Madam Ambassadors
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
{ VOL II. ISSUE 06 JANUARY 2016 { THE VOICE OF AMCHAM HUNGARY Madam Ambassadors For the second time, AmCham hosted the United States' Ambassador to Hungary Colleen Bell (at right), and the Hungarian Ambassador to America, Réka Szemerkényi (at left) at a joint podium event where the women talked about their first year in post, and looked forward to ever-closer relations in the future. They are pictured with former AmCham President Willy Benko, who led a moderated conversation with the ambassadors. Full story on page three. coming up Being Compliant traditionally features international guest speakers, the course of their operations that they might Diary date: Avoiding Pratfalls the focus is on the local market and how otherwise stumble into unawares. We also wish HR Dream Hungarian companies can unexpectedly find to create a platform for meaningful dialogue » May 17 themselves falling foul of international legislation. with regulators to facilitate the application Day III – of international experience in enforcement looking into AmCham will hold its third annual whistleblowing “The world is flat and really small,” the organizers cooperation and jurisprudence locally.” and compliance conference on May 17, with say. “Companies can find themselves under the crystal a focus on internal audits, enforcement scrutiny from pieces of legislation in the U.K. or The organizers say last year’s event was very ball of HR cooperation, and the cost of non-compliance. U.S. that have an extraterritorial reach – and it high profile, with perhaps 90% of the legal ›› April 14 won’t be long before the likes of Germany and councils and “C”-level executives who deal Legal specialists Dávid Kőhegyi (senior associate France also introduce such legislation. The idea with compliance matters at major Hungarian at DLA Piper) and Judit Budai (partner at Szecskay of these conferences is to promote transparency companies attending. For 2016 the hope is to Location: Google Grund Attorneys at Law) jointly organize the conference via sharing best practices, to›› learn See how story we can onbuild page on that, 3 and both U.S. Ambassador Colleen Keynote speaker: Marcus Orlovsky, education change under the auspices of the chamber’s Governance be good business citizens and act in a prudent Bell and Justice Minister László Trócsányi have agent and director at Bryanston Square, which specializes in and Transparency Committee. Although it manner, and how businesses can avoid traps in been invited. educational workshops. MORE Forum with Governor AmCham board Latest successes 3 of the Hungarian renewed at for AmCham INSIDE National Bank 6 annual assembly 8 advocacy THE VOICE OF AMCHAM HUNGARY 2 News Board of directors From the Boardroom As the newly elected Board, we are eager to start working in 2016 with you, the AmCham community. Our most important task is to continue the advocacy work started in 2015, living by the commitments we made in the Policy Agenda. Most importantly, we will work towards our vision and mission: “to be the most effective representative of the business community in Hungary, while promoting the global competitiveness of the country”. Some of these commitments include working closely with our ministry partners and HIPA, continuing the Language and Career Top row from left Ambassador programs, the Start Your Business roadshow and the 10,000 steps employee health awareness program. Ferenc PONGRÁCZ Csaba LÁSZLÓ Péter CSUCSKA Judit ZOLNAY President Secretary Treasurer Lexmark International MetLife Europe Limited IBM Hungary KPMG Advisory Ltd. Technology Hungary Kft. Magyarországi Fióktelepe We will maintain the “line-of-sight” we introduced last year in our advocacy strategy. Our ultimate goal is to provide proper recommendations and commitments to Márk HETÉNYI Board Members Bea ELŐD Írisz LIPPAI-NAGY First Vice President at large Citi Service Center Budapest Chief Executive Officer the government with the goal of advancing Hungary ten places on the World MKB Bank Zrt. Competitiveness Ranking by 2025. Preparing these recommendations is preceded by Farkas BÁRSONY Andrea JUHOS Ex officio members a multi-level, multi-stakeholder reconciliation, including regular Policy Task Force Dr. Andrea GE Hungary Kft. LHH Magyarország, Career Dale Wright, (PTF) and committee meetings, state secretary roundtables and Business Forums JÁDI NÉMETH Consultants Kft. William Benkő second Vice President Liam CROW István Havas and conferences. This reconciliation and dialogue is well under way: currently we have bpv | Jádi Németh Attorneys First Med Kft. Krisztina VARGA a list of areas to be targeted for improvement and are compiling action items that we at Law Hewlett Packard Enterprise can work on with each ministry. We strongly encourage you to join a committee or a PTF to make a change! AMCHAM OFFICE CONTACT INFO • H-1051 Budapest, Szent István tér 