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For more than two decades, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in Hungary has recognized business leaders who demonstrate exceptional performance and contribute to shaping the future of the economy through leadership, innovation and distinctive business strategies. In addition to the overall award, the jury presented special prizes in six categories.
This year, Tibor Veres was selected as the overall winner. He will represent Hungary at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year global finals in Monaco. Veres founded Wallis Group more than 35 years ago and has since developed it into an investment group of international standing. Today, Wallis operates in 18 countries and owns and manages leading companies across several industries, a number of which are listed on capital markets.
“This prestigious recognition confirms more than 35 years of disciplined growth, built on professionalism, reliability and ethical business conduct. I believe this approach alone can create genuine, long-term value internationally,” Veres said.
“I sincerely congratulate Tibor Veres on this achievement. His career demonstrates that sustainable business success is rooted in strategic thinking, considered risk-taking and consistent long-term development. I am confident that his experience and leadership will stand out at the Monaco finals,” said Tamás Vékási, CEO of EY Hungary. “This year’s award recipients not only adapted to challenges but transformed them into competitive advantages, thereby strengthening the stability and competitiveness of the Hungarian economy.”
The EY Role Model Award was presented to Márton Hovány, founder-owner of Hovány Group. Beginning with a small stone-carving workshop in 1980, he opened his first car dealership in 1991. Over the decades, Hovány Group has become one of Hungary’s largest domestically owned automotive retail companies, employing several hundred people.
The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, established in memory of Sándor Demján, was awarded to Attila Vajda, founder-owner and CEO of Vajda-Papír. Established in 1999, the company has grown into Hungary’s leading manufacturer of hygiene paper products, employing more than 700 people and exporting to over 40 countries.
The Innovator Award went to Gergely Vida, founder and CEO of Lightware. The company is an internationally recognised player in professional audiovisual signal management and control technologies. Present in more than 30 countries, Lightware competes successfully in global markets with proprietary technologies and engineering solutions.
The Sustainability Award was granted to Bernadett Strasser-Kátai, head of Real Nature. The company’s operations focus on natural, locally sourced ingredients, responsible procurement and environmentally conscious product development. Its strategy integrates economic performance with sustainability objectives.
The Women’s Entrepreneurial Excellence Award was presented to Zsuzsanna Körmöczy, owner and managing director of BRS Klíma és Gázcentrum. She founded the business more than 30 years ago, and it now plays a distinctive role in climate and gas technology services.
The EY Digital Award was presented to Szabolcs Kun, head of Arenim. More than 15 years ago, he founded a company developing AI-driven call centre and virtual telephony software solutions delivered via cloud-based services. Through sustained effort, he built a team and technological platform that was acquired in 2025 by the world’s largest vertical software company.
Applications were evaluated by an independent professional jury comprising Éva Hegedüs, co-founder and CEO of Gránit Bank; Gabriella Balogh, board member of Net Média Zrt.; Péter Bárány, owner and managing director of Master Good; Péter Csányi, CEO of OTP Bank; István Kapitány, former Global vice president of Shell; Bálint Lévai, co-owner and CEO of BioTechUSA Group; and Tibor Tóth, CEO of the Budapest Stock Exchange.
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