Browse profiles Post a project
Malt welcom

Welcome to Eszter's freelance profile!

Malt gives you access to the best freelancers for your projects. Contact Eszter to discuss your project or search for other freelancer profiles on Malt.

Eszter Arvai

Business Consultant, Organisational Coach, Mentor

Can work in or around Amsterdam

  • 52.3728
  • 4.8936
6 recommendations
  • Suggested rate €1,100 / day
  • Experience 7+ years
Propose a project The project will begin once you accept Eszter's quote.

This freelancer is available part-time (3 days per week) but hasn't confirmed their availability in over 7 days.

Part-time, 3 days per week

Propose a project The project will begin once you accept Eszter's quote.

Location and workplace preferences

Location
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Can work onsite in your office in
  • around Amsterdam and 50km

Preferences

Business sector
  • E-commerce
  • Education & E-learning
  • Environmental
  • Human Resources
  • Retail (Large Retailers)
+4 autres

Verifications

Freelancer code of conduct signed
Read the Malt code of conduct

Verified email

Languages

  • English

    Fluent

  • German

    Fluent

  • Hungarian

    Native or bilingual

Categories

Skills (10)

Eszter in a few words

esterest Business Development People strategy I Talent Management I Health & Wellbeing I Diverse & Inclusive Teams

Before founding my own company, I worked in several countries and many business areas -among others- as a regional Market Intelligence Manager, Store Manager and Country Human Resource Manager. Since 2019, I also support Decathlon Hungary as a member of the Board. I am an energetic and solution-focused problem solver challenging organisations to be more future-oriented, adaptive and agile. With the firm belief that every business is a people business.

If your business runs perfectly, you do not need me. Otherwise, I am happy to connect!I

Experience

Esterest Business Development

Consulting & Audits

Founder  - As a freelancer

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

December 2021 - Today (1 year and 1 month)

Esterest Business Development: People strategy I Talent Management I Health & Wellbeing I Diverse & Inclusive Teams
https://esterest.com

I am convinced that a business can only be successful in the long term if it puts people, organizational culture and the diversity of its teams first. I established my company "Esterest Business Development" with this firm belief one year ago.

Leading many business areas and teams in different countries and managing large-scale companies' people agendas, I experienced firsthand the relevance of this approach. I achieved all my results thanks to my teams, together with them. I have paid particular attention to the diverse and inclusive culture and the uncompromising value-based selection of my managers.

Companies today contact me with different needs. There are clients with whom I work on systematically reviewing their existing HR strategy or developing a comprehensive business plan. With some companies, we focus on business-critical processes, such as talent management, succession planning or turning diversity & inclusion from a "slogan" to straightforward and concrete everyday actions.

Besides all successes, I have dealt with countless obstacles, doubts and difficulties during these years both as a professional and as a mother of two children. So I am happy and committed to mentor young and female leaders who want to develop as leaders and professionals.
Social Network Analysis Innovation framework Service design Digital Transformation Organisational Development Agile Coaching

SER TOPVROUWEN

Consulting & Audits

MEMBER

The Hague, ZH, Netherlands

September 2020 - Today (2 years and 5 months)

SER Topvrouwen consists of group of highly qualified board-ready women in the Netherlands, women at the top of the Dutch business community. By including women with talent and ambition in the database of top-level businesswomen, we want to boost the advancement of women into top-level positions.

Decathlon

Retail (Large Retailers)

Member of Board

Budapest, Hungary

July 2019 - Today (3 years and 7 months)

As Board member I provide support in strategic and operational business and people related decisions. I coach and challenge key stakeholders with an entrepreneurial approach to support the company on
focusing excellent customer experience and business growth. My design thinking approach adds value with new perspectives through creative problem solving and agility.
enterpreneurial approach creative problem solving Strategic advisor customer experience

IKEA

Retail (Large Retailers)

Head of Human Resources Management IKEA Austria

Vienna, Austria

July 2017 - February 2020 (2 years and 7 months)

