Around 40 high-level guests from Budapest’s business and diplomatic circles started their day on Tuesday morning at the CEO Boardroom Meeting, a networking and content event run by the Budapest Business Journal.

Hosted by Matild Palace, A Luxury Collection Hotel Budapest, with Spago Budapest by Wolfgang Puck providing a uniquely tailored gastronomic breakfast experience, the event was marking its fifth anniversary. Toasted with prosecco, the celebration was a testament to the trust, cooperation and support the three parties have developed over the years. 

When the first CEO Boardroom Meeting was held in June 2021, it was the first business event held at the Matild; the hotel had not yet officially opened. Aside from the networking and the beautiful breakfast, the highlight of the morning is a roundtable discussion of current economic hot topics.

This time, our panelists were Karoly Radnai, the managing partner of Andersen in Hungary, and László Radványi, the country managing partner of PwC Hungary. Themes covered included: the “good vibes” around the change of government; the urgent need to see a focus on balancing the budget and making taxation more predictable; welcome developments regarding the unfreezing of EU funds; the likely date for euro adoption (in a striking phrase, the current froth around the single currency was said to be “more harmful than helpful”); the need to improve the competitiveness and productivity of Hungarian businesses, and especially SMEs; and the imposition of a ban on third-country workers.

The moderator was Robin Marshall, the editor-in-chief of the Budapest Business Journal.

Website: https://bbj.hu/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/budapest-business-journal/

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Forty guests attended the sixth Pharma CEO Breakfast organized by the Budapest Business Journal and our professional partners, PHOENIX group Hungary and BENU Magyarország Zrt., at the Kimpton BEM Budapest by IHG on Wednesday morning.

This time, our theme was Drug Price Reductions in the United States and Their Impact on Europe. The morning featured a fascinating keynote presentation by Katalin Szaloki, Dr., the CEO of the Innovatív Gyógyszergyártók Egyesülete - AIPM. 

She also took part in our roundtable discussion, alongside Matthew Bell, the country head for Hungary, at Sandoz Hungária Kft., and Vanda Galambos, the health policy center lead at Roche Magyarország Kft. The moderator was Robin Marshall MBE, the editor-in-chief of the Budapest Business Journal.

Areas of discussion included the need for predictability, funding, and transparency. In one memorable phrase, it was argued that Europe is not so much underpricing (though, for the record, it is) as underinvesting. All parties agreed that, no matter what you thought about the message delivery, the United States was absolutely justified in trying to rebalance drug pricing; in some cases, it pays 10% more for the same drugs than Europe does. In an echo of the NATO debate, America has effectively been subsidizing prices in Europe. But the system clearly needs fixing in any case. In Europe, patients wait longer for innovativedrugs to hit the market: 98% of medicines that gained U.S. FDA approval last year are still not available here. Innovative medications need to flow uninterrupted through the system so that biosimilars and generics can, in turn, take over, and the discovery phase can move on to the next breakthrough drug. While there is certainly a need for better healthcareliteracy in Hungary (and probably in all markets), there is also a need for all stakeholders to come together and work together to develop better systems that benefit everyone involved, but most importantly, generate Better Patient Health Outcomes.

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Around 40 guests drawn from the top levels of the business world, the diplomatic corps (including the newly arrived ambassadors to Hungary from Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), and the international bilateral chambers of commerce, attended our latest CEO Boardroom Meeting, held at the Matild Palace Hotel. 

The expert panelists for our roundtable discussion were Karoly Radnai, managing partner of Andersen in Hungary, and Veronika Špaňárová, managing director and country officer at Citi Hungary. The moderator was Robin Marshall MBE, the editor-in-chief of the Budapest Business Journal.

The themes covered this time included Hungary’s sluggish Q3 GDP growth of 0.6% and the likely development of the economy in the remainder of Q4 and into 2026, the relative stability of the forint, the impact of the current pre-election spending on balancing next year’s budget, whether the election might lead to a pause in FDI, and the impact of international affairs and geopolitical tensions on the local economy. 

