Signature 40: operational marketing professionals in the spotlight again

By: Trademagazin editor Date: 2023. 10. 13. 11:29

Once again the Signature Platform has rewarded the operational professionals behind successful campaigns and projects. The idea to reward the best brand managers of the year came from advertising professionals Márton Nagy and Ádám Vaszary.

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2023/10.

– This is the second year you organised Signature 40. What were your experiences from last year?

Ádám Vaszary, founder of Signature 40

– Ádám Vaszary: Last year we already felt that we were on to something that the industry really needed, but this year was a real breakthrough. Last time we evaluated 46 applications, this year there were 220 entries – this is a stunning number.

– How has the competition changed this year? What worked so well last time that you kept it for the 2023 contest?

Márton Nagy, co-founder of Signature 40

– Márton Nagy: One of the most important improvements was the introduction of thematic lists as a kind of sector- or industry-specific shortlist, before the main ranking, the Signature 40 list – which contains the Top 40 managers – is compiled.

– Who were the jury panel members this year?

– ÁV: Our professional and media partners have contributed to selecting the members of the jury panel. We have put together a decision-making panel of 72 online members and a 15-member Board of Trustees. In just one week, the jury voted on the nominees 3,297 times.

– The award ceremony was held at the Marketing Summit in mid-September. How difficult was the jury’s task this year?

– ÁV: It was very difficult for the jury. On the one hand, even the applicants themselves are learning the criteria, so the quality of the applications has varied greatly. Another task was that we had to filter out the decision-makers from the entries. We still have a lot of work to do to explain what we mean by operational professionals.

– What were the strongest segments, from which the most applicants came? How did the new thematic lists work?

– MN: We received the most entries for the Signature Brand brand manager list, which was followed closely by the FMCG sector-specific list. We believe that the thematic lists have worked very well. We announced 8 lists this year, but the initiative could have handled twice as many.

Zsuzsanna Hermann, managing director and editor-in-chief of Trade magazin with the founders – We’ll carry on next year

– What can we expect next year? What are the long-term plans with Signature 40?

– MN: There will be thematic lists, we are going to focus on organising a really prestigious award ceremony, and we will continue to fine-tune the criteria. Our main focus is going be on communication, extending the entry deadlines, and organising workshops and consultations on how to enter.

– ÁV: What we still believe in very much is the referral system. It is a very good feeling for the recommending person, but also for the candidate. We also plan to launch our Signature Alumni programme with the winners – there are already more than 110 of them with this year’s lists.

Signature 40 winners with the founders at the awards ceremony. First place goes to Flóra Németh (Magyar Telekom),

second to Krisztina Kérdő (Zwack Unicum),

and the third place to Zsófia Metykó (Yettel Magyarország). Congratulations!

Signature 40 thematic lists

First place on the Trade list: Krisztina Kérdő, Zwack Unicum

Second place on the Trade list: Dániel Kis, Heinemann

3rd place on the Trade list: Tímea Tulkán, Metro

1st place on the FMCG thematic list: Anna Tuyaerts, Nestlé Hungária

2nd place on the FMCG thematic list: Dóra Szekeres , Hell Energy

3rd place on the FMCG list: Dénes Szántó, B-F Hungary

Signature 40 nyertesei

SIGNATURE 40 CURATORIES

TIBOR METYKÓEuronics –MMSZ Delegate

ORSOLYA LUDVIG MCC – MPRSZ Delegate

PÉTER TIBOR JUHÁSZ VODAFONE – M Lista Delegate

GÁBOR VARGA Publicis Group– M Lista Delegate

GERGŐ HORVÁTH Artificial Group –M Lista Delegate

PÉTER BARNA Telekom – Signature 40 2022

OLGA BÖLÖNI Yettel – Signature 40 2022

DANIEL SALEM Heineken – Signature 40 2022

IRÉN HERMANN kreatív

ZSUZSANNA HERMANN Trade magazin

ANITA KIRÁLY Portfolio

TAMÁS RITTER Marketing&Media

ANDRÁS SZTANISZÁV MPRSZ

#1 Flóra Németh

Flóra Németh joined Magyar Telekom five years ago as a senior communications expert, and since 2022 she has been responsible for the strategic external PR activities of the corporate communications team, as PR and content product owner. She draws inspiration for her work and energy for her everyday life from art – primarily contemporary art. //

