How long could it take to achieve your dreams? Maybe months or even a few years. But if your dream is to live in a world where gender parity is a reality, you perhaps need to wait for decades and centuries together. At least the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Report says so, with fluctuating gender parity scores every year, and several countries’ gender gap indexes going down from the previous years. Although this may seem discouraging, what gives hope in Hungary is women achievers like Csilla Torma. As a CFO and pioneering woman in the telecommunications industry in Hungary, Csilla is a true inspiration and role model for aspiring women leaders and entrepreneurs. Her collaborative style, courage, and expertise could serve as an example of hope and motivation for all those who want to make a difference in the area of finance and beyond.

She began her career in the early 90s and joined the consortium of Deutsche Bundespost Telekom and Ameritech International in 1994; when most of the world was still skeptical about women juggling corporate roles. Global Women Leader magazine is privileged to engage in an exclusive interview with Csilla and learn more about her.

Take us through your early life and journey so far.

I grew up in Eger, a town with a great history of its castle and defending heroes. My father was a math-physics professor, my mother was a pharmacist. They provided me with many opportunities from a young age. I attended various courses and started to learn math at the age of three. I was also a member of a gymnastics club and won many medals in regional and national competitions. I learned English and Russian early on, even though English was not allowed everywhere in the country.

I was a member of a club of young mathematicians and attended an artist club, a choir, and more. I even won a competition for children's drawing in India. Also, helped my father construct physical experiments for his students.

I have been married to my husband for more than 35 years, and we have two children together. My daughter has university degrees from Oxford & London, and my son is a doctor with a PhD in sports & health sciences, gave lectures abroad e.g., at Doshisha University, and the University of New Mexico. He recently led a scientific project at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. As a family, we have traveled and visited lots of places, in Europe, and America. Overall, I am very proud of my family and the experiences we have had together.

What were your responsibilities as a CFO at the Deutsche Telekom Group Company?

I was responsible for building the finance function from scratch. This included developing accounting policies, setting up bank connections, executing reporting, and ensuring that our financial processes were running smoothly. We could transition the Hungarian telecommunication incumbent into a market-leading company by coordinating various C-level projects. I also had to work with lawyers and consultants to organize the company's registry, additionally, on PR activities, collaborated with various departments of our owners in Germany and America. Overall, I had lots of responsibility on my shoulders, but I always had great partners to work with. It was a challenging time, especially in the beginning without the internet and modern technologies, but we managed to make it work. The trust of the owners, leaders, teams, and our people gave me lots of energy while bringing the vision to life.

Can you tell me about some success mantras that inspire you?

My motto is based on a few important quotes. The first quote is from Einstein, who said that the significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were when we created them. This quote reminds me that we need to think outside the box and go to another level to solve problems.

The second quote is, 'Don't be overly attached to your goals because doing so might hinder your ability to pivot and find better ones.' Ray Dalio advised not to set goals too realistically, as it could hinder future progress. Challenging oneself is crucial to innovation and moving forward. It's important to challenge your team, people, and company to achieve better results.

The third quote is from Dr. Hans Selye internationally acknowledged Hungarian-Canadian scientist who conducted important work on stress response and adaptation that resonates with humanistic psychology. He said, 'Neither the passion of your topic, nor the skill of your tools, nor the accuracy of your plans can substitute for the originality of your thoughts and the sharpness of your observation.' This quote reminds me to be unique and sharp in my observations to make a real difference in the world.

When facing problems, I remind myself of Einstein's quote. It's a simple and true statement that encourages me to think differently. These quotes serve as personal guiding principles.

Being a business leader comes with its own set of challenges. What are some of the major challenges you have encountered and how did you overcome them?

Throughout my professional journey, I have encountered numerous exciting challenges, while reaching today's business landscape. One of the biggest challenges I faced was during the liberalization of the telecom industry around 2000, when Ameritech International decided to withdraw from the business and Deutsche Telekom remained the sole owner and strategic investor at our company.