Magazine: Always going forward

Semsei Rudolf

MVI vice president Rudolf Semsei started working in the organisation because he believes: problems that restaurant owners can’t solve alone can be solved if they join forces. It was MVI president László Kovács who asked him to fill the position – it is life’s irony that the two work together in MVI and outside the guild’s ranks they are each other’s biggest competition as party service providers. Mr Semsei’s view is that there are good restaurants in Hungary but the trade can’t make progress until people have enough money to spend on eating out; this is especially true outside Budapest. He thinks that restaurant owners need to pay more attention to surveying the market and making proper business plans. Low prices aren’t enough: restaurant owners have to make their place different, unique and know 2 years in advance what their next step will be. The vice president considers himself a team player who is very critical of himself. He is the kind of person who always starts solving problems by asking himself what is it that he can do better. Mr Kovács and Mr Semsei’s goal is to have excellent relations with other trade organisations and legislators. Recently they successfully lobbied for changes in the excise duty law and made successful recommendations about trade education. He is hopeful that their suggestion regarding the matter of master-level professionals mentoring the work of students at places of practical trade education as of 1 September 2015 will also be taken into consideration by policymakers.