The Women in Leadership League (WILL) Foundation, established in March 2024 by passionate Hungarian business leaders, is dedicated to empowering women across Hungary and Central Eastern Europe to advance in leadership roles. We strive to foster a future where female leaders are the norm, not the exception. As a non-profit organization, we are committed to directing all resources toward covering operational and program costs.
Founder, Chairman of the Board of Trustees:
The WILL Foundation was founded by Dr. Agnes Szuromi-Kovacs, a distinguished leader with over 20 years of experience in international organizations and the non-profit educational sector.
Agnes has spearheaded numerous high-level projects, including the design process of the Hungarian Money Museum, one of Hungary's most popular new museums.
In the past decade, Agnes has served as the CEO of several non-profit organizations, successfully leading teams of up to 400 people and managing assets exceeding USD 150 million. Her extensive expertise and proven track record in leadership make her the perfect visionary to guide the WILL Foundation toward its mission of empowering women leaders in Hungary and the Central and Eastern European region.
Dr. Petra Aczél is a university professor and vice rector for excellence at Moholy-Nagy University for Art and Design, with a deep expertise in verbal and visual rhetoric, new media, communication, and future skills.
Since 1995, she has been a prominent figure in Hungarian higher education, contributing to the academic community at institutions like Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter Catholic University and Corvinus University of Budapest. Additionally, she has enriched her global perspective as a visiting professor at the University of Richmond.
Dr. Aczél has an impressive publication record, with over 220 scholarly works in both Hungarian and English, focusing on persuasive public communication and new media communication, among others. Her outstanding contributions have earned her numerous awards, including the prestigious Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary.
Zsófia Fejérdy is an outstanding economist and entrepreneur known for her innovative contributions to the business world. She began her professional journey at the age of 16, balancing her work commitments with her studies.
At 23, she took the leap and established her own business. Specializing in organically growing family
marketing, her company overcame initial challenges to achieve 100% coverage. Rapidly, it ascended to become a market leader, a dominant player in the industry. In 2013, Zsófia Fejérdy was honored with the title of "Young Entrepreneur of the Year", followed by "Female Entrepreneur of the Year" in 2019. After a successful exit in 2021, her company underwent a change in ownership. Since then, she has been providing consultancy services to international companies while also delving into family research, real estate development, and domestic commerce. Her passions lie in family, healthcare, and offering her expertise as a voluntary mentor to support budding local
entrepreneurs.
Introducing the Head of the Board
Ambassador Borbála Czakó is a distinguished financial strategist, transformational leader, diplomat, and the Founding President of IoD Hungary. As a Chartered Director Financial strategist, she brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table.
Borbála has served as the Hungarian Ambassador to the UK and is the Honorary President of the Hungarian Business Leaders Forum, established by the personal initiative of the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III.
Throughout her illustrious career, Borbála has held several top-level management positions, including Chief of Mission for the World Bank, CEO of EY Hungary, and Regional Managing Partner for CEE EY at Mergers & Acquisition Services. She also served as an Ambassador at the Foreign Office. Her professional journey has taken her to New York, Washington D.C., Africa, and various European countries, including a global role with EY in London.
Borbála has built a robust global network spanning business, diplomacy, government, international organizations, academia, and regulatory and public policy. Her extensive board experience and credibility are recognized in both public and private sectors. She earned her MBA from Tulane University in the US, a BA in technical sciences, and an MA from the University of Economics in Budapest. She also holds a Chartered Director Degree from the Royal Institute of Directors (IoD) in London.
Notable Achievements:
Dr. Ádám Balog has had a prominent career in finance and governance. He served as CEO of MKB Bank Zrt. from 2015 to 2020 and was Vice President of the Hungarian National Bank from 2013 to 2015.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Balog held roles in controlling at GE Tungsram Lighting Zrt. and in business and advisory services at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Dr. Balog played a crucial role in Hungary's fiscal and monetary stabilization during his time in government and the banking sector. More recently, he founded a venture capital and private equity fund management company and has become increasingly active in chamber work.
