Szilvia Bogdán

I am an executive leader with over 20 years of experience supporting business growth, transformation, and organizational effectiveness in complex, international environments. I partner with senior leadership to translate strategy into scalable execution, particularly during periods of change and expansion.

My experience spans IT, FMCG, services, and retail, including Coca-Cola, Heineken, Philips, and Sanofi, as well as extensive global transformation work at Avis Budget Group. In this context, I contributed to large-scale expansion and transformation initiatives, including the build-up and rapid scaling of a multifunctional Shared Services Centre from 300 to over 1,000 employees, which became a best-in-class, award-winning operation and later enabled global process and system standardization.

I currently serve as Chief People Officer and Board Member at NEXON Kft, a market-leading HR and payroll technology company, where I support business growth and digital transformation through leadership, organizational design, and capability development.

I am a trusted advisor to executive teams, recognized for strengthening leadership effectiveness, improving organizational resilience, and delivering sustainable impact in areas critical to business performance.

 

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

For me, the HBLF International X Mentor Program is a natural extension of the approach I adopt in my work as both a leader and a mentor: sharing knowledge, encouraging self-reflection and fostering responsible leadership within a safe, trusting environment. I see the programme as a value-creating community where diverse leadership experiences facilitate genuine learning.

I have been mentoring leaders and young professionals in various professional programmes for many years, and I believe that mentoring is truly effective when it is personalised, sincere and based on mutual commitment. The HBLF program embodies these qualities, which is why participating in it holds real value for me.

 

I am convinced that engaging talent is the foundation of sustainable business results. I view mentoring sessions as a joint, conscious effort that provides a space for planning for the future, organising goals and personal development. As a mentor, I participate fully in this process, sharing my experiences and the lessons I have learnt.

 

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

Throughout my career, I have had mentors who have helped me navigate complex organisational situations, reinforced my decisions and provided new perspectives on my leadership role. These relationships have played a major part in enabling me to manage both operational stability and continuous change simultaneously.

As a mentor, I have been actively supporting leaders, HR professionals and entrepreneurs in various professional and leadership development programmes for many years. For me, mentoring is not about giving advice, but about thinking together: helping the mentee find their own answers, their leadership identity and their scope for action.

It is particularly important to me, as a mentor, to create a psychologically safe space where questions, dilemmas and uncertainties can all be legitimate topics for discussion.