Lajos Simon - Senior IT Advisor

Q: Where is Lajos based?

Lajos is based in Budapest, Hungary .

Q: What languages does Lajos speak?

Lajos speaks the following languages: Hungarian (Native), English (Advanced) .

Q: How many years of experience does Lajos have?

Lajos has at least 17 years of experience. During this time, Lajos has worked in at least 7 different roles and for 7 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 6 months . Note that Lajos may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Lajos's latest experience?

Lajos's most recent position is Senior IT Advisor at Self-Employed / IFUA Horváth & Partners .

Q: What companies has Lajos worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Lajos has worked for Self-Employed / IFUA Horváth & Partners , Innopay Zrt , and Richter Gedeon Pharmaceutical Plc .

Q: Which industries is Lajos most experienced in?

Lajos is most experienced in industries like Banking and Finance , Pharmaceutical , and Information Technology (IT) . Lajos also has some experience in Professional Services and Telecommunication .

Q: Which business areas is Lajos most experienced in?

Lajos is most experienced in business areas like Information Technology (IT) , Project Management , and Production/Manufacturing . Lajos also has some experience in Quality Assurance (QA) , Operations , and Product Development .

Q: Which industries has Lajos worked in recently?

Lajos has recently worked in industries like Pharmaceutical , Professional Services , and Banking and Finance .

Q: Which business areas has Lajos worked in recently?

Lajos has recently worked in business areas like Information Technology (IT) , Production/Manufacturing , and Quality Assurance (QA) .

Recommended expert

Budapest, Hungary

Experience

Feb 2025 - Present

1 year 2 months

Senior IT Advisor

Self-Employed / IFUA Horváth & Partners

Senior advisor on a group-wide efficiency and cost optimization program, identifying up to €13m in potential savings over three years.
Delivered executive-level analysis of IT cost structures and operating model, supporting consolidation, optimization, and strategic resource allocation.
Advised CIO and leadership on IT service management, vendor optimization, and transformation priorities.
Led IDM readiness and risk assessment, identity governance, access control, and audit readiness.
Identified ISO/IEC 27001 and NIS2 compliance gaps and defined target-state IDM principles and roadmap to support future IAM implementation.
Designed a Group-level IT KPI framework for the OPUS Group CIO, enabling executive oversight of operations, costs, delivery, and compliance.

Apr 2024 - Feb 2025

11 months

Chief Technology Officer

Innopay Zrt

Led the final implementation phases of the QR code-based payment system, seamlessly integrating with the national instant payment network to ensure operational readiness and uninterrupted service.
Directed and oversaw development, business analyst, test, and DevOps teams to ensure the timely and successful delivery of critical projects, maintaining secure, high-availability (24/7) services.
Guided the full product lifecycle from ideation to market launch, ensuring scalability, innovation, and competitiveness in a fast-evolving fintech landscape.
Successfully launched Qvik Instant Payment Solution with full operational readiness in 2 months.
Designed a scalable infrastructure and microservices-based roadmap for future digital payment evolution.
Developed the compliance blueprint for NIS2 and DORA alignment, enhancing cyber resilience and regulatory preparedness.

Sep 2019 - Jan 2024

4 years 5 months

Chief Information Officer

Richter Gedeon Pharmaceutical Plc

Led a global IT, OT, SAP, manufacturing automation, cybersecurity operations and data analytics organization of 250 FTE.
Defined forward-thinking technology roadmaps by leveraging emerging solutions to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and deliver a sustainable competitive edge.
Led data and analytics initiatives by enhancing data governance, security, and compliance while driving actionable insights that empower strategic decision-making and operational excellence.
Provided global IT services, ensuring SLA achievement, high-quality support, and 20% faster incident resolution.
Strengthened service level, incident, and change management processes, achieving measurable improvement in CSAT and service reliability.
Controlled and optimized a €35 million IT budget, ensuring investments are aligned with business objectives.
Ensured full adherence to legal and regulatory frameworks (GxP, FDA, HIPPA), industry best practices, and corporate governance policies, mitigating risks and safeguarding business continuity.
Led the consolidation of the platform portfolio through an enterprise-wide platform strategy, resulting in 12% reduction in IT expenditures.
Directed the implementation of MES, QMS, and LIMS programs, leveraging advanced technologies to enhance manufacturing efficiency, standardize operations, and ensure regulatory compliance.
Developed a complete SAP S/4HANA migration preparation plan.
Strengthened the organization's cybersecurity posture by modernizing defenses and achieving a 74% Microsoft Secure Score, ensuring resilience against evolving cyber threats.
Spearheaded the development of a centralized data lake infrastructure, enabling real-time analytics, deep drill-down capabilities, and improved KPI tracking to support strategic and operational decision-making.

