Gábor Kovács (born 2 January 1957, in
Orosháza
Orosháza is a city situated in the westernmost part of Békés county, Hungary, on the Békés ridge bordered by the rivers Maros and Körös. Orosháza is an important cultural, educational and recreational centre of the region.
Main sigh ...
) is a
Hungarian financier, banker, art collector, philanthropist and founder of
KOGART.
Life and career
Having studied at the Moscow State Institution for International Relations (
MGIMO) between 1975 and 1980, he started his career at the
Hungarian National Bank. He was the first managing director of Citibank Budapest from 1985, before becoming the vice-president of Citibank London. Back in Hungary by 1991, he founded Bankár Holding Plc., which he now heads as president and CEO. It was at this time that he began to collect works by, as well as to support, Hungarian artists. His collection spans the history of Hungarian painting from the early 18th to the mid-20th century.
On 8 November 2003, he established the Gábor Kovács Art Foundation with a HUF 3 bn capital stock, and opened KOGART House on 20 April 2004.
He has been a member of the Trilateral Commission since 2006.
Following its full-scale renovation, he reopened, with a new function, the Pauline-Carmelite Monastery of
Sopronbánfalva
Sopronbánfalva (german: Wandorf), also known as Bánfalva, is a former village part of the city of Sopron, Hungary, since 1950. It is also called Kertváros (Garden-City in Hungarian) or Sopron-Kertváros. It is located west of the city center, ...
in 2010, which was managed and owned by him till 2015.
Above all, he is interested in finding answers for the new social and economic challenges of the 21st century.
Milestones of his career
* 1980–1985
Hungarian National Bank, Foreign Exchange Controls Department, International Section, Scandinavian officer,
* 1985–1989
Citibank
Citibank, N. A. (N. A. stands for " National Association") is the primary U.S. banking subsidiary of financial services multinational Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, and later became First National City ...
Rt. (
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
), managing director,
* 1989–1991
Citibank
Citibank, N. A. (N. A. stands for " National Association") is the primary U.S. banking subsidiary of financial services multinational Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, and later became First National City ...
(
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
), vice-president,
* 1991– Bankár Ltd. (
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
), managing director, later Bankár Holding Plc., president-CEO.
''Beauty—Harmony—Equilibrium''
Awards and distinctions
2005: Summa Artium Award, “For Contemporary Art” category, for his extensive work as an organizer and supporter of art.
2005: Knight’s Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
References
Sources
* Biográf Ki Kicsoda (Hungarian Who is Who). Budapest, 2002.
External links
About the founderMasterpieces of Hungarian Painting Art from the Selection of Gábor KovácsMonastery History 2004, 2009-2010Gábor Kovács Art Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kovacs, Gabor
Hungarian businesspeople
Hungarian art collectors
Hungarian philanthropists
1957 births
Living people
Knight's Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (civil)