INTRODUCTION
STRATEGY. INNOVATION. SUSTAINABILITY. CREATIVITY.
Established in 2020, Planet Fanatics’ Network is an innovative consultancy business built on the founders’ more than 20 years of sustainability experience – domestic and international -, both from the corporate and the civil sector. Sustainability strategy, responsible corporate governance, training and conferences, sustainable product portfolio, corporate climate strategy, EU climate roadmap, responsible investing audit, sustainability reporting, community solar panels and volunteering… The number of innovative, exciting and truly meaningful projects in the Planet Fanatics Network’s portfolio is almost endless, while the implementation is never lacking outstanding expertise, unwavering enthusiasm and the support of a professional network from within the industry.
In recent years, Planet Fanatics’ Network collaborated with several of the industry-leader corporations of key markets, assisting them towards more sustainable and transparent operations. These processes involved a detailed procedure for drawing up a sustainability strategy, as well as the publication of a sustainability report in accordance with international standards (GRI, SASB, GHG Protocol). Similarly important stages are the coordination of internal ESG-procedures, and the support of awareness building throughout the supply chain. For the first time in Hungary, Planet Fanatics’ Network has published the ESG-rankings of corporations with largest revenues, with the purpose of strengthening the culture of corporate responsibility in the country.
Our sustainability consultants consider it a priority to support civil organizations and educational institutes with the work they do. In light of this, Planet Fanatics’ Network has established valuable partnerships with WWF Central and Eastern Europe, WWF Hungary and Patrónus Ház among others. We are proud to have supported Bátor Tábor in publishing their first sustainability report in 2022, as the first ever foundation to publish a GRI 2021 standard report.
PLANET FANATICS’ NETWORK CORE TEAM:
KATALIN SZOMOLÁNYI, Founder & CEO
Founder of Planet Fanatics’ Network, with a degree in geography-ecology, nature conservation engineering and international business. She has been in charge of elaborating Magyar Telekom‘s sustainability strategies and their coordination on Group level, through which different forms of outstanding recognition have been achieved, including top rankings in the industry by responsible investors in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Parallel to her management position heading Telekom’s Sustainability Center, she also managed ETNO-WWF’s European “Saving the Climate @ Speed of Light” project, the first significant attempt to define the possibilities of ICT in climate protection, the foundings of which were later implemented and developed further not only by the European Union, but also by many international organizations.
For four years she was the editor-host of “The Day after Tomorrow”, Hungary’s first radio show on sustainable development aired by radiocafé 98.6. In 2008, she founded Sustainability Day, and was the organiser of the event for 13 years. She created and coordinated the Jövő/Menő program, which was not only a corporate volunteer program, but also an effective vehicle to help specific disadvantaged regions to accelerate their development.
In 2015, under her leadership and among the first large-scale corporations, Magyar Telekom Group became carbon neutral and set long-term emission reduction targets, which were also approved by Science Based Target initiative in the beginning 2019.
Besides the general management of Planet Fanatics Network, she is primarily responsible for the company’s sustainability strategic projects, as well as having coordinated the Green Cloud projects, and TOP25 ESG list created in cooperation with HVG.
Having always considered civil affairs important, she remains a supervisory board member of Supervisor Board member of Patrónus Ház, and a Board of Directors member of WWF Central and Eastern Europe and WWF Hungary. A guest lecturer of MBA programmes at Corvinus University of Budapest.
MELINDA VIDA, sustainability project manager
Melinda is a certified communication and media expert, economist, desktop publishing graphic designer. As a member of the Planet Fanatics’ Network team, Melinda contributes to the development of corporate sustainability strategies; she coordinates employee and stakeholder research, as well as standardized (GRI 2021, SASB, CSRD ESRS) sustainability reporting and audit processes. In her role as a sustainability consultant, her responsibilities also include conducting ESG assessments and GHG inventories, planning ESG databases, supply chain ESG assessment processes (CSDDD, LkSG), and providing advice on the development of internal regulations’ adaption to EU and domestic compliances.
Supports the creation of diverse and inclusive workplaces as a member of the Equality Foundation since September 2020. She played a key role in organizing “Sustainability Day” between 2014-2020.
From 2016 to 2020, in her capacity as Magyar Telekom’s Sustainability Manager, she was responsible for the communication of the company’s sustainability activities and achievements, as well as the organization of the sustainability events. This was preceded by working at Türr István Training and Research Institute, as a project communication expert, event organizer and communication project manager.
She supported the work of NaTe in a Communication Expert capacity, and took part in designing the PR communication for and in implementing the Girls’ Day program. In 2012, she took part in GE’s regional Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Mentor Program. In course of her communications studies, she was President of KommON BME Advanced Communications Study Group and a lead organizer of several national conferences.
RITA VASÓK, junior sustainability manager
She earned her bachelor’s degree in International Business Economics from Eötvös Loránd University. Her thesis focused on the circular economy, including a comparison of fast fashion companies and Hungarian companies that excel in sustainability, particularly in the production of clothing and accessories. She became so interested in this field that she continued her studies in Regional and Environmental Economics at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Her master’s thesis compared the sustainability and climate adaptation strategies of each district of Budapest. In addition to English, she also speaks Spanish at an intermediate level.
She began working at Planet Fanatics’ Network in August 2024. She is delighted to have found a position in this field after completing her studies, allowing her to further expand her knowledge. At Planet Fanatics’ Network, her main responsibilities include preparing sustainability reports, monitoring regulations and sustainability expectations, and supporting various projects with the help of her colleagues.
AMINA ALI, sustainability project assistant
Having graduated from the faculty of Economics at the University of Szeged, she holds a degree in Business Administration and Management. Her passion towards sustainability topics and her interpersonal skills continuously evolved during her studies, a great part of which was her two years of professional experience as an intern within the field of human resources. In her BA thesis she explored the topic of planning and implementation of a sustainability strategy for multinational companies.
She is currently pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Southern Denmark, where she studies sustainability management. She speaks English fluently.
At Planet Fanatics’ her primarily role is the support of ongoing projects, from GHG inventories to sustainability reports and strategies.
NOÉMI NAGY, sustainability project assistant
Noémi is a graduate law student at Pázmány Péter Catholic University and joined Planet Fanatics’ during summer 2024. Alongside sustainability, her main interest consists of EU law. Within the Arsboni Internship Program, she made two articles about the topic of expression of freedom in the European Union. She also gained experience working as a legal intern in a law firm for more than a year. Her main tasks included dealing with sales contracts, articles of association, data protection issues and translation work.
VANDA ÓNODI, sustainability project assistant
Having graduated from Eötvös Loránd University, she holds a degree in Business Administration and Management. She joined Planet Fanatics’ during autumn 2023. She believes that conscientious conduct is key in every aspect of life, and she therefore intends to have sustainability as her main occupation, as well as to further educate herself within the topic. Outside of work she is a member of the local student organization. She speaks English fluently. Within Planet Fanatics’ her main scope consists of HR tasks, strategy creation and reporting within research and control activities.