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Around 50 guests attended the fifth Pharma CEO Breakfast, organized by the Budapest Business Journal in partnership with Phoenix Pharma and Benu, at the Kimpton BEM Budapest Hotel on Tuesday, October 7.

The event featured a keynote presentation by Dr. Ágnes Galgóczi, director of prevention and epidemiology at the National Public Health Center, entitled “The Introduction of Pharmacy-based Vaccinations and Related Opportunities for Expanding the Scope of Services in the Hungarian Pharmacy Sector. She was then joined for an in-depth roundtable discussion to drill down deeper into the details alongside Dr. Judit Bidló, Deputy State Secretary for the Professional Management of Health; Dr. András Süle, chief pharmacist at Péterfy Hospital Budapest; and Dr. Katalin Szalóki, CEO of the Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (AIPM) Hungary. 

Robin Marshall, editor-in-chief of the BBJ, moderated the conversation.

Key takeaways included that a thorough framework must be drawn up before a rollout can begin, although Hungarian pharmacy associations are already working on this in the background. However, there is now a clear European trend towards expanding pharmacy service provision, meaning that Hungary can already draw on best practices. Importantly, the system will need to be voluntary, rather than imposed, but a first-phase rollout could take between six and 18 months. Crucial will be who pays for what and when (equally valid for pharmacies and patients), and how it all connects to digital healthcare; an initial starting point might be a fee-for-service approach. Given the alarming drop-off in vaccination rates among adults, expanding the base of professionals able to administer them could help increase both uptake and trust in healthcare, as well as raise esteem in the pharmacist profession through the addition of value-added services. 

The keynote and roundtable were bookended by networking for like-minded stakeholders drawn from across Hungary’s pharmaceutical sector to exchange ideas and information.

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This podcast is a recording of a roundtable discussion at our latest CEO Boardroom Meeting, held on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at the Matild Palace Hotel.

The panel discussion is part of our ongoing series examining the critical factors driving the energy transition and the Hungarian economy in the months ahead. The themes covered this time included where Hungary is on its energy transition, the addition of wind farms to the renewables sector, the need to overhaul the energy grid, how Hungary is placed in its commitments to the EU Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package, and whether tarrifs could act as an "unintentional incentive" to spped up the energy transition. We also covered what an EU ban on Russian gas and oil might mean for Hungary. On the economic side, we looked at Hungary's disappointing Q1 GDP figures and what that could mean for growth, the impact of a national general election next year, the effect of the on-off Trump Tariffs on business planning, Hungary's relationship with the European Commission, and whether Bulgaria's likely accession to the euro will put more pressure on Hungary to join the common currency.

Our expert panelists for this event were Barbara Wassen, Hungary’s Ambassador-at-Large for Climate and Tamás Lőcsei, former Country Managing Partner PwC Hungary. The moderator was Robin Marshall, the editor-in-chief of the Budapest Business Journal.

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Around 50 guests joined us at the fourth Pharma CEO Breakfast, held this time at the Kimpton BEM Budapest, organized by the Budapest Business Journal and our professional partners, Phoenix Group and Benu Pharmacies.

The keynote presentation by Dr. Bence Nagy of Healthware Consulting Ltd. and the roundtable discussion featuring Dr. Sàndor Lévai of Takeda Hungary, Colette Matz of Novartis Hungary, and Dr. Boban Milojkovic of Phoenix Group Representation Services, took as their overarching theme market access for innovative pharmaceutical therapies in Hungary, but also touched on the regional and EU picture.

The panelists also discussed the European Union Health Technology Assessment, which came into force in January, and the formation of the László Batthyány-Strattmann Foundation, which will assume responsibility for managing applications for exceptional drug funding in Hungary. Key takeaways included the need for synergy, cooperation and partnership across the board and the thought that pharma firms are all suffering, just suffering differently. There were calls for a rolling approval process for new innovative medicines, as well as transparency, predictability, and meaningful dialogue. Above all, there are questions about money. Is there enough for the healthcare budget, and what happens if the new foundation spends its allocation before the end of the calendar year?

We are delighted to say the feedback we received at the event was positive, and we look forward to organizing future events as we continue to build this platform to facilitate discussions and promote knowledge sharing and collaboration in the pharma sector.