11. • Phone: +36 1 266 9880 Fax: +36 1 266 9888 • (See dates of our quarterly PTF meetings below.) Email: [email protected] • website: www.amcham.hu Make an Impact – Join a Policy Task Force More With AmCham’s Annual plan in place for 2016 we are glad to present the upcoming meetings for our policy task forces. Please see the dates below; we invite you to bring your ideas and expertise and join a PTF in 2016! advocacy at... For more on what AmCham Hungary By April 2015, AmCham Hungary had defined its vision — “to achieve a ten spot World Competitiveness Ranking improvement in ten years for does in advocacy, see our Advocacy Hungary with CEE” – a new strategy, and a new way of working, according to which four policy task forces were established to dedicate focus and Timeline (please follow the QR code). resources to four key areas: Investment, Talent, Innovation and Healthy Nation. Since then, these groups have been working extensively to create programs, events and publications that add value and make a positive impact. Meeting dates: Meeting dates: April 13 3:00 p.m. February 24 5:00 p.m. June 15 3:00 p.m. May 25 5:00 p.m. JOURNAL is published on behalf of the American Chamber INVESTMENT TALENTSeptemberINNO 7VATION HEALTHY3:00 p.m.INVESTMENT TALENT INNOVATIONSeptember HEAL28 THY 5:00 p.m. of Commerce in Hungary by Absolut Media Zrt., Madách NATION NATION Trade Center, 1075 Budapest, Madách Imre út 13-14, Building A, 8th floor November 23 3:00 p.m. November 30 5:00 p.m. Editor-in-chief: ROBIN MARSHALL (robin.marshall@amedia. hu) • Contributors: LEVENTE HÖRÖMPÖLI-TÓTH, ROBIN MARSHALL, ZSÓFIA JUHÁSZ • Photography: ANDRÁS INVESTMENT TALENT INNOVATION HEALTHY INVESTMENT TALENT INNOVATION HEALTHY HAJNAL, LÁZÁR TODOROFF • Design: ABSOLUT DESIGN Meeting dates:NATION MeetingNATION dates: STÚDIÓ ([email protected]) • Art Design: NORBERT BALÁZS • CEO: TAMÁS BOTKA • Advertising: ABSOLUT MEDIA Zrt. March 22 8:30 a.m. February 25 4:00 p.m. ([email protected]) • Sales and Marketing: BALÁZS ROMÁN ([email protected]) • Subscriptions: [email protected] May 12 8:30 a.m. May 26 4:00 p.m. • Printing: Absolut Print Kft. • Websites: www.amedia.hu, www.bbj.hu • ISSN: 2416-1276 INVESTMENT TALENT INNOVATION HEALTHY INVESTMENT TALENT HEALTHYSeptember 15 8:30 a.m. September 22 4:00 p.m. INNOVATION NATION For AmCham Content and Advertising: ZSÓFIA JUHÁSZ NATION ([email protected] + 36 1 266-9880/360) November 15 8:30 a.m. December 8 4:00 p.m. To register, please contact policy officer Judit Szilágyi at +36 1 428-2089 or via email at [email protected] INVESTMENT TALENT INNOVATION HEALTHY INVESTMENT TALENT INNOVATION HEALTHY NATION NATION VOL II. ISSUE 06, JANUARY 2016 VOL II. ISSUE 06, JANUARY 2016 THE VOICE OF AMCHAM HUNGARY 3 The Ambassadorial Sisterhood Robin Marshall and America. Bell acknowledged there were hurdles to overcome, but said there were also huge gains on For the second time, AmCham hosted the Hungarian offer for all, saying such mechanisms have “lifted Ambassador to the United States and the American millions out of poverty since World War Two.” She Ambassador to Hungary at a joint business forum at added that the United States very much appreciated the the Budapest Marriott Hotel on January 20. public support for T-TIP offered by Hungary’s prime minister and foreign and trade minister. For her part, Colleen Bell and Réka Szemerkényi share much Szemerkényi said T-TIP was not just about simplifying in common beyond the obvious fact that both are and harmonizing a few rules, helpful though that might women, and both carry the title Ambassador. Each is be. “It is a strategic agreement for us.” close to their respective regimes (Bell raised funds for President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, The Hungarian ambassador made specific mention Szemerkényi is a former advisor to Prime Minister of the importance of NATO given the multiple Viktor Orbán); each has been in post for a little over challenges of Ukraine, the Middle East, growing a year; and each juggles a professional career with terrorist threats and the on-going migrant crisis. being a mother of four. It should be no surprise that “We need friends, and the best friends can be found they are friends, and that was a theme that came up among those with which we share values,” she said. time and again. Her American colleague touched on an issue she Ambassador Bell talked of “my good friend”, has raised several times: corruption. “We will Ambassador Szemerkényi of a “good friend and continue to work with the Hungarian government, partner”, and an “exceptional counterpart”. The civil society and business leaders to promote two women were reflecting on a year in post, a ideals that benefit the prosperity of all citizens.” period the American described as “a pleasurable Later, in a moderated discussion, she added: “The whirlwind.” And they agreed the relationship was in United States is not free from corruption, let me rude health.