#2 Krisztina Kérdő

Krisztina was born in Budapest and she graduated from Corvinus University of Budapest, with a degree in marketing. Her thesis won the first prize in the “Kreatív Award – 2000” competition of the trade magazine Kreatív. She currently lives with her family (she is the mother of two children) in Telki. Her hobby is basketball, which has always been a great love of hers. //

#3 Zsófia Metykó

Since April 2023 Zsófia has been responsible for Yettel’s home internet and TV, and entertainment segment. Before that she worked in the mobile segment as segment manager, and later as group manager. Living with autism and ADHD, Zsófia Metykó is passionate about diversity and inclusivity, and in her free time she also works with people with disabilities. //

#4 Dániel Kis

Dániel has a degree in economics from the Faculty of Business Administration of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He joinedthe Beam Suntory portfolio in April 2018 as trade marketing manager. Here he has led several exciting projects, and he is particularly proud to have finished in the Top 3 for three consecutive years in the drinks category of the “Most Successful Promotion of the Year” competition, with the Jim Beam brand. //

#5 Petra Székely-Németh

Petra Székely-Németh became interested in the world of communication and media at a very early age. She has been a member of the SPAR Magyarország team since 2013. She works with great dedication and enthusiasm to strengthen the company’s reputation. Her family, her husband and her children give her a stable and loving background on this journey. //

#6 Enikő Czabányi

Enikő Czabányi started her career as a trainee at Telekom, and then she gradually worked her way up the ranks. Currently – as the head of a young content creation team – she is responsible for the social media content that is constantly building the brand. Enikő and her team are working to provide full support to campaigns, and to produce the best results in the social media world. //

#7 Réka Forgách

Réka started her career at Unilever in 2011, where she was admitted to the Future Leaders trainee programme. In 2013 she moved on to Essity, where she has been working for more than 10 years. In 2017 she was appointed head of the shopper marketing team, and in 2018 she decided to gain experience in another field, becoming brand manager of the Zewa brand. //

#8 Tímea Tulkán

Tímea has been working at METRO Kereskedelmi Kft. for 10 years. During this time she has acquired comprehensive experience in the areas of own brand, commercial activities, assortment management, marketing, trade marketing, and target group management. //

#9 Dóra Lovász

Dóra has been working for Dreher Breweries for 12 years now, where she was appointed trade marketing manager four years ago. Her current focus is on managing the on-trade and traditional off-trade channels of Dreher Breweries. Besides the traditional Hungarian brands, Dóra is also responsible for the trade marketing of the globally popular brands. //

#10 Melinda Jakus

Melinda started her career at Henkel already during her university studies, where she worked as a regional brand management intern. In 2017 she joined Coca-Cola HBC as a sales and marketing management trainee. This year she was assigned to the biggest category as portfolio development lead, so now she is responsible for the carbonated soft drinks category. //

#11 Dóra Sebesta

Dóra began her professional career in the United States, where she spent her undergraduate internship. Then she continued her career at Danone from 2015, before she joined the Magyar Telekom team in November 2020, where she has been given the most exciting project of her career so far: in 2023 Dóra was responsible for the commercial communication and distribution of the “Marsra magyar!” sitcom series. //

#12 Dóra Vorigin

Dóra received her master’s degree in June 2014 from the Budapest Business University, specialising in visual communication. After that she joined the team of PR agency Well, before leaving to get acquainted with digital communication tools at Kraftwork Advertising Agency. Since September 2020 she has been working as external communications manager of Auchan. //

#13 Réka Tóbiás

Réka Tóbiás has managed several exciting projects and campaigns during her stint at Telenor/Yettel. In addition to the creative opportunities that these have brought, she has also been part of larger projects that has involved the interior design and redesign of stores, as well as managing social issues, such as promoting unity through sport. //

Tuyaerts Anna, Nestlé Purina

#14 Anna Tuyaerts

Anna is a marketing professional with more than 10 years of experience and a strong background in FMCG. She speaks three languages and has a degree in economics. She has been working for Nestlé Hungária Kft. for 10 years. She is an optimistic, proactive leader and passionate about motivating others. She has studied and worked in different countries, and can easily find her place in different intercultural environments. //

