Dr. Zsuzsa Deli-Gray, Director, ESSCA School Of Management, Budapest

  • 22 Jul 2020 12:50 PM
Dr. Zsuzsa Deli-Gray, Director, ESSCA School Of Management, Budapest
She holds the position of Professor of International Marketing & Logistics as well as Director of the Budapest Campus of the world-renowned ESSCA School of Management.

An economist, she obtained her PhD degree at the Budapest Corvinus University. Her research interests are in intercultural consumer behaviour as well as in international logistics.

Dr. Deli-Gray has been working as Director at the Budapest Campus of ESSCA since 2013, however she has already been affiliated with the same school as programme director from 2006.

The French ESSCA School of Management - established more than 100 years ago, and recognized by the Financial Times as one of the best business schools in the world - is launching a new Bachelor’s degree in English in Budapest from September 2020.


1. Where did you grow up?
In Debrecen, Hungary.

2. If you could be an expat anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
As I did several parts of my studies in France and as I work for a French School of Management, my choice would definitely be France. I like France, I like French people, I like their way of thinking as well as their sense of humor.  

3. What would you miss most if you moved away from Hungary?
I would miss the Hungarian way of life, the beauty of the country as well as the Hungarian language – not to forget my friends.

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
They should visit several beautiful places in Budapest, such as the Castle District, the Parliament, the Basilica, the Margaret Island.

They shouldn’t miss one of the most well-known thermal baths, Gellért bath or Széchenyi bath, and they should save some time for walking along the Danube river.

They have to try Hungarian cuisine at one of the most authentic Hungarian restaurants. Also I would recommend them to get a ticket to either the Opera House or to the Hungarian Operetta Theater.

5. What is your favourite food?
My favourite is a traditional Hungarian food whose name is “rakott krumpli”, which is made of potatoes, eggs and sour cream.

6. What is your favourite sport / form of exercise?
Swimming for sure! I love the feeling of breaking the surface of the water in front of me.

7. What is your favourite place in Hungary?
Europe’s largest lake, Balaton. Nothing can replace the feeling when I sit next to the lake and look at the water and its ever changing colour.  

 8. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
I cannot imagine any other career than the one I have. My job is both my work and my hobby. In case I had to select another one I would probably do craftworks or ceramics.

9. What’s a job you would definitely never want?
Any job which is monotonous.

10. Where did you spend your last vacation?
I spent a week in Paris with my son (just to give proof for my response for the second question!). It was my son who designed the daily programme which was, I have to admit, very inspiring and creative but also exhausting at the same time.

11. Where do you hope to spend your next one?
We wished to go to St Petersburg in 2020 but due to Covid19 we postponed this plan for 2021. Instead we will spend the holidays at Lake Balaton.

12. What was your hobby as a teen?
I was interested in three extra curricular activities as a teen: swimming, foreign languages and preparation of ceramics.

13. What temptation can't you resist?
Ice cream, I presume.

14. Red wine or white?
Very much red. More specifically Shiraz wine.

15. Book or movie?
I love reading traditional, paper-based books: the smell of the books can easily bring me to an imaginary world. However I regularly go to the cinema in order to experience the “movie feeling”.

16. Morning person or night person?
As time passes I become more and more a morning person who works till late hours.

17. Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?
The question of left alone children.

18. Buda or Pest side?
Buda for living and Pest for working.

19. Which achievement in your life are you most pleased about?
My son first of all!

Also my work as a Campus Director - when I look at how our Campus developed during the last fifteen years,

And as a professor and researcher - when I look at the students’ evaluation about my courses and the Journals which published my articles.

I would also like to mention that I have always lived my life in a 100% honest and transparent way – for which I am quite proud of.  

20. What would you say is your personal motto? 
I have two:

If you are fair and honest you might get negative reactions from others, but you can at least sleep well.

You cannot solve anything by shouting and by being arrogant.

  • How does this interview make you feel?