Zsombor Csiszár

Introduction

I have been working at MSCI, one of the world’s leading financial data providers, for over 10 years. MSCI supports the global investment community with indices and analytical tools. I started as a Senior IT Systems Engineer in the diverse, international team that I have now been leading for three years. We work with senior engineers from the U.S., Mexico, Hungary, and India on the IT infrastructure of the company’s global offices across 40 locations and 25+ countries.

The team I lead is responsible for building and operating a modern, secure, and flexible infrastructure that enables colleagues to work as comfortably as possible—whether in an office or home environment—while meeting the strict requirements of the financial sector. My team also plays a key role in ensuring the company’s IT security capabilities. This is perhaps our most serious responsibility: we must protect the company and our colleagues from accidental errors, intentional misuse, and external attacks alike. At a financial data provider, this is a daily reality. We must achieve all this without letting excessive security measures hinder our work. The company’s clients are the world’s largest investors. If MSCI were to go down for a week, it would be as if the world’s financial GPS had disappeared and major investment funds didn’t know where to allocate their assets. It is our job to ensure that this never happens, not even for a moment.

Over the years, I have consistently strived to develop not only technically but also as a leader. Currently, in addition to strategic and project management tasks, I spend a lot of time managing cultural differences, primarily by aligning Asian, European, and American perspectives. In addition, I am actively involved in change management, effective communication, and integrating newly acquired companies into our existing systems.

For me, these situations represent not only leadership challenges but also valuable learning opportunities about people, cultures, organizations, and collaboration.

Why would you like to join the HBLF International X Mentor Programme?

From my own experience and the examples of people I know, I’ve seen just how helpful an outside perspective can be when someone gets stuck in a professional or leadership situation. In recent years, I’ve been fortunate to work with highly experienced, well-qualified American professionals who, while not officially mentors, provided me with immense support through their questions, advice, and insights at just the right moments. So far, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in two external mentoring programs as a mentee, one of which was the HBLF program. These experiences have fundamentally influenced my professional and leadership development—I learned a great deal from them, and I am grateful for them.

This time, however, I would like to take on a new role as a mentor—to share my experiences, listen, ask questions, and be there for someone, just as others were there for me back then.

Have you had a mentor or have you mentor before? What has it given to you? 

Over the past few years, I’ve had many opportunities to support others, both formally and informally: helping new colleagues settle in, advising on career decisions, or discussing leadership roles. These occasions have always energized me and reaffirmed my desire to support others in their development, whether in understanding a specific situation or in finding their long-term direction.

That is why I feel it is important to give back what I have received.