#15 Tímea Balogh

Tímea Balogh is content chapter lead in Telekom’s brand communication team. She came to the client side with 10 years of agency background, which she considers a special advantage in an agile organisation and in agency collaborations. She prefers campaigns that show the real benefits of telecommunication and digitalisation, and thanks to this have an impact on people’s lives. //

#16 Sára Zsadon

Starting her career in journalism with a degree in humanities, Sára Zsadon later moved on to PR, where she began working in media monitoring on the agency side. She later continued as a consultant and then became account director before joining Yettel. In her current position she is responsible for the PR backing of consumer campaigns. //

#17 Dénes Szántó

Dénes is a senior brand manager at Brown-Forman. He is responsible for the Jack Daniel’s, Finlandia and Gin Mare brands with a 2-member team, as well as e-commerce operations in 6 countries. He has a brand and trade marketing background, mainly in the FMCG industry. He also worked as a head bartender in Spain for a while. //

#18 Dóra Szekeres

Dóra started her career at HEINEKEN Hungária in 2016 and worked there for six years. In March 2022 she continued her professional journey in the HELL Energy team, where she is currently responsible for the global brand strategy of HELL ICE COFFEE in nearly 30 countries. //

#19 Eszter Bohátka

Eszter Bohátka started her career as PR and communications assistant at Béres Pharmaceuticals, where she learned how to design creative and innovative campaigns in a regulated environment. She then spent her one and a half year sabbatical in Berlin, after which she returned to the banking sector, where she joined the PR and marketing communications team at CIB Bank. She works on internal communication, employer branding and CSR projects. //

#20 Ditta Antalóczi

Ditta started her career in the automotive industry, before entering the world of trade marketing in FMCG. Her experience in the industry and her open mindedness encourage her to think innovatively. One of her most influential professional experiences was the rebranding of Telenor-Yettel, especially the implementation in physical channels. //

#21 Bernadett Balogh

Bernadett is a shopper marketing manager with more than 5 years of active FMCG experience. She has great experience in fields such as retail, e-commerce, finance and trade marketing, and has worked on brands like Heineken, Soproni and Gösser. Under Bernadett’s leadership, the organisation finished in the Top 3 in two professional competitions in 2022. Recently she has been named head of the HoReCa trade marketing team. //

#22 Mária Lénárt

Mária Lénárt joined SPAR Magyarország Kereskedelmi Kft. more than 20 years ago, and has been working as a loyalty promotions manager since 2022. During this period she has worked with several brands. It is precisely because of Mária’s managerial influence and her brand loyalty that SPAR – one of the leading brands in Hungary – is so diverse and innovative. //

#23 Máté Nagy

Máté has led teams and projects on both the client and agency side, from brand campaigns across Europe to service launches for great brands such as Telekom, McDonald’s and currently foodora. For two years, as head of brand and communications at foodora, he has been working to combine marketing strategy planning with conceptual thinking, storytelling, and a production-ready approach. //

#24 Máté Marczinkó

Máté Marczinkó started his career as a professional handball player, and after 10 years in the top flight he became a trainee at HELL Energy, where he learned about the work of and interrelationship between different divisions. Afterwards he worked on the Rama brand for Upfield, before he was promoted to the position of Upfield’s Hungarian portfolio manager, managing the Rama, Flora and Delma brands. //

#25 Bence Balogh

Bence joined Nestlé Hungária Kft. in 2013, where he started his career as a MAGGI marketing trainee. In 2014 he was appointed marketing assistant for the Maggi category. At the end of 2018 he was promoted to channel and e-commerce manager, before he took over the leadership of the Purina trade marketing team as category manager in spring 2019. //

#26 Eszter Hegedűs

Eszter has been working in marketing for 15 years, and during this time she has worked at advertising agencies and small and large FMCG companies. She has been a member of the Essity team for nine years. For three years now she has been responsible for Libresse and TENA products in the Czech, Polish, Slovak and Hungarian markets. //

#27 Anikó Radosiczky

With more than 29 years of marketing experience at Hungarian and international companies, Anikó Radosiczky has spent most of her career working in multinational environments. She has worked as a team member and as leader of a team, and sometimes she coordinated the work of and represented up to 18 people. She has acquired experience in a variety of areas including OTC/pharma, retail, and FMCG. //

#28 Krisztina Gulyás

Krisztina started her career at SPAR in October 2007, and became part of the SPAR marketing team in 2013. At the beginning she worked in the in-store and outdoor team, but later she joined the online marketing team, where she has been working ever since. Despite the peculiarity of the field, she has been involved in the organisation of several integrated campaigns. //

