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’Future Leaders’ is not just a program, but an inspiring community taking action for sustainability

The twelfth edition of the BCSDH ’Future Leaders’ Program 2025 started with the Opening Event at K&H Bank on 23 January. Participants were welcomed by Levente Suba, K&H Group Head of Sustainability, who briefly presented K&H’s diverse and outstanding sustainability achievements.

Irén Márta, Managing Director of BCSDH, which now has more than 150 member companies, said that the aim of the program is to introduce the complex conceptual framework and practices of corporate sustainability to future leaders, the talented professionals who can become business leaders. She highlited that this is not just a program, but an inspiring, forward-thinking community that really has the potential to foster and implement the transition to sustainable business.

She emphasized the importance of our program being carbon-conscious for the third consecutive year, in collaboration with the Greendependent Institute.

Zita Szederkényi, Head of ’Future Leaders’ Program, presented the structure, venues and key information of the professional days for the participants. During the eight days, participants will learn about the theory and practice of sustainability through a variety of methods and exercises: factory and site visits, case studies, interviews with company managers and interactive exercises.

As an inspiration, two graduates of the program from last year, Ágnes Fülöp, Head of Life Insurance Contact Center at Generali, and Adrienn Anga, Senior Consultant at KPMG, shared their experiences about the value of the program. They emphasized that, in addition to developing a sustainable mindset, the greatest benefit of the program for them was the network of contacts they had built, and encouraged the new cohort to be open, inquisitive and sometimes critical, all of which will help them to take away as much as possible from the program.

After successfully completing the program, the participants will remain members of ’Future Leaders’ community: they will be welcomed by the Alumni community, said Máté Bori, Operations Director, Ayvens and Head of the Alumni organisation, which has nearly 350 members. He spoke about the Alumni events in 2024, which were also organised in the spirit of sustainability and provided an opportunity for discussions with company managers, networking and knowledge sharing.

As a closing program of the event, participants got to know each other, shared their connections to sustainability and the sustainability challenges they face in moderated table group discussions.

The 2025 program leaders came from the following companies:

Agroloop Hungary Kft., ALD Automotive Kft., ALTEO Nyrt., Bay Zoltán Alkalmazott Kutatási Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft., Budapest Airport Zrt, Budapesti Közművek Nonprofit Zrt., Continental Automotive Hungary Kft., E.ON Észak-dunántúli Áramhálózati Zrt., E.ON Hungária Zrt., Ernst & Young Könyvvizsgáló Kft., EY denkstatt Kft., Generali Biztosító Zrt., Gránit Pólus Management Zrt., Greenbors Consulting Kft., Güntner-Tata Hűtőtechnika Kft., Hungaropharma Zrt., KPMG Hungária Kft., LeasePlan Hungária Zrt., Nestlé Hungária Kft., Papyrus Hungária Zrt., PPD Hungária Kft., Progress Étteremhálózat Kft., Szentkirályi Magyarország Kft., Yamazaki Mazak Central Europe sro Magyarországi Fióktelepe.

Among the participants there is Máté Albert, a physics student at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, who won the BCSDH’s Scholarship Program.

Thanks to the host of the Openin Event:

Thanks to the sponsors of the ’Future Leaders’ Program in 2025:

Thanks to the highlighted sponsor of the Scolarship Program in 2025:

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28.01.2025

Time Saved from Increased Productivity is Reinvested in Further Production instead of Resting – report on the last event of the “Future Leaders” Alumni this year

News

What can a telecommunications network company do for sustainability? What is a degrowth doughnut and how can it help Budapest sustainability? Can we imagine the end of capitalism? – These are some of the questions discussed at the last event of the “Future Leaders” Alumni at Nokia Hungary.

On November 6, a special program and a pleasant environment awaited the Alumni community at Nokia Hungary, where the recently graduated class of 2024 of the “Future Leaders” Talent Program was also represented. Attila Baranyai (Global Logistics Quality Manager) greeted the guests followed by a welcome address from József Pap (Supply Chain – Head of Excellence and Process Management). The attendees then had the opportunity to learn more about Nokia’s research and development lab in Hungary. Norbert Juhász and László Czencz, who led the visit, shared interesting insights about the lab’s power supply, cooling and protection systems. They also showcased a control room and their vast server room, where participants could even see part of the control center hardware that handled the first digital call.

