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Jozsef Varadi, the CEO of Wizz Air: The manager with high-experience, who invented the low-cost flight...

Maxim Behar shares one of his many exciting meeting with an unexpected ending with Jozsef Varadi, the CEO of Wizz Air - a man who very much values the opinion of the PR consultant and there is a reason why. This is the story of an unforgettable press conference in Sofia, which Behar shares in his author series Priceless Lessons for BGLOBAL magazine.


The manager with high-experience, who invented the low-cost flight...
How from a consultant I became a "driver" of the Founder and CEO of the tremendously successful airline Wizz Air - Jozsef Varadi

When I first went to Wizz Air’s office near Budapest Airport, I was amazed by three things that seemed more than evident in modern business. The first was that the reception in the central office was smaller than in my office in Sofia. I sat on a small sofa, and since I had an hour until my meeting, I asked for coffee and the Wi-Fi password to work while waiting… Coffee was not served; a helpful girl hurried down to the subway near the office to grab a coffee from the machine, but for security reasons, the Wi-Fi passwords were not disclosed…

I carefully tried to crack some friendly jokes with my colleagues from the marketing department, who agreed to a conversation with me. Still, I was disputed by the completely formal business response of the director: “Maxim, we are a low-cost company, we spend the money of our customers and passengers, and we do it very carefully and sparingly…“

I was fascinated, and when, months later, we started talking to them almost every week, our conversations were imbued not with redundant or unnecessary frugality but with a business reason for each expense, even for every minute spent on decision-making and discussions. It was a whole new vision of reality and our habits of what is worthwhile and what is not.

Probably none of the company's successes, often really called low cost (cheap), but already evident to everyone with very high standards, would have been possible without the Founder of this incredible adventure — Jozsef Varadi. Having gone through all the stages of the aviation industry, reaching the top management position of the Hungarian national airline Malev, he naturally managed to transfer his vast experience to the then-just-starting Wizz Air company, which is now on the London Stock Exchange and is undoubtedly one of the fastest growing airlines in the world with its 145 top class Airbus aircraft and with more than 10 million passengers in the last year alone…

And one day, I received an email with a strange request… It was from Andras Rado, the international corporate communications manager of the company, who told me that his biggest boss, Mr. Varadi, would be in Sofia in just a few hours. Since he had a lot of meetings, he needed a driver with fluent English who was very reliable and accurate, spoke English, and, most importantly, was able to rely on him.

- Andras, instead of wasting time looking for a driver, I will be with Mr. Varadi everywhere. I will hold a press conference with him after that. I suggest taking him in my car, so we will be sure everything will go smoothly.

This was a vital visit of the head of Wizz Air in Bulgaria. He met with the airport complex directors and representatives of various institutions and wondered why he was returning to my car. He was interested in my opinion on specific issues, which made me very proud at one point. I said to myself, “What a manager… the opinion of the PR consultant is essential to him.”

- Much effort is needed to make Sofia Airport, Terminal 1 meet European standards. Many people think that as a low-cost company, we cannot afford the best airports, planes, or services. Conversely, we must be the best in service, whether on the ground or in the air…

I nodded understandingly and then shared stories about the airport, Wizz Air’s competitors, the Bulgaria market, the Bulgarian passenger peculiarities (Varadi was startled that all passengers applauded together on landing), Bulgaria, politics, and business. The Hungarian was taking notes carefully, and so when we arrived at the hotel a few hours later for the press conference, and I parked at the front, he saw that I was getting out of the car, turned sharply to me, and told me:

- Wait, wait, you stay here, please. My time is calculated in minutes; we must leave as soon as I’m done, or I’ll miss the flight… I’m flying with Wizz Air, but no one will be waiting for me…

Only then did I realize that he had been sure he had talked to the driver and that his opinion interested him.

Not mine, not the consultants, but the independent real-life observer.

I waited for him to come out, then quickly parked to the side, ran up the stairs while Varadi was on the elevator, and when he entered the hall, I was already at the main table, which had only two signs, mine and his.

I saw his great astonishment, tense, questioning face, and the embarrassment that overcame him when he realized that my company was organizing everything and I would moderate the press conference. I saw his apologetic look, leaned over, and said to him:

- No problem at all. I look like a driver, but sometimes I have other roles…

The press conference went brilliantly. Jozsef Varadi is a man of excellent knowledge and incredible charisma. From my position as a “driver,” I am observing, and with all my colleagues, I am also contributing to the remarkable success of Wizz Air…

It’s worth it.

Photo description: Jozsef Varadi and Maxim Behar at the press conference in Sofia, minutes after Varadi found out that Behar is not only his driver, but also a PR consultant

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