Sándor Csányi (banker)
Sándor Csányi (born 20 March 1953) is a Hungarian billionaire businessman, banker, and philanthropist. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of OTP Bank Group, one of the largest financial groups in the CEE Region and the largest bank of Hungary. He is a shareholder and board member of the Hungarian-based multinational oil and gas company, MOL Group. He owns Bonafarm, a Hungarian food manufacturer. With an estimated wealth of 294.3 billion forint ($1 billion) as of 2017, he is according to Forbes, the wealthiest person in Hungary,[2] and the country's first billionaire.[3]
Sándor Csányi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 March 1953 |
| Citizenship | Hungarian |
| Alma mater | Budapest Business School Karl Marx University |
| Occupation | CEO, OTP Bank |
| Known for | holdings in OTP Bank, MOL Group and Bonafarm President of the Hungarian Football Federation "the richest person in Hungary" |
| Net worth | US$1.1 billion (April 2020)[1] |
| Board member of | Hungarian Football Federation (Chairman) Hungarian National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers (VOSZ) (Co-Chairman) MOL Group (Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors) European Board of Directors for MasterCard Hungarian Banking Association |
| Spouse(s) | Erika (Kári) Csányi |
| Children | 5 |
Early life
Sándor Csányi was born on the 20 March 1953 in a lower middle-class agricultural family in Jászárokszállás. His father, József Csányi was the field guard of the cooperative of Jászárokszállás. His mother, Amália Ballagó was a line driver also in the town's cooperative. He has two brothers. His parents were beekeepers and produced sugar beets. He is of Jassic descent.[4]
When he was 14 years old, he moved from rural Hungary to Budapest.[5]
Education
He graduated from Budapest Business School in 1974 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and in 1980 from the Budapest University of Economics with a degree in economics and thereafter received his doctorate.
Career
After graduation he worked at the Revenue Directorate and then at the Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance. Between 1983 and 1986, he was a departmental head at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. From 1986 to 1989 he worked as a head of department at Magyar Hitel Bank. He was deputy CEO of Kereskedelmi és Hitelbank from 1989 to 1992. In 1992 he became Chairman & CEO of OTP Bank Group and fired a number of managers (which was unthinkable in a formerly socialistic country). He is responsible for the Bank's strategy and overall operation.[6] After the privatization of OTP Bank in 1995, he started focusing on questions of broader strategic development.[5] He is a member of the European Board of Directors for MasterCard and is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of MOL Group, Co-Chairman of the Hungarian National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers (VOSZ) and until April 2011 was a member of the Board of Directors of the Hungarian Banking Association. He has been Chairman of the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) since July 2010.
In 2015, he was elected to the UEFA Executive Committee, and in March 2017 he was elected as a member of the FIFA Council, before being named Vice President of FIFA in February 2018.[7] It is said, that he is the biggest investor in agriculture and that his Bonafarma operates the 2nd biggest slaughterhouse in the nation.[6]
He maintained personal friendships with leading politicians, such as then Minister of Finance, later Prime Minister Péter Medgyessy and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.[5] His net worth is estimated at over US$1 billion.[5]
Together with other rich people of the country, he was implicated with the leaked documents Panama Papers in 2016. He justified his connection with the argument that it had been necessary due to international cooperation.[8][9]
Personal life
He is married to Erika Csányi, and they have five children.
References
- "Forbes profile: Sandor Csanyi". forbes.com. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- 33 leggazdagabb magyar 2017
- "Hungary's First Billionaire Went From Banking To Farming And Beyond". Forbes.com. 2016-04-28. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
- "Forbes profiles Hungary's first billionaire". Hungarian Free Press. 2016-04-30. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
- "#1941 Sandor Csanyi". Forbes. 2019-09-17. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
- "Sándor Csányi re-elected to UEFA ExCo while also becoming UEFA and FIFA vice president". DAILY NEWS HUNGARY. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
- "Panama Papers: Hungarian billionaires's offshore secrets revealed". DIREKT36. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
- "Panama files: the richest Hungarians included". DAILY NEWS HUNGARY. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Elemér Terták |
CEO of OTP Bank 1992– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Civic offices | ||
| Preceded by István Kisteleki |
President of the Hungarian Football Federation 2010– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Gábor Várszegi |
Hungary's richest person 2005–2007 |
Succeeded by Sándor Demján |
| Preceded by Sándor Demján |
Hungary's richest person 2011–2014 |
Succeeded by György Gattyán |
| Preceded by György Gattyán |
Hungary's richest person 2015–2018 |
Succeeded by Lőrinc Mészáros |