What were Lakógép Ltd.’s greatest successes in 2025? What was the biggest challenge for the company’s managing director? How are the company’s international relationships evolving, and what are the expectations for 2026? We discussed these questions, among others, with György Péter, the company’s managing director, in our year-end interview.

You took over as the CEO of Lakógép Ltd in the summer. What was the biggest surprise during the first few months? How did the reality of the company differ from your previous perception of it?

Fortunately, there were very few surprises during the initial period. During the selection process and onboarding, the owner, Patrik Palai, and the then Chief Operating Officer, Gábor Miheller, were extremely transparent. We discussed the company’s situation, its results and the known challenges in advance. This made my arrival much easier, enabling me to focus my energy on the tasks ahead.

As managing director, which of the measurable results or milestones achieved in 2025 are you most proud of?

The first significant success was signing a contract with a client. The project itself is special — perhaps it is enough to say that we are building in Iceland. However, what makes this project particularly important to me is that it was the first time I witnessed such strong collaboration and highly professional teamwork. As a result, our client signed the contract with us in the middle of summer.

Completing the Ecopro project was, of course, an outstanding achievement and the company’s greatest challenge. Nearly 125,000 square metres were completed, and the client has since obtained the occupancy permit. Ecopro recognised the tremendous effort, work and quality delivered by the entire Lakógép team. Furthermore, during the handover ceremony, I had the honour of accepting an award from the company president on behalf of our team.

I also consider the finalisation of Lakógép’s new long-term strategy at the end of last quarter to be a significant milestone, as it provides a clear vision for the future.

From a leadership perspective, which project or situation posed the biggest challenge this year? What did you learn from it?

Most projects were already in their closing phase by the time I arrived, which presented a challenge. This was primarily because my ability to influence the course of events was limited at this stage, meaning I could not point to any successes that were unequivocally my own. This caused some internal tension, mainly regarding the expectations I had set for myself.

How has the organisation of Lakógép changed over the past year? What new positions or roles have been created, and which competencies have been strengthened?

One of the most significant developments was the clarification of management roles and their respective areas of responsibility. For instance, László Vágó, the business development director, is responsible for activities ranging from lead generation to bidding for and concluding client contracts. Technical director Tamás Wildner is responsible for managing the entire project process, including technical preparation, procurement, implementation, and project closeout. This requires expertise and experience in human insight and organisational development, areas in which Gabriella Jáni excels. Meanwhile, our head of finance and fellow managing director, István Pelyhe, provides stable and reliable support in finance, controlling and many other background processes.

I believe this management team provides a solid foundation on which I can build with confidence. Regarding team competencies, we sometimes adapt to known needs, such as hiring a FIDIC engineer for a specific project. At other times, we proactively invest in team members to demonstrate our confidence in the future, for example by hiring experts in specialised fields.

A blogpost was published detailing how your responsibilities are divided with those of the company’s founder, Patrik Palai. How does the handover process work in practice? In which situations do you seek Patrik’s advice, and in which areas do you make decisions independently?

I would say that everything is proceeding exactly as we agreed. We laid down a plan at the beginning and have stuck to it ever since. I frequently consult with Patrik, seeking his opinion and sometimes his advice. Given his decades of experience, he can offer valuable insights on certain topics. I greatly appreciate our conversations, his support, and the autonomy I have in achieving our objectives.

In our post about international projects, we wrote in detail about cultural differences. From an operational leadership perspective, which international partnership showed the most development this year?

There are indeed cultural differences among our clients, but I believe that getting to know and understand our clients is one of the keys to success, whether differences are present. Understanding their needs and, in some cases, exploring their expectations with our partners is an exciting process that undoubtedly strengthens the relationship.

What are the two or three things you want to have achieved by 2026? How will the coming year be different for the company?

I can answer these questions relatively easily. The most important objective is to launch Lakógép’s new strategy and implement the necessary changes in the challenging market environment, taking a major step towards realising our long-term ambitions.

What have you learnt about yourself as a leader this year? Have you worked on improving a particular skill or area?

Above all, I realised this year how important a genuine human presence is to me in leadership. I realised that when I take the time to listen to my team and consider their perspectives, better decisions are made, and they become more committed.

Trust has always been the cornerstone of our organisation, and this year it became even clearer to me that it is our greatest asset. I had no difficulty delegating responsibility because I know the team can function effectively independently. Instead, I focused on creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas, questions or doubts.

I have focused much of my personal growth on being more present: judging more slowly, asking more questions and seeking feedback more frequently. I have learnt a great deal in the process. For instance, I am truly inspired when we develop solutions together rather than having to figure everything out alone.