Press Releases

Budapest, November 19, 2004 12:30

Ferenc Mádl, President of the Republic presented the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, Officer's Cross to Elek Straub, Chairman - Chief Executive Officer of the Matáv Group in recognition of his multifarious activities esteemed also internationally for the development of the Hungarian information society and Hungarian telecommunications. The award was presented in a ceremony held on November 19, 2004 - on Elek Straub's 60th birthday - in the Mirror Room of Sándor Palace.

Over the last years Elek Straub and the company group that he directs received numerous professional and social awards. In 1999 Elek Straub was given the Manager of the Year Award and in 2000 the CEO of the Year international award. In May 2003 Elek Straub was elected Chairman of the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce for two years. In 2004 he received the Mór Wahrmann Medal from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for promotion of the Hungarian knowledge-based society. This April Johannes Rau, President of Germany decorated Elek Straub with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Merit Cross 1st Class for his activities in strengthening German-Hungarian relations.

Outstanding corporate successes include the Global Telecommunications Award of Financial Times and the Innovation Award of KHVM (Ministry of Transport, Communications and Water Management). In 1998 Matáv was voted the Leading Donor Business Association of the Year. In 1999 Central European, a journal published by the British financial-publishing group Euromoney, named Matáv as the Central European company of the decade. In 1997, 1998 and 1999 the Budapest Stock Exchange qualified Matáv as the Best Stock Exchange Issuer of the year. In 2002 the company received an American innovation award. In 2004 Matáv was voted the Corporate Donor of the Year for the second time.

Biography:

• Elek Straub was born in November 1944 in Balatonfüred. In 1968 he graduated at the Technical University of Budapest in electrical engineering, in 1972 in engineering-economy.
• From 1970 to 1980 he worked as Head of Main Department at the Computing Center of the Ministry of Labor, participated in the development and operation of IT and statistical
  systems, computer applications and training of industrial managers.
• From 1980 Head of the Computing Main Department at the Central Statistical Office (KSH), then Vice-President. Participated in the creation and management of the national statistical information system, organization of the governmental information system, and in the supervision of companies reporting to KSH. Government consultant in IT issues and head of the government's IT development committee.
• From 1990, as CEO of IBM Hungary Kft., he was responsible for the company's service and distribution activity in Hungary, acted as representative of the company, managed the construction of information systems for state administration bodies and companies.
• In July 1995 he was appointed Matáv's CEO and member of the company's Board. In January 1996 he was elected Chairman of Matáv's Board. Since then he has been managing the Matáv Group's activity, since November 2000 he is also Chairman of the company's senior management body, the Management Committee.
• In May 2004 Matáv's Board decided to renew Elek Straub's assignment as CEO until June 2008.
• He is fluent in German and English, regularly holds presentations at domestic and foreign technical conferences.
• Other positions: Co-President of the Hungarian Sailing Federation, member of the Board of the National Association of Employers and Manufacturers, member of the Board of Trustees of the C3 Cultural and Communication Center Foundation, Chairman of the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
• Married with two children.