Aug 2018 - Sep 2019

1 year 2 months

IT Director

Takarékinfo Zrt

Led IT operations and service delivery, overseeing mission-critical banking applications, data center operations, and IT support functions to ensure seamless banking operations and regulatory compliance.
Directed enterprise-wide IT project management, aligning technology initiatives with business goals and regulatory requirements, while managing a 180-member IT team.
Led enterprise-wide incident and problem management, ensuring rapid resolution of IT disruptions, minimizing downtime, and improving the end-user experience.
Successfully delivered real-time payments, modernizing banking digital capabilities.
Implemented virtual product teams and application-level monitoring solutions, accelerating system changes and development timelines, achieving zero operational outages, and enhancing IT service efficiency.

Sep 2015 - Apr 2018

2 years 8 months

EMEA IT Director

Systemax

Led regional IT operations across six EMEA countries, managing end-user computing, incident and change processes, and ensuring KPI-driven service excellence.
Delivered customer-centric IT shared services, ensuring seamless support tailored to regional business needs.
Managed multiple country base cost centers with full P&L responsibility, driving strategic cost optimization initiatives that enhanced financial performance and delivered operational efficiencies.
Ensured IT operations adhered to regulatory frameworks, industry standards (ISO 27001, SOX), and corporate policies, mitigating risks and enhancing business continuity and data security.
Achieved a 38% reduction in IT expenditures through vendor contract renegotiations and service optimization.
Successfully re-engineered ERP systems by implementing enhanced change and release management processes.
Provided critical IT support during European business liquidation, ensuring minimal disruption and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Feb 2015 - Sep 2015

8 months

Regional Design Manager

British Telecom

Led Europe network design teams across Italy, France, Benelux, and Spain, collaborating closely with client design and delivery heads to ensure the successful execution of projects aligned with business objectives.
Partnered with key stakeholders to identify and capitalize on opportunities for enhancing business growth and market expansion.
Played a pivotal role in the World’s Best Design Team global transformation program, heading the Environment team to drive strategic initiatives and enhance operational excellence.
Led the execution of a company-wide video conferencing system, significantly improving cross-regional communication efficiency and collaboration among different locations.

Mar 2008 - Feb 2015

7 years

Global Head of Network Architect and Engineering Vice President

MSCI

Built and led high-performing global network and infrastructure architecture and engineering teams, driving strategic IT initiatives across multiple regions including the US, EMEA, and Asia.
Managed the worldwide design, implementation, and maintenance of IT infrastructure, ensuring high availability, scalability, and security to support business growth.
Coordinated international suppliers and partners, optimizing contracts and aligning technology strategies with business objectives.
Controlled and coordinated international and intercontinental infrastructure projects, ensuring alignment with corporate goals and successful project delivery within scope, time, and budget.
Successfully designed and deployed a global IT infrastructure within seven months post-separation from Morgan Stanley, establishing six data centers and 30 offices across the US, EMEA, and Asia.
Led the post-acquisition infrastructure integration of MSCI and RiskMetrics, achieving a 25% reduction in IT complexity and ensuring seamless employee transition with no disruptions.
Redesigned and implemented a next-generation data center infrastructure, introducing virtualization and private cloud services, resulting in hardware cost reductions and improved resource utilization.
Ensured uninterrupted operations of data centers and offices, maintaining robust infrastructure support to facilitate business continuity and minimize risks.

Group Chief Information Officer

Magyar Vagon Group

Led group-wide IT strategy and governance across a multi-company organization.
Oversaw IT cost, ERP, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital transformation initiatives at group level.
Directed NIS2 audit preparation and regulatory alignment, strengthening risk management and audit readiness.

Industries Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time. Longer bars indicate deeper hands-on experience, while shorter ones reflect targeted or project-based work.

Experienced in Banking and Finance (9 years), Pharmaceutical (4.5 years), Information Technology (3.5 years), Professional Services (1 year), and Telecommunication (0.5 years).

