Management Team

Tamás Vahl was born in Budapest in 1961. He spent part of his childhood in Germany, and he soon became fascinated by the variety of languages and the feeling of being international; this led to his early desire to be an interpreter or a diplomat. He took his school-leaving exams in Hungary, and continued his studies at the College of International Management and Business Studies in Budapest. After graduation, he joined Metrimpex, and later worked as sales manager for Konsumex and Medicor. After that he worked for Sicotac, a company which later became Siemens Kft., selling hardware and software produced by Siemens. From 1991, he led the Hungarian branch of Berliner Bank’s subsidiary of information technology; and in 1993, he joined IBM, where he was head of sales to industrial corporations and commercial and service businesses.

After two years there, staying in IT, he joined HP, where as Director of Commerce, he made HP a market leading company. Following the four years spent at HP, he switched to SAP, where he started as Director of Commerce, becoming its CEO in 2000. On joining the company, he was already familiar with SAP, as in his previous jobs he had regularly dealt with their products. He worked for SAP until February 2008, after which he became Director of Business Development for AAM Consulting. His main aim was to gain first-hand experience at making a private Hungarian company well-known on the international stage. He had similar motivations when he joined Nav N Go, where he has filled the position of CEO since December 2008.

He was formerly a member of the presidential board of the Hungarian Association of IT Companies (IVSZ); and today he is a member of the chair of the John von Neumann Computer Society (NJSZT). In May 2007, he was elected chairman of the German-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, a position he still holds. In 2005, he was awarded the Knight Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, in acknowledgment of the important role he has played in the development of Hungary’s IT infrastructure.

During the course of his life, he has tried almost every kind of sport, from surfing to judo. He is a keen sportsman in his spare time even today, and has been known to explore the world’s cities by roller skate.

Péter Balogh was born in 1977 in Budapest.
He was 7 years old when he received his first computer, a Commodore 64.
Games were soon replaced by inputting and running simple program lines. This became a decisive event in his life. In 1995, at 18, he started his first business, the development of an internet-based advertising system. This was followed by several further businesses, and then he became senior developer in Finland, with mobile phone manufacturer Nokia.

His interest in Windows CE-based handheld computers began in 1999, and he immediately started to write applications for PDAs, which were a novelty at that time. When he returned home, in 2001 his first own mobile solutions were already widely known.

In 2002, together with three partners, he established PDAmill Kft., specialising in the development of mobile games. Upon direction from Nav N Go Kft., he has been working on the development of the iGO My way GPS navigation software. When PDAmill and Nav N Go merged in August 2006, he became the Chief Technology Officer.

He spends his leisure time with his family, daughter, and when he has some spare time, he reads professional literature. 

Attila Kátai was born in 1974 in Budapest. He graduated from the Karinthy Frigyes Bilingual Secondary School, and continued his studies at Budapest Technical University specializing in Information Technology.

He first encountered GPS navigation during his university years, realizing that most such devices did not work in his native country due to the lack of a map of Hungary. Therefore in 2002 he began work on the creation of the first Hungarian navigation map and, as a strategic advisor of TopMap Kft., he participated in 2001-2002 in the map integration and business project of the well-known navigation software Destinator. After that, in 2003, he coordinated the establishment of the first Hungarian database for the two largest worldwide companies, Navteq and Tele Atlas, from both a technical and business point of view.

In 2004, the insufficiency of the domestic navigation market drove him to launch the development of completely new GPS navigation software, so he (together with three other companies) founded Nav N Go Kft., in 2004. From its establishment until February 2007, he acted as Chief Executive Officer of the company; and until May 2009, he filled the position of the Chief Content Officer of Nav N Go. As Nav N Go’s Business Development Director, he is currently responsible for seeking new business opportunities.

He spends his leisure time with his wife and son, and whenever he can, he takes long walks with his two dogs.

Born in 1960, Jim grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA) during a time of great innovation in technology. Educated at the Kiski School and West Virginia Wesleyan University, Jim has always followed his passions and has enjoyed a 25 year career in a variety of successful entrepreneurial endeavors.

