We bring talent and opportunity together!
Women senior executives advocate for equal opportunities for the Romani community at an initiative by the HBLF
Talent is distributed evenly throughout our society: talented young people live in every community and in families of all economic and social backgrounds. Access to opportunities, however, is unfortunately far from being as widely available. The Hungarian Business Leaders Forum (HBLF) campaign draws attention to this structural problem on the occasion of International Romani Culture Day on April 8. The initiative is backed by nine female senior executives who all believe—both in their professional lives and on a societal level—that the development of talent should not depend on the social background into which we are born. The Romaster Foundation, established by the HBLF, also lends professional credibility to the campaign. The initiative is being implemented in partnership with Romani Design, which also believes that recognizing and supporting talent is not only a social but also an economic interest.
Who decides whether someone can become a professional?
The Roma community is Hungary’s largest minority, yet we rarely see Roma leaders in the business world. It is important to note that this is not due to a lack of talent, but rather to barriers to social mobility. This is why the HBLF-Romaster Foundation was established, which, in partnership with the business sector, helps Roma youth gain access to higher education and creates the conditions that ensure equal opportunity is not just a catchy slogan, but translates into real action.
Based on domestic data, it can be said that:
- The employment rate among the Roma is approximately 45.9%, while for the total population it is 77.9%.
- The employment rate among Roma women is particularly low: approximately 34%.
- Nearly 40% of Roma youth are neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET).
- Only 3.3% of Roma adults have a college degree.
- Only about 7% of Roma workers are employed in white-collar jobs.
These disparities should not be interpreted as a series of individual decisions, but rather as the result of mutually reinforcing structural disadvantages: access to education, social capital, social networks, and institutional practices collectively shape career paths. The HBLF-Romaster Foundation, established by the HBLF, aims to support talented young people of Roma origin and raise awareness that everyone is equally entitled to opportunities.
“As female leaders, many of us have experienced what it’s like to be in the minority in the business world. Perhaps that is precisely why we feel it is especially important to stand up for a social cause that creates opportunities and possibilities for others as well. As influential leaders, it is our responsibility to give back to society and show the way to young people who have the talent. I believe that when opportunity and talent come together, the future truly belongs to everyone,” said Andrea Istenes Solti, President of the HBLF.
“For us, Romani Design isn’t primarily about visibility, but about who is shaping the future and what values they represent. “Anyone who wears Romani Design makes a visible gesture in support of a philosophy that values talent, dignity, cultural values, and social responsibility equally,” said Erika Varga, founder and artistic director of Romani Design.
A community response to a social problem
A key element of the campaign is that the leadership can also play an active role in shaping these processes. This is demonstrated by the fact that female leaders such as Nikolett Blaskó (Managing Director and Founder of ACG Advertising Agency), Teodóra Bodó (Director of Communications and Government Relations for Hungary and the Adriatic Region, Bosch Group), Éva Hegedűs (Chairwoman and CEO, Gránit Bank Nyrt.), Gabriella Heiszler (Chairwoman and Managing Director, SPAR Hungary), Andrea Istenes Solti (Chairwoman, HBLF), Tímea Jamniczky (CEO, JCDecaux Hungary), Beáta Juvancz (Managing Director, BlackRock Hungary), Krisztina Kende-Hofherr (Communications Specialist, Director of the MVÜK Women’s Business Club), Zsófia Makádi (Managing Director, Romaster Foundation), Mónika Pais (CEO, Diageo Zrt.). In addition, the Hungarian brands Romani and Rekavago, as well as the ACG agency and the international brands Bobbi Brown and Jean Louis David, played an active role in the creative implementation of the campaign. The campaign’s message is also supported by a fashion exhibition organized between April 8 and 30, which will be open to the public at the Pullman Hotel.
In 2007, HBLF launched the ROMASTER talent development program, followed by the HBLF-ROMASTER Foundation in 2010. Through mentoring, corporate partnerships, and long-term support, the program seeks to reduce the structural barriers that limit social mobility.
The current campaign highlights how access to opportunities can become systemic and what we can do, both individually and at the corporate level, to ensure that one day this mindset becomes the norm. The initiative draws attention to the fact that social mobility is not the responsibility of a single institution or actor, yet the business sector plays an undeniable role in fostering the convergence of talent and opportunity.