I met Kinga, my wife, at an event of the local Hungarian Scout troop in Chicago. I married her during her last year of medical school and soon we where blessed with two girls, Emese and Zsofia.

Since telecommunications, networks, and software development formed an integral part of my work, I became involved with outsourcing to India and China. To reach my goal of becoming an international project manager and to gain a few years of overseas experience, I once again enrolled in higher learning and earned my MBA.

Thereafter, we moved to Budapest, in 2002. I accepted an Operations Director position with Millward Brown. Rather than returning to the US after my contract was over, I stayed and I am consulting with various firms in the Central-Eastern European region.

As a side business activity, I enjoy helping startup companies with their operations and marketing needs. In my spare time I read and I love to travel.

1. Where did you grow up?
According to my wife I have not grow up yet, but I was brought up in Czechoslovakia, a country that can only be found in history books now. There is a small town about 80 miles north of Budapest called Levice, now part of Slovakia. I also lived in Nove Zamky, then later in Prague during my college years. Going from town to town, I found them too small, so I left for Vienna. Back in 1979 the government frowned upon people ?visiting? western countries, and especially if they failed to return. After a short year in Austria, I immigrated to the United States and settled in Chicago. Then, in 2002 I "temporarily" settled with my family in Hungary.

?2. What Hungarian traditions bring back fond memories of your childhood?
Lake Balaton comes to my mind. It was a yearly pilgrimage for all Hungarians.

3. What would you miss most if you moved away from Hungary?
The weather. It is certainly milder than what I am used to in Chicago. Of course, I would also miss the gorgeous view from my condominium in the Buda hills.

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
See the Castle District, perhaps take the chair lift up to Janoshegy and see the picturesque view of Budapest. Then visit the Hungarian Parliament and do not forget to ask why Hungary needs a parliament 3.5 times the size of the White House to govern a country that is 100 times smaller than the USA.

5. What is your favorite Hungarian food?
This is not Hungarian, but I cannot live without peanut butter.

6. What is never missing from your kitchen?
We carry at least 15 to 20 different kinds of spices in our kitchen, from Indian curry, through Mexican cilantro, to Hungarian pepper. What we do not find here, we bring from the States or various places we visit during vacations.

7. What is your favorite place in Hungary?
Water parks, whether it is in Hajduszoboszlo, Gyor, or Miskolc Tapoca, I love them all.

8. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
I consult with startup companies and help them set up their marketing and sales as well as operational processes. I would love to explore management consulting as the next step. I also thought about options trading as a serious hobby. Some friends of mine asked me, why don?t I open a restaurant since I am a very good cook ? I might love cooking, but I would rather stick to my passion, and that is technology and business consulting.

9. What?s a job you would definitely never want?
I would not want to be the finance minister of Hungary.

10. Where did you spend your last vacation?
Italy was our last family vacation destination. We spent a beautiful long weekend in a romantic farmer's bed and breakfast, visiting Venice, Verona, and Treviso.

11. Where do you hope to spend your next one?
Salzburg or perhaps Malta comes to my mind, and of course our yearly visit back to Chicago.

12. What was your favorite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
I listened to Omega, but was crazy about Pink Floyd, however my real passion was my hobby, amateur radio and electronics. I was able to communicate across the world with morse code, and that was very exciting in the world without Internet.

13. What can?t you resist?
Food is my weakness. I love to try all kinds of international cuisines.

14. Red wine or white?
Definitely red.

15. Kolbász or szalámi?
They are all the same to me, stuffed with lots of fat and grease. I would rather enjoy a bed of fresh green rucola with caramelized walnuts and strawberry dressing and a freshly baked poppy seed bagel on the side.

16. Book or movie?
The answer is yes. I love to read business motivational books, business strategy, marketing, and Internet business related books, but I also enjoy good movies.

17. Morning person or night person?
Definitely morning person.

18. Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?
Justice and opportunity for all.

19. Buda side or Pest side?
I love the hills of Buda.

20. What would you say is your personal motto?
Live and let live.