Click here to read the first interview with Péter.

I am sure I am not going to surprise anybody if I said, the world has completely changed around us since the end of 2018. First, we had to face COVID, then the war in Ukraine. Until today we are suffering from the uncertainties caused by these events and from the impact on our private lives and on the business as well.

At the end of 2020 I have been entrusted with an additional responsibility on top of my Managing Director role in Hungary, I was appointed to be the CFO for the CEE region. Taken all these into account, I cannot complain to have been bored. 

In the past two years I received important recognitions, which I highly appreciate, and I felt extremely honoured by them.

In 2023 I was voted the “Manager of the Year” by the Managers Association of Hungary and I received an honorary citizenship from Szerencs for my work done for the city in the past decades.

In 2024 I was awarded the “Company Manager of the Year” by Behaviour Magazin. I am very proud of these recognitions but also feel the added responsibility to show in the future that I deserved them. I am very thankful to all my colleagues who made Nestlé in Hungary successful, the awards are theirs as much as mine.

2. On a scale of 1 to 10 how happy are you with your life in Hungary, and why?

I think Hungary is a great place to live, Budapest is one of the best cities in the world. One can find everything, nice locations, good food, many opportunities to do sports, entertainment options are abundant. I thoroughly enjoy the museums, theatres, contemporary art exhibitions, but just strolling around the city or sit in one of the rooftop bars are exceptionally nice as well.

I would not be able to give perfect score, because there are things to improve, like the traffic jams, cleanliness of the streets, record inflation and above average uncertainties in the economy, however I am confident an 8 out of 10 is warranted.

3. What’s the best party you’ve been in Hungary, and why?

I am not really a party goer. From the past more than 5 years there have been two years anyway, when no parties were held due to COVID. I would rather comment about the best events I have been to.

I loved the Andrea Bocelli and Robbie Williams concerts in the Papp László Aréna, Ovo from Cirque du Soleil at the MVM Dome, the Munkácsy, El Greco, Judit Reigl and Renoir exhibitions (and many more), but I could continue the list. In general, the cultural life in Budapest, but also in the whole of Hungary is great. 

4. What’s your favourite drink?

Gin&tonic -  There is a great choice in Budapest and a lot of good places to try my favourite drink.

5. What hidden talents do you have?

I have not discovered them yet; they are most probably too well hidden. There may be one interesting thing though, we invented a language with my brother when we were kids and we still can speak that language, which nobody else can understand.

6. What was the most interesting travel trip you have ever taken?

In the past 3 decades I lived with my family in 3 continents and 6 countries. We had many interesting trips, but possibly the most memorable was in Tahiti. Not only the beauty of the nature, but also that there were few tourists only, it was great to relax but there was also possibility to be a little adventurous, see many untouched places, while observing safety for the children.

7. If you were given a wish that could come true, what would you ask for?

No diseases, illnesses in the world, everyone is always healthy.

8. What’s the last book you read, and movie you watched?

I read two books recently in parallel, the “Dance of Disruption and Creation” from Nandu Nandkishore and Neeraj Chandra, and the “Dreher Szimfónia” from Csaba Iglódi. Since COVID we “forgot” to go to the movies, we resort to streaming with my wife. The last movie we watched was “Luther” with Idris Elba.

9. If someone wrote a biography about you, what would the title be?

Open up!

10. What is the perfect pizza toppings combination for you?

Diavola – I love spicy food.

11. If you could trade places with any other person for a week, real or fictional, with whom would it be?

I would have liked to trade places for a week with Roger Federer at his peak performance time, a few years ago.

12. On a scale of 1 to 10 how unusual are you, and why?

I do not think I am unusual; I might be somewhat different from average because I have lived in many countries, and I am told to be much more optimistic than the average Hungarian. So, I would give a score of 6.

13. What’s the best website you’ve ever visited, and why?

I cannot pick a “best website”, because of the embarrassing choice. Also, I have been exposed to the web for many years, experiencing very basic beginnings and then extremely sophisticated examples during the past 3 or so decades. I am also sure that the evolution in the future will be fast, especially with the help of AI and other technology developments, so a website considered “the best” today might be called almost obsolete tomorrow.

14. Who do you admire the most, and why?

I do not admire any single person, I would rather say I appreciated and still appreciate skills, attitudes, behaviours, efforts, knowledge and wisdom of many people I had the chance to meet or follow, and I always tried to learn from them.

15. What was the luckiest moment in your life so far?

When I survived a serious car accident in 1997, which was caused by a reckless driver.

16. What has made the biggest impact on your life so far, and why?

The biggest impact on my life has been the support and love of my family. They have been my safe haven, constant source of encouragement and support throughout my journey. Their unconditional love has provided me with a sense of security and belonging, allowing me to confidently explore the world and take risks. Without their presence and influence, I wouldn't be the person I am today.

17. If you won USD 30 million, what would you do with the money?

I would invest 10 million into a family trust in a diversified way, with a safe income stream after my retirement and providing to my family in the future. With another 10 million I would set up a fund to help the education of underprivileged young people in Hungary. The last 10 million I would donate to healthcare research, in the areas of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

18. What behaviour do you most dislike in others?

Disrespect and ignorance of the other person.

19. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

I am planning to split my time between Hungary and Switzerland, with the majority in Budapest.

20. In ten years from now what will you be doing?

In 10 years, I will have retired from the daily operational work, however I do not want to completely stop working. I would like to pass on my knowledge and experience through mentoring, teaching and potential board memberships. I would also like to travel, mainly in Europe, because there are many places I did not yet have the opportunity to visit.