Dr. Éva Búza, who has significantly contributed to Hungary’s financial sector, notably as the CEO of Garantiqa Hitelgarancia Zrt., where under her leadership, the company’s guarantee portfolio expanded remarkably.
Her experience spans various roles, including the MÁV Group and the Hungarian National Bank, showcasing her diverse expertise in finance and banking. Currently, she is the only female Member of the Hungarian National Bank’s Monetary Council.
Rozália Miklós is the Managing Director and Global Head of Financial Engineering at MSCI Inc, a leading provider of decision support tools and services for the global investment community.
Rising through various leadership roles within the company, she has led the Client Solutions team for EMEA and the Analytical Quality Assurance team in Budapest.
Rozália began her career as a credit risk modeller at K&H Bank in 2012 after earning degrees in Economic Analysis and Quantitative Finance from Corvinus University of Budapest. She is also a respected speaker, having shared her insights on finance and technology at several prestigious conferences.
In addition to her professional achievements, Rozália is actively involved with the Egyenlítő Alapítvány, where she plays a significant role in promoting inclusivity in both corporate and social sectors.
Richárd Végh is a prominent figure in the Hungarian financial sector, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Budapest Stock Exchange (BSE). Since 2013, he has also been a board member of the Befektető-védelmi Alap (Investor Protection Fund) and a member of the Board of KELER Central Depository Ltd. since 2016.
Richárd's leadership extends to his role as Chair of the Sustainability Section of the Hungarian Economic Association, a position he has held since May 2017. In December 2018, he was elected to the Board of the Federation of European Securities Exchange. He joined the BSE Board of Directors in December 2015 and assumed the role of CEO on January 1, 2016.
Before his tenure at BSE, Richárd worked at the Central Bank of Hungary (MNB) from November 2013 to December 2015 as the Director of the Capital Market Supervision Directorate. In this role, he was responsible for the prudential supervision of capital market institutions, market surveillance examinations related to market manipulation and insider trading, unauthorized financial services, and capital market issuer licensing. He represented MNB in various national and international organizations, including the Board of Supervisors of ESMA.
From 2004 to 2013, Richárd held various positions at the Budapest Stock Exchange, showcasing his long-standing commitment and expertise in the financial industry.
Introducing the Head of the Supervisory Board
József Pál began his career in banking before dedicating over 20 years to leadership roles in the healthcare sector. His expertise spans from pharmaceutical raw material production to companies in pharmaceutical retail and wholesale trade.
During this time, he also supervised corporate due diligence at Hungarian National Asset Management Inc., concurrently serving as an interim manager at multiple firms.
Currently, József focuses on consulting in project and company evaluation, reorganization, and strategy across various sectors.
Melinda Lóczi is a seasoned financial expert currently serving as Head of Finance at Innovatív Térburkolatfejlesztő Kft., a Hungarian green tech startup specializing in sustainable building materials.
Previously, from 2004 to 2019, she held various positions in Financial Planning and Controlling at Wizz Air, including a tenure at their Switzerland-based headquarters in Geneva. Prior to Wizz Air, Melinda gained valuable experience in the FP&C department at Aeroplex Ltd., an aircraft maintenance company, starting in 1998.
Melinda earned her M.Sc. in Business Administration from the University of Economic Science (now Corvinus University), solidifying her expertise in finance and business management.
Gábor Veres is a full professor at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Budapest, specializing in Particle and Nuclear Physics. He obtained his PhD in 2002 and currently serves as the deputy director of the Institute of Physics at ELTE. Dr. Veres is also a Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
His extensive research portfolio encompasses diverse aspects of particle and nuclear physics, including notable contributions to the CMS experiment at CERN and the PHOBOS experiment at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Throughout his academic and research career, Dr. Veres has been recognized with numerous scholarships and prestigious awards, such as the Zoltán Magyary Fellowship, the János Bolyai Fellowship, and the Award of the Hungarian Academy.
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