Career

Audi employees in the world – Zsuzsanna Tóth

2025. 10. 28.

If not now, when? Assignment on the Horizon. Zsuzsanna Tóth’s story began at Audi Hungaria and, after more than 25 years of growth, new roles, and continuous learning, it is now being written on an international level. Her journey led from Győr to Ingolstadt, where she now works in the IT Security team at AUDI AG.

I was working part-time at a travel agency when I applied for a logistics position at Audi Hungaria. The logistics field would have matched my degree in business administration, but at that time my German language skills were not at the required level. So I spent the next year attending an intensive language course, and as a result, I was hired in February 1999 and could start my career at Audi Hungaria. I still vividly remember the multi-round selection process and the induction day, which was attended by many people.
 

I started in logistics planning, where my job was to support the logistics systems related to the vehicle production in Győr, which had only started a year earlier, mainly regarding the bill of materials. I still look back fondly on this period, as the proximity to production meant particularly interesting and varied tasks that really required good analytical skills. After the birth of my second son, I returned to the company in 2002 after a year and a half break, as a member of the logistics project team, for the Gemini project. This was an extremely complex, three-year-long task, the aim of which was to implement the SAP enterprise resource planning system. All company processes had to be mapped in a new system and a smooth transition ensured. This was a very exciting task. After the project ended, we continued to work mainly within the IT organization, as an SAP team supporting different areas. At that time, I had the opportunity to get to know several other SAP areas, not only those directly related to logistics, but also, for example, the finance and controlling modules. After that, I worked for a few years in the SAP BI (Business Intelligence) team, which I also remember as a very valuable and rewarding period. Of the varied tasks, I probably enjoyed developing and operating data models and reports the most. After that, I coordinated IT projects, and at the same time, tasks related to the further development of processes and methodologies, as well as quality management, became increasingly important. From this period on, I worked for many years as a quality and process representative, which I also really enjoyed.
 

That during my career I was able to gain a wide range of experience and specialized knowledge, which built on, complemented, and reinforced each other. At Audi Hungaria, I consider it a particular advantage that if you learn something, you can try other areas within the company based on that, while acquiring new knowledge and continuously developing. I am also a little proud that the name of the Horizont Portal, which started as an “all-in-one” portal, came from me. Maybe that comes to mind because at the time this project was really pioneering, and the whole BI team worked on it with incredible enthusiasm and togetherness, everyone contributed their part.
 

As a task-oriented person, I always like to immerse myself in the current project, especially if there is a challenge and something new, not just routine tasks. I like to delve into tasks, understand and analyze them, and look for ways to do things even better and more efficiently. It’s no coincidence that I was a KVP* coordinator for a long time; this mindset has always been defining for me everywhere.

*Continuous Improvement Process

Where did the opportunity for a foreign assignment come from?

At the beginning of 2022, a position was advertised in the IT Security area in Ingolstadt, which I felt matched my previous experience very well, as they were looking for a colleague specifically for portfolio and process management. The opportunity also came at a good time, as my children were grown up, so I thought: if not now, when?
 

The task itself seemed exciting, but what attracted me most was the chance to experience first-hand, from the inside, how the parent company operates. I also wanted to try myself in a completely new environment and see how I could cope with a bigger change. My experience is that from the outside it really is completely different than experiencing everyday life as part of the team from the inside.

What are the main differences between the workplace culture there and here?

A lot has changed in the past 25 years in how we work together with colleagues in Ingolstadt from Győr. For example, using first names was not common in the past. When you work directly with them, they are much more patient and accepting than one might think from the outside. They are very tolerant and absolutely open-minded. In my case, culture perhaps defines everyday life even more specifically, as I work with colleagues of many nationalities. Moreover, I can see not only the differences between German and Hungarian cultures, but also between different German cultures. The style and mentality of someone from Bavaria and someone from a northern German state are completely different. It’s true that Bavarians are very friendly. In the three years I’ve spent here, it has also become clear that we should appreciate much more what we take for granted at home, and that we could be much prouder of Hungarian characteristics.
 

I work in a great team where cooperation is excellent and my colleagues are very supportive. As I mentioned earlier, our team is really “multicultural,” as I have Italian, Spanish, and Mexican colleagues, and in general, everyone is characterized by openness and acceptance.

About sixty people work in the IT Security area, and I belong to the central team of the area, the so-called Steuerungsteam. Here, with the mentioned process and quality management tasks, I support the organization currently preparing for ISO 27001 certification and help implement the related requirements. The introduction of the new ARIS is also underway, where as a process consultant and subject area process coordinator, I have to carry out the migration of processes to the new system using a completely new method. In my portfolio management tasks, the ongoing transformation has become decisive. The planning of the portfolio and the operational implementation of the goals in daily work have been placed on a new foundation in the organization. At the same time, I am also participating in the agile transformation of the entire IT organization, which is a completely new experience for me.

What personal and professional qualities do you think are essential for someone to succeed on an assignment? What advice would you give to those preparing for an assignment?

Openness, patience, flexibility, and perseverance are essential. An assignment means that you leave your familiar environment, your comfort zone, and have to adapt to new things in practically every area of life. You have to absorb new knowledge and develop new routines. You are inevitably forced to do this, so it becomes a natural part of everyday life. From a professional point of view, I don’t think a change within the group is particularly difficult.

I traveled alone. My partner, who also works at Audi Hungaria, stayed at home but fully supported me in taking the job in Ingolstadt. Of course, this means I commute a lot.

Because of regular trips home, I don’t have more free time, but I try to spend it meaningfully, mainly by exploring nearby German regions. Bavaria is very beautiful, the small villages are also lovely, and if you explore them by bike, you see many beautiful places, even a trout farm with a restaurant. Ingolstadt also turned out to be much more interesting than I had previously thought. It has a particularly rich history, for example, its connection to the Illuminati, memories related to the Frankenstein story, and the famous site of the birth of the beer purity law. Nearby, Weltenburg and Kehlheim are very beautiful, where the steep cliffs of the Danube Gorge, the picturesque forests, and the bends of the river give boating a very special, unique atmosphere. In addition, the Falkenhof Schloss Rosenburg is located in this area, one of Bavaria’s most beautiful falconry centers, where you can admire impressive bird of prey shows up close. Last year, during our vacation, the goal was to explore the Black Forest, and we visited the source of the Danube. More precisely, the sources, because there are two, and to this day there is debate about which is the real one. On our hikes, we also stopped in Strasbourg, and we also visited southern Germany, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where wonderful Alpine landscapes awaited us. In my free time, I like to read North Sea crime novels, partly for language learning.

Originally, my contract was for 2 years, which I extended by another 2 years, so as things stand, I will be working in Ingolstadt until the end of July 2026.

Clearly my family.
 

On average, I travel to Győr every two weeks.
 

At the moment, I rather long for home, it would be nice to spend more time at home. Still, the answer to this question is not clear, because you never know what life will bring...

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