Following the lab tour, Irén Márta, director of BCSDH, personally shared the good news with the Alumni community, that the “Future Leaders” Talent Program, of which all participants were a part of, won this year’s European Enterprise Promotion Award in Hungary in the category of ”Encouraging Sustainable Transition”.

Dr. Alexandra Köves, ecological economist and lecturer at Corvinus University of Budapest discussed the “doughnut economy” model, emphasizing the balance between human well-being and the planetary boundaries. She also presented the finding of their latest research, which examines Budapest’s sustainability status through the lenses of the doughnut model of degrowth.

After the thought-provoking presentation, thanks to our host, the participants engaged in informal discussion on the topics raised.

08.11.2024

Our ‘Future Leaders’ Talent program wins European Enterprise Promotion Award

News

The Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH) was awarded first place in the category “Encouraging Sustainable Transition” in the national round of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) with its ‘Future Leaders” Talent program. The award ceremony took place on 2 July at the Ministry of National Economy (NGM), where the award was presented to Irén Márta, Director of BCSDH, and Zita Szederkényi, Head of the ‘Future Leaders’ Talent program, by Márton Nagy, Minister of National Economy.

The EEPA aims to recognise and showcase Europe’s best entrepreneurship development initiatives, highlighting best practices and the added value of entrepreneurship. The competition for the award is divided into six categories, with a particular focus on promoting a sustainable transition.

The BCSDH’s ‘Future Leaders’ Talent program has been running successfully since 2014 and aims to equip graduates with the skills to respond to sustainability challenges and integrate sustainability principles into corporate decision-making. Over the past decade, 130 companies have participated in the program, contributing to a dynamic knowledge exchange. In total, we have worked with 256 experts from a wide range of industry and academic disciplines. In addition to the corporate sector, universities, researchers, social organisations and regulators have participated as experts and speakers, increasing the impact and relevance of the program. Participation in the program has become an asset for all parties. Over the past ten years, 316 leaders have graduated in the program, are now actively leading the sustainability transition of their companies and are members of the program’s Alumni organisation.

“This recognition is a great source of pride and reaffirms that we are on the right track in driving the shift to sustainable business. Special thanks go to the mentors, speakers, hosts, sponsors and participants of the program, without whom we could not have achieved this success,” said Irén Márta, Director of BCSDH.

02.07.2024

The need exists to transform our systems and ourselves.” – participants of ‘Future Leaders’ Talent Program 2023 received their certificates.

News

At the BCSDH business lunch on October 12, graduates of the ‘Future Leaders’ Talent Program for the year 2023 received their certificates. Alongside this year’s 35 participants, the Hungarian Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSDH) has seen over 300 young leaders graduate from the program’s previous 10 years.

“Our ‘Future Leaders’ Talent Program, celebrating its 10-year anniversary, has evolved significantly over time. Initially focused on recognizing and understanding issues, we now emphasize immediate action. I’m immensely proud that among our participants, numbering over three hundred, many have become business owners, CEOs, or board members. I trust that our graduates will become catalysts for change.“ – shared Márta Irén, Director of BCSDH.

The participants of the tenth edition, much like in previous years, come from various fields within the member companies of BCSDH.

Throughout the program, participants learn not only from recognized experts but also from practicing leaders about ethics, strategy, and sustainability within a diverse group. They also get acquainted with the mentor companies. Each year, over eighty mentors, including business leaders, experts from civil society and academia, support the participants in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities in the business sphere from multiple perspectives.

“Since this program deals with the future and leadership, it will always remain relevant. The more complex the world becomes, the more exciting it is to see how future challenges can be tackled with present tools. It stays relevant because it constantly evolves. The project work related to biodiversity this year brought forth several solutions that hold the potential for new practices applicable to our member companies.” – stated Zita Szederkényi, the Lead of Program.

