At the event held by the Institute for Engineering and Business Development Innovation (MÜZLI), Endre Ascsillán, Head of MÜZLI, Director of Strategy, Government Affairs and Global Business Development at Arabelle Solutions, posed these questions for three successful female leaders to answer. Judit Vályi, CEO of Euroleasing Zrt., Tünde Kis, Director of PwC Hungary, and Veronika Fenyves, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Debrecen, have all close ties to Debrecen and the aforementioned topics.
“Leadership is a kind of degree of freedom. You have to recognize where your well-being is, that is to say, the area where you feel comfortable. I wanted to be a leader because, in this position, I can think and create freely. That is why I worked and learned a lot, because the competences necessary for leadership can only be acquired through academic training. You need to have a certain character for a start but the ability to make decisions, to know what you want to achieve and where you want to go can only be acquired and determined in this way,” said Judit Vály, CEO of Euroleasing Zrt.
During the course of the discussion, it was made clear that none of the invited guests had prepared for a management position during the years they had spent at university. One of the reasons for their success was that they took advantage of professional opportunities and were backed by supportive mentors and peers.
“Neither a teaching position at university, nor a career in management was an objective for me. Although I was attracted by the corporate world, I found supportive mentors in my university environment, including Professor Imre Ertsey, who offered me to stay at the university upon completing my studies, as well as Professor András Jávor and Chancellor Zoltán Bács. As early as during the course of my studies, I was lucky to have teachers who influenced the development of my career,” said Veronika Fenyves, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Debrecen.
Professor Fenyves believes that the University of Debrecen is a supportive environment for women even today, which is demonstrated by the fact that six of the 13 faculties of this institution are headed by female professors and that the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business is also run by a majority of women.
The framework of discussion at MÜZLI Pódium also included the issue of motherhood. According to the panelists, after having children, women need to reposition themselves; however, this should be done only by finding the delicate balance between being happy mothers and productive employees.
Tünde Kis, Director of PwC Hungary, highlighted the importance of professional practical skills and networking capital that can be acquired during years spent at university.
“Students today have the opportunity to gain direct practical experience during their studies. These exceptional corporate contacts, such as the ones provided by MÜZLI, can open doors that, if used skillfully and with diligence and humility, can become key pillars of professional development. We are not born to be leaders, we might become leaders,” said Tünde Kis.
The panelists agreed that young people today suffer significant disadvantages in building and maintaining relationships in the digital space and communicating there. According to their experience, the friends, acquaintances and members of the alumni community encountered during their university years can be crucial for students' future. They considered face-to-face meetings and programs as essential for professional confidence.
Following the MÜZLI Pódium event, former and current students of the institute had a chance to consult MÜZLI Master Trainers at the Alumni Party. The latter included Endre Ascsillán, Director of Strategy, Government Affairs and Global Business Development at Arabelle Solutions, Tünde Kis, Director of PwC Hungary, Zsolt Bertalan, Director of Smart Future Innovation Cluster, Attila Ferik, Head of the Allianz Technology Data and Analytics Platform, and Ino Mirkovic, violinist and UNESCO Ambassador.
The master trainers provided insights into the educational specificities of their home country, Western Europe, the east, the USA and Asia through their various educational and professional experiences. They underlined that one of the greatest values of Debrecen is that young people here can socialize and learn about different customs and mentalities in a very diverse cultural environment, which can prove to be a significant advantage when working in a global organization.
Hot topics, such as the diversity and importance of the nuclear sector and the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence, were also discussed. Reflecting on the students' questions, the master trainers saw the strength of the European ecosystem and its predictable and stable environment as our continent's long-term competitive advantage, thanks to which, for example, a BMW-level factory could be located in Hungary. International students were advised to look for opportunities locally, while continuously educating themselves and gaining as much relevant experience as possible, which they can then use in global partnerships.
Press Centre - ÉE
