At its annual meeting, the CCIFH announced a major leadership change: Gáspár Balázs, the director responsible for Alstom’s operations in Hungary, has been elected as the new chamber president. The appointment brings new dimensions to the CCIFH’s activities, with a particular focus on industrial innovation, sustainability, and the further development of business cooperation between the two countries. “The coming period offers new opportunities to strengthen French-Hungarian economic relations further. French companies are strategic partners of Hungary today across several key sectors; the chamber’s role is to transform this partnership into concrete business opportunities, continuous dialogue, and long-term cooperation,” said Balázs. “Our top priority is to deliver on the objectives set out in the 2026 action plan: creating tangible business value for our members, organizing targeted events, strengthening institutional dialogue, and ensuring active representation of interests,” he added. After several successful terms as president, László Károlyi handed over his responsibilities upon the completion of his mandate. Under his leadership, the chamber played a significant role in strengthening French-Hungarian economic relations. Anne Bernard, the head of the economic department of the French Embassy in Hungary, opened the AGM. A cooperation agreement was also signed between the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MKIK) and CCIFH. During the meeting, members approved the 2025 annual report and the 2026 plans, presented by President László Károlyi and managing director Ágnes Ducrot. New members were also to the board, which now comprises: President Gáspár Balázs (Alstom Hungary Kft.), and board members François Berisot (Vinci Airports / Budapest Airport), Maxence Dutat (Maynards Europe), Attila Fésűs (Equans Magyarország Kft.), Frédéric Fouilloux (Servier Hungária Kft.), Nelly Gubányi-Prokec (Baker McKenzie), Krisztina Krokos (Arthur Hunt Group), Christophe Le Brun (Novotel Budapest City & Congress Center – Accor / Essendi), Victor Maingault (Schneider Electric Zrt.), Attila Nemes (Michelin Hungária Kft.), Károly Stefáni (Stefáni és Társai Ügyvédi Iroda), and Joëlle Széles-Marquié (Prélude: La Librairie Française).
Swisscham invites guests to the launch event of the Art is Business Switzerland publication, presenting Swiss business and artistic connections, organized in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland in Hungary. The country-specific Art is Business publication series explores how the worlds of art and business intersect across different countries. The upcoming edition focuses on Switzerland, where collaboration between the cultural sector and corporate actors takes innovative and diverse forms. After welcome remarks by Ambassador of Switzerland to Hungary Alexander Renggli, guests to this Hungarian-language event will gain insights into the experiences of Swiss-related business and cultural figures through a roundtable discussion featuring Vera Blum (Veracity Artists), Kata Koleszár (painter), Andrea Strommer (Art and Strommer Consulting), Orsolya Erdődy (managing director, Budapest Festival Orchestra), Péter Noszek (CEO, Nestlé Hungary), and János Strohmayer (head of the Budapest office of Egon Zehnder)
• When: Thursday, April 30, 6-9 p.m. • Where: Apollo Galéria, Corvin Palace, Blaha Lujza tér 1, 1085 Budapest • Fee: Free to members, but prior registration is required; non-members, HUF 3,900 handling fee.
Belgabiz held its Emplawyer 2026 networking workshop featuring experts from Smartlegal Schmidt & Partners (Anita Vereb, Ágnes Bartus, and Péter Gritta), who delivered an engaging and insightful overview of two hot topics in employment law: Paperless Employer? What the law Will Allow in 2026 and Pay Transparency & Equal Pay in 2026: The Growing Impact of EU Pay Transparency Legislation. Special thanks to Richard Schmidt, partner at Smartlegal Schmidt & Partners, for proposing the topic, and to his colleagues for the excellent presentations. We are also grateful to Three Corners Downtown Hotel for hosting the event, to Belga Sörmester for the La Trappe Tripel beer, and to G.I.F.T. Kft. for The Belgian-branded chocolates.
The CCIU is collaborating with Promos Italia and the Italian Chambers of Commerce network to promote a new series of InBuyer events in Hungary. InBuyer is an online business-matching program designed to facilitate structured, targeted B2B meetings across sectors. The initiative supports SME internationalization by creating concrete opportunities for cross-border business development. Through a structured calendar of online sessions, Hungarian buyers can meet pre-selected Italian companies whose profiles match their sourcing or commercial needs. All meetings take place on a dedicated digital platform, where participants can present their company, showcase their products, and engage in pre-scheduled one-to-one B2B meetings. Participation is free of charge, and meetings are organized in advance to maximize relevance and effectiveness. The calendar of upcoming InBuyer dates is: May 6-7, furniture; June 3-24, Cosmetics, Construction, and Wine & Spirits;July 7-9, fresh and frozen food.
The CCCH is set to host the SAFE Conference: Canada–EU Security and Defense Partnership, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and experts to discuss the future of transatlantic security and defense cooperation. The conference will focus on strengthening collaboration between Canada and Europe in areas such as defense industrial development, innovation, and resilient supply chains. Discussions will also address how closer cooperation can support Europe’s strategic autonomy while creating new opportunities for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. The event is closely linked to the European Union’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative, a EUR 150 billion defense financing instrument designed to accelerate joint procurement and strengthen Europe’s defense capabilities. Canada’s participation further underlines the growing importance of transatlantic partnerships in this field. The program will feature keynote speeches and panel discussions with high-level speakers, including Colin Barker, executive director of the defense exports division of Global Affairs Canada; Tomasz Husak, director of defense policy at DG DEFIS; Klaus Houben, business development director for Europe, and head of EDC representation at Export Development Canada; as well as senior representatives from Rheinmetall Canada, CAE Defense & Security, Eutelsat, General Dynamics, L3Harris Wescam, and BlackBerry Canada. For tickets, the detailed program and further information, please visit the dedicated conference website: safeconferencecanadaeu.com.
At this year’s first Jour Fixe event hosted by the DUIHK members had the opportunity to connect, get to know one another, and strengthen their business relationships in an exclusive yet welcoming atmosphere. Once again, the DUIHK welcomed numerous new members, who briefly introduced themselves during the evening: Adix-Trade Kft., Bredex Hungary Kft., Design & Build Hungary Kft., Edag Group Hungary Kft., Hotelbox Hungary Kft. / Generali, Madis Consulting Kft., OMS Retail GmbH, Open Kernel Bt., and the University of Pécs. Among more longstanding members, White Hat IT Security Kft. also introduced itself, celebrating five years as part of the DUIHK community.
Returning on May 12, AmCham’s biannual HR Dream Day conference will focus on the disruptions that are transforming the world of work. Pay has long been one of the most sensitive and closely guarded areas of HR, but this is now changing. The EU Pay Transparency Directive is a concrete deadline that organizations need to prepare for. In the workshop “From Confidential to Compliant: Ready or Not, Pay Transparency is Coming,” experts from Wolf Theiss will explore one of today’s most significant workplace shifts and offer guidance on what pay transparency means in practice for organizations. This workshop will examine the Hungarian legal landscape, highlight the implications for employers, and show how a well-planned compliance approach can also create a competitive advantage. The experts leading the workshop will be Wolf Theiss’ head of employment, Barnabás Buzási, and senior associate Marietta Molnár. The HR Dream Day will also focus on the role of AI, dramatic transformations, and other forces that are redefining the strategic role of HR.
• When: Tuesday, May 12, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. • Where: Öbölház, Kopaszi-gát 2, 1117 Budapest • Fee: Members HUF 44,990 + VAT / person; non-members HUF 54,990 + VAT / person
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of April 24, 2026.
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