As co-founder and CEO of GetLisa Wireless Services in 2000, Jim was one of the pioneers in realizing the paradigm changing potential of location technologies. The firm’s first product, GlobalDining.com, was among the world’s first Location Based Services, utilizing proprietary database technology and user generated content together with early LBS technologies in a manner that presaged today’s much hyped “Web 2.0” technologies.

By 2003, Jim had joined the original team of gate5 in Berlin, where he concentrated on the content side of the business together with establishing that venture in the Americas. Jim remained with Nokia for a year after its acquisition of gate5 and then joined Magellan Navigation as Director of Content, Services and Strategic Partnerships.

In late October 2008, Jim joined the Nav N Go team where he focuses on building the business, directing the activities of a globally distributed sales team, and helping to define Nav N Go’s market strategies.

While his responsibilities demand his presence on just about every continent, Jim finds the time to scuba dive in the warm waters of the Caribbean, add to (and subtract from) his wine cellar and continue his lifelong passion for overpowered American cars from his home base in rural Missouri.

Zoltán Szilágyi was born in Debrecen in 1980. He developed an interest in Information Technology as a young boy, and graduated at a vocational training school specializing in IT. Having gained some work experience in this area, he turned to business and took his BA in Business Studies at IBS-B, the Budapest-based college of Oxford Brookes University.

In 2000, he joined Webconsult Kft., the internet-related business branch of Műszertechnika Group, as Project Supervisor. After this, he built his career in mobile telephony and commerce, and as Business Development Manager at Ringphone Kft., the official distributor of Nokia, Samsung, and LG, he was responsible for identifying new, international business opportunities and sales channels, and established a branch for selling mobile content.

Looking for international challenges, he went to London in 2005, and pursued a career at Glu Mobile Ltd., a global publisher of mobile games, where, as distribution manager in charge of sales in Eastern Europe and Russia, his partners included most of the mobile providers in the region.

In 2007, he joined Nav N Go as the leader of the Content Management Team, where he played a fundamental role in conducting business with global content providers and in defining the company’s directions concerning content management. In 2009, he was promoted to Director of Product Marketing, where he is responsible for setting up and leading his team.

He spends his spare time with his family. He likes traveling abroad, and his favorite destinations include European capitals and seaside resorts.

Péter Szombathelyi was born in Budapest in 1962. After graduating in electrical engineering, he joined the Videoton Development Institute as a development engineer, and then worked in personal computer trading for Műszertechnika-Computer Kft. He later continued this activity at an international level with the Swiss-based company Procomp AG, where he maintained contact with the company’s subsidiaries and business partners in the USA, the Far East, and Western Europe. During the same period, he was also a programmer at Dataflex for a short while.

Following his six years in information technology, and seeking new challenges and experiences in corporate management, he joined the Fotex Group. As the Hungarian and Regional General Manager of the Optical Division, his main duties included restructuring and developing the commercial companies, acquisitions, international expansion, building up the Vision Express brand name in Hungary, and introducing IT-based company management systems (SAP).

The Fotex optical group, with a presence in three countries, was bought by the largest professional investor, after which Péter Szombathelyi was asked by the owner of Libri Kft to take on the management of one of Hungary’s most successful bookstore chains. His major achievements include the introduction of the entire ERP system, the successful launch of the Romanian affiliate and its business activities, the remarkable expansion of the customer base and customer care, and the implementation of a new marketing strategy.

He joined the Nav N Go team as Chief Operating Officer in April 2009. His primary task is to manage the operational areas, but he also plays an active role in implementing the company’s commercial strategy.

In his spare time, he likes reading, riding his bicycle or motorbike, and he is a keen traveler. He is living in his second marriage.

Miklós Fülöp was born in Székesfehérvár in 1977. He first developed an interest in instrument technology during his studies at István Széchenyi Technical Secondary School. Although he originally wished to become a sound engineer, he later decided to continue his studies at the IT faculty of the Technical University in Veszprém. He eventually graduated from the Dennis Gabor Applied University in Budapest.

His professional interest was split in two directions: systems engineering and computer programming. It was the former that brought him his first opportunities, as he was offered a job as a systems administrator at (Hungarian phone company) Matáv. Then, he became a Microsoft trainer at the Netacademia; and in the end, in 2003, he was employed as a systems engineer by Microsoft Hungary, which proved to be a significant stage of his career. In the meantime, he was unable to put aside his dreams of software development: he also worked as a programmer for a French-Hungarian joint venture for a relatively long period. He also spent a large amount of his spare time implementing his own development ideas.