Living in Vienna I was responsible to lead all aspects of Human Resource practices, policies, processes and the country people management team in a 600+ MEUR, 3000 employee business. As member of the Country Management Team, I provided strategic insights and advice to help the organisation meeting its goals through engaged and committed employees, focusing on our culture & values. I led the INGKA transformation of Austria in a heavily unionized environment, negotiating a 3 year Social Plan during transformation. In an expanding business environment we opened new business units while transforming our operation towards an attractive, competitive and profitable omni-channel setup. Reflecting on the business need our people management team strategically focused on coaching and supporting leaders on culture & values, talent development, co-worker experience, diversity & inclusion and we introduced people data analytics.
Strategy Talent management Employee engagement Negotiation Business transformation Coaching Diversity & Inclusion

IKEA

Press & Media

Public Relations Representative

Budapest, Hungary

March 2012 - May 2013 (1 year and 2 months)

I represented IKEA as spokesperson both externally and internally. I got great support to educate and develop my skills in the communication field in Hungary, Austria and Sweden. The main scope for me was internal communication, press conferences, employer branding activities, networking with key stakeholders, support brand perception and last but not least crisis management communication. Beside taking the lead in communication I enjoyed even more to support and coach others with strategical and operational plans and insights, helping them to formulate the key messages in a credible way building the communication on their own personality.
Communication PR Corporate Communication Crisis Communication employer branding internal communication

IKEA

Retail (Large Retailers)

Market Manager

Budapest, Hungary

March 2012 - June 2017 (5 years and 3 months)

I gained deep understanding of market and customer needs leading together with my team a high volume business unit (80 MEUR, 100.000m3, 300+ co-workers) aiming for excellent customer experience, high level customer and employee loyalty. Entrepreneurship, leadership, efficiency, given and taken responsibility and HR business partner approach were key success factors in reaching double digit growth for 5 continuous years. In these years we doubled the sold volume and our profitability increased significantly. We were ranked in top 3 IKEA stores worldwide for "Company I trust", "Want to shop again" for 3 years running. In 2017 the third IKEA store opened in Budapest and our management team took an important part to recruit,develop and train the new store’s management team and partly their newly recruited co-workers. We delivered this one-year management development program beside our normal business operation and this could only work with teamwork, openness,inclusive leadership, and high level of competence of the store team.
Leadership Team Management Business Development Business partner Lean Management

IKEA CZ/HU/SK

Research

Regional Consumer Insight Manager CZ/HU/SK

Prague, Czech Republic

February 2011 - February 2012 (1 year)

My assignment was to analyze consumer and customer data, running internal and external researches of the CEE countries in order to support the decision making process of the regional management team. Working in a 3 country setup I learned different cultures, societies and consumer behavior patterns.
data analysis consumer insights market intelligence market research

Andrew North - Northvale Properties ltd

3/1/2022

I was CEO for IKEA in Czech Hungary and Slovakia from 2007 to 2012. I was responsible for promoting Eszter to Lead the Budaors IKEA store with a multi million Euro turnover and over 300 staff. When meeting Eszter early on in her career I noticed the potential to move to a senior role within the organisation. This was born out with the passion she has for product and customer service. She has the ability to develop people and the business together - this is proven with the success of the store and Eszters' promotion to HR manager in Austria. She developed the competences of the people within her store and influenced her peers in the wider organisation. When Eszter speaks people listen as her points are well thought through and considered. This will benefit any company when employing her services as a consultant. Her knowledge of the market and peoples lives at home - specifically focussing on the female customer (the decision maker in home furnishings) enabled Eszter to transfer the store and achieve fantastic financial results. Eszter is inclusive in her approach and has a questioning mind that always gets to the route causes of any Business problems she might face. It was a real pleasure working with Eszter, as a person and as a business leader. I wish her al the very best in her venture.