Banking and Finance

Pharmaceutical

Information Technology

Professional Services

Telecommunication

Business Areas Experience

The graph below provides a cumulative view of the freelancer's experience across multiple business areas, calculated from completed and active engagements. It highlights the areas where the freelancer has most frequently contributed to planning, execution, and delivery of business outcomes.

Experienced in Information Technology (17.5 years), Project Management (8 years), Production (4.5 years), Quality Assurance (4.5 years), Operations (3.5 years), and Product Development (1.5 years).

Information Technology

Project Management

Production

Quality Assurance

Operations

Product Development

Summary

Visionary and results-oriented Chief Information Officer (CIO) with over 15 years of proven leadership in the pharmaceutical, finance and banking, sectors, achieving 20% efficiency improvements and 12% cost reductions through strategic IT transformations. Specializing in driving digital transformation, I leverage innovative IT solutions to optimize business operations, enhance customer experiences, and deliver measurable results. Proficient in aligning IT strategy with business objectives, fostering collaboration across cross-functional teams, and implementing scalable, customer-centric solutions, such as introducing Business Intelligence tools that enhanced real-time executive decision-making and streamlined operations. Expertise includes cloud-native architectures, cybersecurity, data analytics, and modern delivery systems. Adept at managing enterprise-wide technology initiatives while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Skills

Digital Transformation
Strategic Planning And Execution
It Service Consolidation & Optimization
Enterprise Architecture
Customer-centric Solutions
Vendor And Stakeholder Management
It Governance And Risk Management (Itil And Cobit)
Cybersecurity And Compliance
Change Management
Business Accume And Acquisition
Budgeting & Cost Optimization
Talent Development & Team Building
Cloud Computing And Microservices
Agile Methodologies & Sdlc
Data Analytics And Business Intelligence
Erp And Crm
Iot & Edge Computing
Devops

Languages

Hungarian

Native

English

Advanced

Education

Oct 1996 - Jun 2000

Budapest Polytechnic University

Bachelor of Sciences · Electrical Engineer specialist information technology Communication · Budapest, Hungary

Oct 1992 - Jun 1995

Kandó Kálmán University

Computer Technology technician · Budapest, Hungary

Certifications & licenses

Artificial Intelligence Foundations

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

ICF ACC coach

ITIL Foundations

Lean Six-Sigma Black belt

Manager as Coach

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)

PRINCE2

Scrum Master

Profile

Created

January 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Lajos based?

Lajos is based in Budapest, Hungary.

What languages does Lajos speak?

Lajos speaks the following languages: Hungarian (Native), English (Advanced).

How many years of experience does Lajos have?

Lajos has at least 17 years of experience. During this time, Lajos has worked in at least 7 different roles and for 7 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 6 months. Note that Lajos may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Lajos be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Lajos would be well-suited for roles such as: Senior IT Advisor, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Officer.

What is Lajos's latest experience?

Lajos's most recent position is Senior IT Advisor at Self-Employed / IFUA Horváth & Partners.

What companies has Lajos worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Lajos has worked for Self-Employed / IFUA Horváth & Partners, Innopay Zrt, and Richter Gedeon Pharmaceutical Plc.

Which industries is Lajos most experienced in?

Lajos is most experienced in industries like Banking and Finance, Pharmaceutical, and Information Technology (IT). Lajos also has some experience in Professional Services and Telecommunication.

Which business areas is Lajos most experienced in?

Lajos is most experienced in business areas like Information Technology (IT), Project Management, and Production/Manufacturing. Lajos also has some experience in Quality Assurance (QA), Operations, and Product Development.

Which industries has Lajos worked in recently?

Lajos has recently worked in industries like Pharmaceutical, Professional Services, and Banking and Finance.

Which business areas has Lajos worked in recently?

Lajos has recently worked in business areas like Information Technology (IT), Production/Manufacturing, and Quality Assurance (QA).

What is Lajos's education?

Lajos holds a Bachelor in Electrical Engineer specialist information technology Communication from Budapest Polytechnic University.

Does Lajos have any certificates?

Lajos has 10 certificates. Among them, these include: Artificial Intelligence Foundations, Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

What is the availability of Lajos?

Lajos is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Lajos?

Lajos's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.