#29 Krisztina Papp

As the marketing manager of In-Food 2000 Kft., Krisztina is responsible for building long- and short-term marketing plans in cooperation with the manufacturing companies – in addition to coordinating marketing and sales activities. She is also doing the development and execution work of the annual marketing campaigns (ATL/BTL) for the brands marketed by the company. //

#30 Szabina Mitter

Szabina began her career at Mizo, where she worked for 3 years as an FMCG communications and event organiser. At the end of 2017 she moved on to Telenor, where she started as marketing communication manager. In autumn 2022 she was named senior brand activation manager at Yettel, where her mission is to bring the values and messages of the Yettel brand to life, for customers both old and new. //

#31 Orsolya Liptai

Orsolya has worked at Nestlé since 2014. During her career she has been active in several fields, including marketing and trade marketing. She started as an intern on the Maggi brand, and later joined the seasonal confectionery team full-time as marketing assistant. Next she moved on to pet food and trade marketing, where she has been working since 2019. //

#32 Márton Vecsei

As senior brand manager of HELL Energy Magyarország for almost 3 years, Márton Vecsei has been responsible for the marketing of 3 from the company’s 5 brands. Currently he is working on the global marketing strategy, communication and product portfolio of the HELL, XIXO and SWISS brands. Before joining HELL in 2020, he filled brand and trade marketing positions at the BMW Group and Heineken. //

#33 Zita Müller

Zita Müller started her career in marketing as trade marketing assistant at Zwack Unicum Nyrt in January 2018. In June 2019 she joined the Maresi Foodbroker Kft. team as junior brand manager, where in June 2021 she was appointed brand manager. She was ranked 26th on the Signature 40 list in 2022. This year she was asked to be one of the authors of the Marketing Trendbook 2023-2024 publication. //

#34 Kinga Pál

Kinga started working at Plus Diszkont Kft. in 1993, and in 2000 she was appointed head of marketing of Kaiser’s. In 2004 – after the acquisition of Kaiser’s – she became a member of the marketing team of SPAR Magyarország Kft. Since January 2022 she has been working as POS manager of the INTERSPAR network, which operates as a separate brand. //

#35 Dóra Gilányi

Dóra Gilányi joined WWF Magyarország’s communications department in 2018, at first working on the communication of nature conservation projects. Since 2021 she has been responsible for managing the communications team as the communications manager of the organisation. Before WWF she had a stint in marketing at marketing agency Chiro and at Big Bang Media. //

#36 Claudia Maddaléna Rossi

Claudia Maddaléna Rossi has been with Henkel for more than 6 years, and she is currently working as digital marketing manager in the Henkel Consumer Brands business unit, in the detergent and cleaning products categories. Since 1 August 2022 she has been facing new challenges as the CEE regional digital manager in the HCB business unit. //

#37 Viktória Szabó

Having spent over 12 years in marketing, Viktória Szabó worked at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health for 9 years, and now she is a member of the Kenvue team. She has already worked with all of the company’s mass and OTC brands, and currently leads the skin and baby care team. Her daily work is focused on the Neutrogena, Le Petit Marseillais and Johnson’s brands. //

#38 Éva Gila

Éva has more than 20 years of marketing experience, especially in the FMCG sector. 2023 brought a big change in her life, as she moved from the manufacturing side to the retail side, where she can profit from her experience in manufacturing. For Éva credibility and well-planned processes are very important, and she takes pleasure in a job well done. //

#39 Dóra Csoknyai

Dóra started her FMCG career at Unilever in 2016, she worked in the ice cream category. She later joined the Coca Cola HBC team, where she belonged to the Brown-Forman portfolio. In 2020 she started working for HELL Energy, where the trade marketing organisation was established with her arrival. //

#40 Beáta Sós

Beáta Sós graduated from Corvinus University of Budapest, and after this she worked in the marketing communication team of Erste Bank and in the oil industry. Since 2015 she has been the senior marketing communication executive of K&H Group. She loves her job because it always offers a variety of tasks and believes in collective thinking, teamwork, and brand strength. //

Tags: FMCG, márkamenedzser, Marketing Summit, Signature 40, Trade magazin 2023/10, trade marketing

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