EXIM Hungary appoints new CEO

From the end of April 2025, Kornél Kisgergely, Chairman of the Board and CEO of EXIM Hungary, will continue his career as State Secretary for Public Finances at the Ministry for National Economy. EXIM Hungary’s management will be taken over by Dr. Adrienn Berta, the company’s former Deputy CEO for Business Operations, who will be replaced by István Széll, Director of Corporate Finance.

Kornél Kisgergely led EXIM Hungary and the organisation’s economic stimulation efforts from June 2022. As the company’s president and CEO, he is associated not only with EXIM Hungary, but also with one of the largest and most successful loan programmes in Hungarian history, the Baross Gábor Reindustrialisation Loan Programme, which supports the growth of Hungarian companies and has contributed a total of HUF 1,200 billion to the development of Hungarian businesses and the promotion of their investments. The executive also played an active role in the creation of EXIM Hungary’s  export promotion and investment support loan schemes launched at the end of last year as part of the Demján Sándor Programme. Under Kornél Kisgergely’s leadership, the institution also achieved significant results in the area of fundraising. The bank also carried out three record-breaking international foreign currency bond issues that attracted significant investor interest, with transactions worth USD 1.25 billion and EUR 1 billion in 2023 and a further EUR 500 million in 2024. Although Kornél Kisgergely is stepping down from his previous position, he will continue to support the strategic management of the institutional pair as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Dr. Adrienn Berta, EXIM Hungary’s current Deputy CEO for Business Operations, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. She has played an indispensable role in the management of the company for many years. Dr. Adrienn Berta is a professional with many years of experience in management, corporate finance, corporate law and banking, and her appointment guarantees that EXIM Hungary’s senior management will continue to be of the highest professional standard. After graduating from the University of Szeged with a degree in law, she began her career at Baker & McKenzie Law Firm and Imre & Partners Law Firm. In 2007, she joined MKK Hungarian Debt Management Office as manager, passed her bar exam in 2009, and later obtained a degree in economics. From 2009, she worked at CIB Bank in various areas. From 2017 to 2019, she was executive director of the Business Management Directorate at the Hungarian Development Bank. Subsequently, she was actively involved in the renewal and reorganization of Start Garancia Plc. and in stabilizing its operations. Since 2022, in addition to her position at EXIM Hungary, she has also been Chair of the Board of Directors of Start Garancia Plc. Dr. Adrienn Berta is the first female CEO in the history of EXIM Hungary.

“The primary goal of the entire management team is to ensure continuity at the organizational level for EXIM Hungary so that the institution can provide the highest quality support to domestic companies and the Hungarian economy. We are grateful to Kornél Kisgergely for his excellent work and dedication, who has achieved numerous milestones with EXIM Hungary in recent years. Congratulations on your new appointment! For my part, I would like to express my gratitude for the trust placed in me and the honour of taking over the management of Hungary’s export credit agency, which plays a key role in making domestic companies more competitive. I would also like to congratulate István Széll on his appointment and wish him every success in his new role,” said Dr. Adrienn Berta, the newly appointed CEO of EXIM Hungary.

István Széll, who served as the institution’s Corporate Finance Director since September 2022, will take over the position of Deputy CEO for Business Operations. His 12 years of commitment to EXIM Hungary and his professional expertise provide a solid foundation for him to fill his new position. After graduating from Szent István University in 2005, he joined OTP Bank as a corporate advisor, then worked at MKB as a customer relationship manager and corporate consultant. At EXIM Hungary, he held the positions of senior product specialist and then chief product specialist between 2013 and 2015, and between 2015 and 2022 he was Deputy Director of Corporate Finance and Credit Guarantees.