Eszter Varga-Nagy - The Coca-Cola Company

2/13/2022

We worked together with Eszter for many years and shared projects along the way. She has always - and even since - been one of the few people I would not hesitate to turn to in case of a decision point. Her angle on things are crisp and bright, down to earth with an extra human touch. Highly recommend to involve her in any field, her insights could be game-changers.

Ina Fuczek - IKEA Services B.V.

2/9/2022

I got to know Eszter when she stepped into her role as Country People & Culture Manager for IKEA Austria. Very shortly into her role she was assigned to lead a major transformation to create a better IKEA fit for the future. The transformation included a new organization setup, new ways of working and a new governance structure. Despite being new in the area of Human Resources at that time, Eszter led the transformation of all functions including HR in a very professional, targeted and caring way with special focus on change management and communication. She could lean back on her profound experience from her previous assignments. Eszter is a fast learner, curious to expand her knowledge and to develop in areas that are new to her. 

Eliz Iváncsics - IKEA

2/9/2022

I directly reported to Eszter Arvai for 6 continuous years when she was my manager. I do not even like his title because Eszter was a true LEADER for me. She is able to create an atmosphere where she sets high expectations, works with clear goals and delivers with speed, but everybody feels themselves in an inclusive and supportive environment. We all understood our own role towards fulfilling the vision of the company. Eszter has solid knowledge about marketing and PR, she led several workshops and trainings about how to create strategy on a high level and translate it into clear actions to all levels. We strongly delivered towards our business goals and besides that as a team we did two total rebuilding projects for an 15 000 m2 retail area. Although Eszter has deep business knowledge and profit driven thinking, she has good sense to spot talents. This, together with her passion towards people development helped her team to grow in many aspects. She is a very friendly, active listener and she always has a question which makes you think and then invites you to find the solution together. She can be your best partner if you face challenges in leadership, marketing, strategy (business and HR) or you just need a personal coach to help you take the most out of yourself.

Marek Feltl - Freelancer

2/9/2022

Marek Feltl - Business advisor 9.2.2022 I worked very closely with Eszter Arvai during my CEO IKEA CZHUSK role in the period of 2012 to 2018 as well as during previous period being deputy country manager IKEA CZHUSK 2007-2010. Eszter was my direct report as Store/Market manager Budaors. We worked together on several projects throughout various processes and topics both in Commercial area and on Strategic company level. Eszter, together with her team, was meeting and over-performing all outlined goals and assignments like vision realization, store processes and organization development, market penetration and of course sales targets. She always delivered great result with clear view on costumer satisfaction and company profitability. Eszter was also very valuable member of Regional Team, bringing people together, contributing to any topic beyond her field of responsibility as well as challenging ways to develop the business further. Eszter was putting extremely big focus on development of competencies and leadership capabilities of individuals in order to achieve engaged, motivated and committed co-workers on all levels. Reflecting on her leadership skills, Eszter was demonstrating every day her positive attitude, the spirit of „everything is possible“, being available to people and taking care of individuals as well as integrating various teams by clear objectives to be achieved with strengths of each member. It was pleasure to work with Eszter and see how she contributed with all her attributes to bring organization and business to the next level. Her personality, competence, passion, energy as well as communication will definetely contribute to any company and business development.

Edwin Cruysheer - Inter IKEA Systems B.V.

2/8/2022

Working for the IKEA franchisor, I visited the franchisee IKEA Hungary for an official 3 day IKEA Concept review. Here I met Eszter and her team in the IKEA Budaors  store in Budapest. A store that had shown year after year strong sales and profit growth figures. The store passed the review with a ‘green score’, the highest score possible. The store scored high on topics like layout as a commercial tool, providing home furnishing inspiration, IKEA merchandising basics and commerciality. This all contributed to a successful implementation of the IKEA Concept and protection of the IKEA Brand. During the review I got to know Eszter as an inspirational leader of her team, strategic in her thinking - taking the discussions to a higher level and full of energy to get things done, reaching results. 

Education

  • Master

    Corvinus University of Economist

    2002

    Business /Managerial Economics, Management and Organisation, Strategic Human Resource Management

Certifications