In 2006, feeling it was high time for a change, he met, quite by chance, some of his former university mates, who were just setting up Nav N Go. Needing only a short while to think about the opportunity, he accepted the job they offered him, and became a software development employee at the company. He started to work for the freshly set-up project team which aims at customizing iGO My way to meet the demands of Nav N Go’s partners. He has held the position of Director of Project Management since January 2007.

He dedicates his free time to his wife and children; they often go skiing, and their new number one hobby has become geocaching.

László Késmárki was born in Dunaújváros in 1977. He was only 8 years old when he started to get the hang of computer games and information technology. Since then, IT has become a substantial part of his life. He also specialized in mathematics at secondary school. He was only 18 years old when he set up his first business specializing in virus decoding. In the meantime, he continued his studies at and graduated from the Faculty of Information Technology at the University of Pannonia in Veszprém.

During his university years he set up several enterprises, as well as putting himself to the test as an IT manager working for a multinational company. Deep down in his heart, however, he longed to return to information technology. Thus, he became one of the founders of PDAmill, a company specializing in software game development. Starting in 2004, he worked as the lead developer of iGO My way, the new GPS navigation software from Nav N Go. Since then, he has been managing the latest technological advances and innovative developments as the Product Development Director of the company.

He is a keen sportsman, and he even used to be a boxer. His most recent hobby is geocaching.

Kálmán Kinde was born in Oradea, Romania, in 1968. He studied at the Technical Universities of Timişoara and Cluj-Napoca, and then in Budapest, where he graduated in electrical engineering. Having finished university, he immediately switched to financial areas: For 4 years, first as auditor assistant, then as manager, he worked for the auditing company KPMG Hungary. In the meantime, he qualified as an international professional accountant (ACCA) in the United Kingdom. Following this, as financial controller at Vivendi Telecom Hungary for 3 years, he was involved in telecommunications, where he dealt with consolidated international reporting, cost and investment controlling, treasury, business planning, and the introduction, upgrade, and rollout of SAP, the integrated company management system. In 2000, he established his own counseling company called QLICONS, through which he received several interim commissions for financial management, and providing economic expertise and counseling, mainly at communication service providing, manufacturing, commercial, logistic, media and financial companies. Kálmán worked as acting financial officer at Hírek Media and Internet Technology Inc., Cablenet Telecommunications and Network Contruction Inc., Trendex Holding Inc., Vos Logistics Hungary Inc., and Mart Building Trade Ltd, where his main responsibilities included the management of the financial, accounting, controlling, treasury, taxation, and administrative areas.

Kálmán spends his free time with his family of six children. They are keen on doing sports and going on trips together. He also likes challenges, with his favorite spare-time activities including cross-country orienteering, skiing, and tennis. He is also interested in environment protection and solar energy use; and when time permits, he likes tending his garden at home.

Andrea Magyari was born in Budapest in 1971. She graduated at the Blanka Teleki Vocational Training School of Economics, and won a scholarship to start her career at an international transportation company. Soon after, in January 1990, she was employed by Price Waterhouse, the audit and consultancy firm, which was opening its Budapest branch at the time. Starting out with just a few staff members, the company has since grown to the current 700 or so employees, and is now known as PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Andrea was responsible for leading the HR Department of 10 members until mid February 2009.

HR became her professional area in 1997, which was not by chance, as dealing with and caring for people has always been a primary issue for her since her early years. She made her professional career by climbing the corporate ladder, until she was promoted to leader of the HR Department in 2004. Her preferred specialist area is compensation, although her personality has provided her the opportunity to get acquainted with all areas of HR. In 2002, she graduated in HR at the University of Pécs.

Having gained 20 years of working experience at an international company and having carried out a variety of regional HR projects, Andrea joined Nav N Go on February 16, 2009 as HR Director and a member of the Management Team.

She spends her free time with her husband and daughter, and they often visit the nearby riding-school together, where she can nurture her own hobby, the love of nature. Additionally, she is keen on reading and meeting up with her friends.