Marianna Csehi has had a very unique and impressive career path. As she explained in our exclusive interview with her, she started her career as a graduate in chemical engineering, and is now managing the Highlights of Hungary initiative. Highlights is honouring great Hungarian achievements in all areas of life and has just started its 12th season. We met Ms Csehi at the official kick-off event for the new season in Budapest, Hungary.
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This is the 12th season of Highlights of Hungary. However, this is only the second season under your oversight of the project as Managing Director. Could you tell us how it came into your life? When did you first hear about Highlights of Hungary? How were you offered the opportunity to lead the project?
In previous years, I was working in the private sector. My degree is in chemical engineering, by the way, from the Budapest University of Technology. I was working as a development engineer for six years. Soon I got acquainted with market research. And somehow I found out that I am more interested in the world of marketing and communication than in chemicals. I have worked in health care, in the pharmaceutical industry, in the energy sector, and as a consultant.
But somehow, a time always comes in one’s life, after they have accumulated many achievements, when they start looking for things that have values they would like to share with others. It was the same for me too: I am a mother, I would like to show the way for my children. Then, I came across Highlights of Hungary—through the This is Redy programme, by the way. That’s when I found it, when they were advertising This is Redy’s menstrual panties. Maybe you shouldn’t print that.
No, no, that’s fine for print.
The other people I met were the Leányfalu football team; that was the second time I came across the name Highlights of Hungary. And I was stunned that such a project exists, and how fantastic it is. That’s when I met Máté Litkei, one of the leaders of MCC at the time, and I told him what a great initiative they had. And he told me they happened to be looking for a person to manage it, so we shook hands on that.
Would you briefly summarize what the main mission of Highlights of Hungary is, what is the essence of the project?
We are trying to shine the limelight on outstanding Hungarian achievements. All three of these elements are very important: it has to be outstanding, it has to be Hungarian, and it has to be an achievement. We consider something an achievement that had considerable work put into it; something that is not a product of mere luck.
That is still a very broad definition. Does it encompass everything from sports to the arts?
This is a very important message of Highlights that—and let me be a little disjointed here. The honouraries of Highlights of Hungary represent all walks of life. We often say about ourselves that we are collecting highlights without any categorization. That is because the great message of the project is that everything can be done well. No matter what part of life God has put you in, you are tasked with a duty, and if you like it, you can excel in that.
The other important message of Highlights is that everyone is born with some kind of a talent. If they put in the energy to explore themselves and discover this talent, then they will find it. They will find the place where they fit in, a skill they are good at, and what they are destined to do. And they will excel there.
Do you think there is such a thing as a typical Hungarian success story? A life story that is more typical to us Hungarians than to any other nation?
No, there is no such thing as a typical Hungarian success story. There are a lot of different Hungarian success stories, all of them achieved by blood and sweat, and each one has passion behind it, a passionate belief that they can do it. Another thing that I believe is worth noting is that it is the achievements that serve the community that are truly successful.
You can produce great results in the stock market, but that is short-term. Or it may even be long-term, but when you start a project that serves the good of others, that is what we regard as true success.
If I understand it correctly, the process is that you pick five ambassadors, who then nominate their candidates to be awarded by Highlights of Hungary at the end of the season. Is that accurate?
Yes, we appoint five ambassadors. The common characteristic of the ambassadors is that they have achieved great things in their respective professions. They are all exemplary, unquestionably excellent creators. We are striving to make the team as diverse as possible with our appointments, making sure they cover as many areas as possible. Thankfully, they have all accepted their appointments. The nomination campaign has started, in which they bring their own ideas, their own picks that they get from their friends and acquaintances directly. But we also open this process to social media, and we solicit ideas for nominations from everyone, since our goal is that we all notice how many great talents are in our own communities.
By any chance, have you met anyone recently who you would like to recommend for nomination personally?
Yes, many people.
Are you not going to reveal an example?
No, I wouldn’t want to reveal that.
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