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This podcast is a recording of a roundtable discussion at our latest CEO Boardroom Meeting, held on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at the Matild Palace Hotel.

The panel discussion is part of our ongoing series examining the critical factors driving the markets and the Hungarian economy in the months ahead. The themes covered this time include the potential impact of "Trump Tariffs" on global, and, therefore, European and Hungarian trade, the GDP outlook for Hungary, any potential peace dividend from an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, putative timetables for Hungary joining the euro, and the significance of ESG reporting becoming mandatory for large listed companies this year.

Our expert panelists for this event were Rezső Rózsai, CEO of KPMG Hungary, and Barnabás Virág, deputy governor of the National Bank of Hungary. The moderator was Robin Marshall, the editor-in-chief of the Budapest Business Journal.

Around 40 CEOs, diplomats and decision-makers joined the Budapest Business Journal for our latest CEO Boardroom Meeting in the Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel.

Our roundtable panelists were Róbert Ésik, a partner at EY dealing with Global Location Services & Incentives for the Europe, Middle East, India, and Africa markets and Karoly Radnai, the managing partner at Andersen Consulting in Hungary, were led through a thought-provoking discussion by BBJ editor-in-chief Robin Marshall on the latest economic developments impacting global, European, and Hungarian markets, from the return of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and from the disappointing Q3 GDP results in Hungary to the likelihood of increased state spending next year ahead of the 2026 general elections.

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Roundtable Panelists Engage with Pharmaceutical Challenges

About 50 guests attended the third Pharma CEO Breakfast, organized by the Budapest Business Journal and its professional partners Pheonix Pharma and Benu at the Anantara New York Palace Hotel Budapest on October 8. 2024.

The morning began with an informative keynote presentation by Sylvain Hanssen, group director for digital commerce at Phoenix Pharmahandel GmbH & Co KG, headquartered in Mannheim, Germany. 

The keynote was followed by a roundtable discussion featuring Dr. Judit Bidló, Deputy State Secretary for the Professional Management of Health at the Ministry of the Interior; Christoph W. Sensen, director general and CEO of HCEMM Nonprofit Kft. in Szeged, which runs the Hungarian Center of Excellence for Molecular Medicine; Dr. Katalin Szalóki, CEO of the Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of Hungary; and Wolfgang Wallisch, the CEO of Phoenix Group in Hungary and the man who launched the franchise-based Benu pharmacy chain in Hungary.  Robin Marshall MBE, editor-in-chief of the Budapest Business Journal, moderated the discussion.

Networking opportunities bookended the keynote and roundtable as the Pharma CEO Breakfast lived up to its mission of bringing together critical stakeholders from the Hungarian pharmaceutical industry to discuss challenges and explore opportunities for growth and innovation. The breakfast aims to facilitate comprehensive discussions on the latest issues, promote collaboration and knowledge-sharing between industry leaders and government representatives, and foster stronger relationships within the Hungarian healthcare ecosystem. 

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The CEO Breakfast, hosted by the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DUIHK) in partnership with the Budapest Business Journal and Budapest Security Dialogue, focussed on the digital transformation of the defense industry, drone technology and how civilian innovations can be utilized for defense purposes and vice versa.

The first panel, moderated by Antal Kerekes, a partner at PwC Technology Advisory Services, examined the challenges digitalization presents for military and civilian infrastructures and emphasized the need for collaboration across sectors. One key point of discussion was the role of civilian technologies in enhancing military capabilities. The roundtable highlighted success stories where civilian innovations were adapted for defense purposes, stressing that this cross-sector collaboration is essential for creating a secure digital future.
 
The second panel, chaired by Illner, managing director of BSD, addressed the broad spectrum of drone applications, charting the progress of the technology from a toy to a weapon of war. The discussion underlined the importance of developing a resilient drone ecosystem, integrating both civilian and military expertise.

The event was made possible with the support of three other business organizations, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hungary, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hungary and the Swiss-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and the participation of 4iG, Airbus Hungary, CAE, DND, Elbit Systems, PwC and Pro Patria.
 
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