Éva Hegedüs

Introduction

I graduated with honours from the Budapest University of Economic Sciences, and in 1979 I began my professional career as a research fellow at the Institute of Industrial Economics and Organisation. Between 1981 and 1996, I worked in various government departments, serving as Deputy State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance from 1993.
From 1997, I was involved in the establishment of the Land Credit and Mortgage Bank; subsequently, as Deputy Chief Executive, I managed the bank’s risk management and securities divisions and organised the first mortgage bond issue in Hungary.
Between 2000 and 2002, as Deputy State Secretary for Strategy and Energy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, I oversaw the harmonisation of the regulation of the Hungarian energy sector with European Union standards, whilst also being responsible for the regulation of housing loans. Between 2002 and 2006, I headed OTP Bank’s retail division and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of OTP  Housing Savings Bank Ltd. From 2006, I worked as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BG Hungary Real Estate Finance Ltd. and BG Hungary Leasing Ltd. 
In 2010, Sándor Demján, one of the most respected major entrepreneurs in the Hungarian business world, asked me to lead the financial institution he had acquired, which was launched under the name Gránit Bank, and to develop its business strategy. As a co-founder, I have been Chief Executive Officer of Gránit Bank since its inception; in the early years I served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, and since the end of 2015 I have also been involved in the Bank’s management as Chairman of the Board.
I have been a member of the Executive Committee of the Hungarian Banking Association since 2013. From 2014, I served as Secretary-General of the Hungarian Economic Association, and since 2026 I have been its President. My professional work has been recognised with numerous domestic and international awards. In 2015, at the MasterCard – Bank of the Year awards ceremony, I was voted Banker of the Year based on votes cast by Hungarian bank executives. In 2017, I received the Hungarian Economy Award in recognition of my decades of outstanding work in the financial and banking sectors. The National Association of Managers honoured me with the 2020 Manager of the Year award.
In 2024, an independent jury from EY named me Entrepreneur of the Year. As a result, in June 2025, I became the first Hungarian woman to represent Hungary in Monaco at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year global final. In 2025, Forbes Hungary named me the most influential Hungarian businesswoman for the seventh consecutive year.

Why would you like to participate in the HBLF International X Mentor Program?

As a leader, I consider it an important responsibility to share the professional and leadership experience I have gained over the past decades with the next generation. It is particularly important to me to support young leaders and professionals so that they can make their own decisions with confidence, dare to innovate, and at the same time become value-driven and responsible leaders.
What I find particularly valuable about the HBLF International X Mentor Programme is that it brings together different generations, professional backgrounds and international perspectives. I believe in continuous learning, open and honest dialogue, and in the fact that gaining insight into different viewpoints enriches all our thinking. For me, therefore, taking part in the programme is an opportunity to pass on my experiences, discover new ideas and strengthen a community of leaders that creates value in the long term.

Have you ever had a mentor, or have you ever mentored someone? What did that mean to you?

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity on several occasions to mentor young managers and professionals. I have never regarded these relationships as a one-way transfer of knowledge: for me, mentoring has always been a process of mutual learning.
As a mentor, I naturally endeavour to pass on all the professional and leadership experience I have gained over the years; at the same time, my mentees’ questions, ways of thinking and fresh perspectives regularly prompt me to examine a situation from a different angle. I find it particularly inspiring to witness the progress someone makes as they shape their own leadership journey with increasing awareness and confidence.
For me, therefore, mentoring is not just about passing on experience, but also about attention, dialogue and mutual inspiration. It has reinforced my belief that leadership experience only becomes truly valuable when others can build on it.