István Inotai: Bold decisions. Real impact.

István Inotai, Körber site: Pécs, Hungary​

During COVID, it became clear how vulnerable global supply chains can be. 
They did not just falter. They temporarily stopped functioning altogether. 

Semiconductors were missing. Critical components were unavailable. Critical know-how was in the hands of partners we depended on. And suddenly, what had worked reliably for years began to falter. 

For Operations, this wasn’t a delay. 

It was a burning platform. 

One Friday afternoon, a call came from my colleague Marek Dierks. 
There might be one last option. 
But it’s risky. It demands trust, courage, and real ownership. 

The idea sounded bold: to build one of the most complex and valuable units of our machines ourselves – electrical control cabinets that had never been built in-house before. Components of significant value. Components already sold to customers. No safety net. 

The question wasn’t: Can we do this perfectly? 
The question was: How do we make it happen? 

Within days, a small, highly skilled team was formed. Over eight intense weeks, they dismantled the last available control cabinets, analyzed every connection, documented every step, and rebuilt everything from scratch. 

No prototypes. 
No second chances.

In the end, five new control cabinets were built. Installed. Delivered. 
And they ran flawlessly – from the very first moment. 

Even the original supplier confirmed it: 
“As good as ours.” 

What happened was more than a technical achievement.  
It was the result of true collaboration across teams. 

From procurement to production.  
Everyone supported one another. 

It was about responsibility. 
About entrepreneurship. 
And about the conviction that people grow when you trust them. 

The pressure was high. 
The nights were long. 

But fear never set the pace — because standing still was the greater risk.

This is what responsibility means: 

Not executing instructions. 
But shaping outcomes. 

Not waiting for certainty. 
But acting when it matters. 

And long after the crisis fades, something remains that is stronger than any process: 
Trust. 
Confidence. 
And the conviction that we are capable of more than we sometimes believe.