János Pallagi undertook leading positions in the new Rt., earlier commercial director László Murányi captured the position of the executive manager. (www.crown-tech.hu/idx.html)

With the effect from January 1, 2000, István Szini, CEO of Westel Radiotelephone Company Ltd. quitted as his contract fell due. Earlier marketing director Norbert Jécsy occupies the post from that time on. The new deputy-marketing director is Mihály Sugár. (www.westel.hu)

Tibor Gyurós, chairman of IVSZ, bestowed the manager prizes of the Hungarian Association of IT Companies on 3^rd February. György Beck, chief executive officer of Compaq Hungary, became the IT manager of the year again. Besides him, János Kóka (Elender) and László Vinkovits (Unisoftware) were awarded the two special prizes: the challenge trophies symbolising their leadership performance by two conductor’s batons. (www.ivsz.hu)

A new Hungarian CEO was appointed to the top of the youngest Hungarian mobile service provider. Attila Vitai replaced Jeremy Forword in the post of the chief executive officer. Attila Vitai had been working for Vodafone AirTouch International since July 1999 before this commission. The new chief executive officer of Vodafone has been working in the field of telecommunication for over 15 years, and has already occupied several leading positions at Motorola both on regional and European level.

Tibor Gyurós was elected chairman again at IVSZ’s (Hungarian Association of IT Companies) general meeting for re-election of officials

The Hungarian Association of IT Companies held its general meeting for re-election of officials on 16^th February, at which the general meeting elected Sándor Kürti, István Jen, Ákos Reszler and György Beck vice chairmen in addition to Tibor Gyurós chairman.

Other members of the directorate are: Géza Solt, Tamás Szittya, Pál Vadász, László Mezriczky, János Kóka, Balázs Szekfu and Ottó Hutter. (www.ivsz.hu)

Péter Gresiczki will occupy the position of the secretary of the Hungarian UNESCO Committee in the future instead of Mihály Rózsa.

Please note that this report has been prepared under the sole responsibility of the ESIS II contractors.
It does not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission, nor does the Commission accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of information contained herein.
The ESIS Team of contractors welcomes any additional information or corrections.