Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency

The young Shared Services Centres (SSC) sector has developed at a rapid pace in Hungary during the past few decades, therefore it has played a key role in investment into Hungary and in the success of the Hungarian economy as a whole. SSC holds second place in terms of the number of positive projects managed by HIPA and also for job creation by industry sector; in 2016 almost 2,500 new positions were created by 12 projects, while 7 projects in the first half of 2017 created 1,333 new jobs. HIPA is currently managing 11 active pre-deal projects in the SSC sector. If the current parameters for these projects come to fruition, then a total of 1,560 new positions will be created by the investments.

Moreover, the SSC sector counts as a high value-added industry with numerous engineering and development-related projects opting for Hungary. Locations outside of Budapest – such as Pécs, Debrecen, Szeged, and Székesfehérvár, where the educational infrastructure is excellent – are increasingly being chosen. These cities are open to this development, as it creates employment there for young and well-educated professionals.

During this year's gala, a unique 360-degree representative survey of the sector was carried out, which provided an insight into the current market situation, and SSC Center of Excellence and Best in Educational Cooperation prizes were awarded based on the results of a Hungarian Shared Services & Outsourcing Insight survey and the decision of a professional jury.

This year's Center of Excellence prize was accepted on behalf of Nokia by Country Director Béla Zagyva. Nokia has been present in Hungary since 1997, and during those two decades it has achieved a significant position for itself on the global market in many areas, including the Budapest SSC, where all of the accounting, finance, tax, HR, procurement and marketing activities are carried out for the entire Nokia group.

More than 2,000 employees now work for Nokia in Budapest, the majority in world-class technology development, and more than 600 provide shared services to the other members of the corporate group. Nokia is proud that it is attractive for young professionals and is doing everything it can to create a strong and well-educated base of professionals in Hungary, who can seek their dreams in their home country.

The Best in Educational Cooperation prize was won by MOL Hungary, represented by Csaba Bozóki. One of the foundations of MOL Hungary's strategy to discover talent is its cooperation with numerous institutions of secondary and higher education. It offers a significant number of vocational and student placements and bursaries, and supports endowments and student organizations, societies and clubs. From this year onwards, it will place a significant emphasis on stimulating educational contacts in the area of shared services.

Péter Csucska, the Managing Director of Lexmark Budapest Competence Center, was awarded SSC Manager of the Year. He joined Lexmark in 2008 and since 2014 has been the manager of Lexmark International Technology Hungary Kft. He is a well-known manager among the SSC community in Central and Eastern Europe, and actively participates in the work of various professional forums.