Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Solid Foundations, Ambitious Plans

Solid Foundations, Ambitious Plans

The 33rd General Assembly and Board Elections of the American Chamber of Commerce Hungary were held in person and face-to-face on December 1, 2021, and served as yet another occasion to demonstrate the power of the AmCham community.

Like most organizations, AmCham endured a difficult time during the pandemic. However, as President Zoltán Szabó said in his report on the activities of the past 12 months, the chamber had emerged more robust than ever.

“We learned how to be more effective in what we do and how we do it. We managed to become more streamlined in terms of all three pillars of our strategy, the Policy Agenda; that is smart growth, human capital and business environment,” he said.

Members now have greater freedom to drive more bottom-up activities and cooperate for more tangible results. Work continued in committees, working groups and in the form of initiatives despite the COVID situation, the president said. The chamber’s annual policy recommendation pack, which lays the foundation for its annual advocacy work, was duly forwarded to the competent governmental bodies.

Events switched back to face-to-face mode from the early summer on, with the highlight being the seventh edition of the Business Meets Government Summit on October 8, Szabó recalled. The latter featured renowned guests such as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó and the deputy governor of the National Bank of Hungary Barnabás Virág.

“What really matters is the people of our community who continued to support our cause and were always ready to go the extra mile, even during the tough times of the pandemic,” Szabó noted.

Stable Finances


“AmCham Hungary’s finances are stable, but we are only as strong as our membership,” Secretary-Treasurer Mike Carlson reminded the audience, noting that up to 70% of total revenues come from membership fees. Therefore, membership retention is the key focus area for 2022.

The year 2020 was closed with a HUF 21.5 million profit, with total revenues of HUF 178.7 mln and total expenditures of HUF 157.2 mln. All that was achieved even though incomes from events were down by 69% compared to 2019. However, the financial outlook is positive, with Carlson planning to stick to the rigor of securing a solid foundation.

There will be a lot happening next year under the three core pillars of AmCham’s activity portfolio. The advocacy effort will see a series of new events such as conferences on healthcare and sustainability, not to mention the return of the HR Dream Day. State secretary roundtables, policy and business forums, and meetings with government participants are also in the pipeline, as chief executive officer Írisz Lippai-Nagy revealed in her presentation of the 2022 annual plan.

“We are not experts of a particular area, but we are very good at how to synthesize all your input and make sure it represents the values and interests of the AmCham community,” Lippai-Nagy said. “Feel free to suggest new topics that should be added to our Policy Agenda or that can be a trigger to set up a new committee. Our policy officers are always there for you if you have any suggestions.”

Under the knowledge pillar, members will continue to have the opportunity to sharpen their skills further and benefit from seminars, leadership masterclass series, board simulations, and career orientation programs.

Community Events


AmCham community events will, of course, continue in the upcoming months. Patron dinners are underway, and there will be plenty of occasions for informal networking in after-hours events and at the annual Insight dinner. The hope is that AmCham will be able to bring back its hugely popular Independence Day family celebration and the Thanksgiving charity dinner in 2022 without any restrictions. The membership satisfaction survey is another novelty to look forward to.

“AmCham is a powerful community, and although working online is effective to share knowledge and have discussions, nothing matches being together,” Lippai-Nagy concluded. She also announced that next year would see an end to the paper copy era of the Journal magazine.

AmCham Foundation (ACF) is a bridge between donors and beneficiaries, and it’s a role model for CSR and related activities, said Edit Bencsik in her report on the latest results of the charitable organization. 2021 was big in challenges and small in opportunities and donations. Despite the limited resources, important achievements were made, from foster home refurbishment to computer donations. A total of HUF 1.5 mln was raised for three educational institutions.

As is traditional, the general assembly also served as the occasion for presenting the annual Dr. Iván Völgyes Award. Völgyes is deemed by many to have been the father of modern lobbying in Hungary. He left for the United States in 1956, and he went on to bring numerous U.S.-based companies to Hungary, generating more than USD 1 billion in investments. This year Dr. Péter Komáromi, chairman of the board of trustees at the ACF, won the award.

In the board elections LeasePlan CEO Timea Pesti won the role of First Vice President. Mike Carlson was confirmed as Secretary-Treasurer, being the only candidate. Matt Zeller and Krisztián Toka were voted Board Members-at-Large, with Dr. Andrea Jádi Németh reelected as the chairperson of the Supervisory Board. David Young remains the Supervisory Board member.


The new Board of AmCham Hungary is as follows:


• President: Zoltán Szabó

• First Vice President: Timea Pesti

• Second Vice President: Dr. Dávid Kőhegyi

• Secretary Treasurer: Mike Carlson

• Board Members-at-Large: Ildikó Beck, Robert Bence, Péter Csucska, István Katona, Orsolya Ludwig, Krisztián Toka, Matt Zeller

• Supervisory Board: Dr. Andrea Jádi Németh, chairperson, David Young, member

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Japanese Customer Sways from VW to BYD after “Unbelievable” Test Drive amid Dealership Expansion
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
White House Eyes Budapest for Peace Talks
Cave Diving Beneath the Streets of Budapest
Another American Restaurant Chain Opens in Budapest
Hungarian Opposition Politician Supports Ukrainian Commander
Opposition Leader Threatens Media Outlets
×