In recent days, the BCSDH has been exploring each point of the “Sustainable Corporate Management Guidelines” delving into their theoretical backgrounds and corporate practices (Strategic Approach, Responsible Corporate Governance, Respect for Core Values, Environmental Responsibility, Partnership with Stakeholders, Ethical and Transparent Operations, and, for the past three years, the introduction of Sustainable Products, Services, and Innovation). The 35 graduates of the 2023 edition received their certificates at the BCSDH business lunch on October 12. Together with this year’s graduates, the program now encompasses 10 editions and over 300 young leaders, forming the ‘Future Leaders’ Talent Program Alumni organization.

05.12.2023

‘Our job isn’t to predict the future, but to shape it.’– Rodney Irwin’s address at the BCSDH Future Leaders Talent Program 10th Anniversary Celebration

News

Budapest, November 8, 2023 – ‘Educating the heart is as much as important as educating the mind’ – said Rodney Irwin, the COO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and leads the WBCSD Education program at the Jubilee Event where approximately 100 alumni members, mentors, and experts celebrated the 10th anniversary of the BCSDH Future Leaders Talent Program. He spoke about the importance of closing the sustainability skills gap.

“In a unique way within the Global Network, we adapted the WBCSD Future Leaders program with the participation of recognized domestic experts and have been continuously developing it since. Today, the Alumni community, comprised of graduate students, has grown to over 300 members, who have become a vital driving force for sustainability transformation,” – said Irén Márta, the Executive Director of the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH), in her welcome speech.

At the anniversary event, Rodney Irwin emphasized, “There is a need to transform our systems and ourselves. To achieve this transformation, we need an understanding of sustainable development, the ability to make decisions in a complex and integrated world, innovation, collaboration, resilience, and a learning mindset. The purpose of business is no longer just profit generation but to produce profitable solutions to the problems of people and planet.”

The Future Leaders Talent Program plays a significant role in this transformation. We cannot solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. It is essential to take the time to reflect on who we are, learn from one another, and pursue education and lifelong learning. Systems thinking is critical to ensure we avoid unintended consequences.

“The Talent Program, launched ten years ago, is one of the greatest sources of pride for our organization, the Business Council for Sustainable Development Hungary (BCSDH), as it offers a unique opportunity for participants to become committed leaders in sustainability, capable of addressing the ever-changing challenges of the future,” added Attila Chikán Jr., the President of BCSDH, in his speech.

Rózsai, CEO of KPMG, provided participants with insights into the results of the KPMG CEO Outlook 2023 survey conducted among over 1,300 CEOs of the world’s largest companies. Currently, geopolitics and broader political uncertainty represent the most significant risks to a company’s business success. While dealing with this increasingly uncertain situation, the strategic priorities for business leaders remain the following: technology-digitalization-AI, the ESG framework, and the workforce-talent trio.

Thank you for the event sponsors:

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09.11.2023

Why is the phone’s dialing sound different when calling from abroad? – an exciting lab tour at Nokia at the Future Leaders Alumni meeting

News

Why is the phone’s dialing sound different when calling from abroad? How many phone calls can a phone tower handle at the same time? How is 5G made? And how do you present to your managers that sustainable investments are really worth it? These are couple of the topics from the latest Alumni meeting of the Future Leaders Talent Program, held on November 23 at Nokia.

Attila Baranyai, Nokia’s Global Logistics Quality Manager, and participant of the 2018 class, hosted the Alumni team of the Future Leaders Talent Program at the Nokia Skypark Office Building. Nokia’s team in Hungary is one of the company’s most significant and successful research and development units. The company’s engineers showed the team around the lab, and we could see how the 5G network – that is used in more and more parts of the world – is being developed in Hungary. They also told us about what we can expect in the future in the field of networks. Attila talked about the sustainability activities of the company, including the supply chain area. He also presented the project of József Pap, Nokia’s Strategic Procurement Manager, Warehouse&Packaging, and participant of the 2014 class, about the introduction of hybrid (cardboard and wood-based) pallets and how its economic/financial and environmental effects were presented to the company’s management.

“It’s a real pleasure to finally meet in person again” said Irén Márta. The director of BCSDH talked about this year’s results, the plans for the next year and together they discussed the Alumni Mentor Program as well as how to celebrate the 10th birthday of the Future Leaders Talent Program next year.

25.11.2022

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