Zsuzsanna Tóth: Customer Service Manager

Zsuzsanna Tóth is Customer Service Manager at Safic-Alcan Hungary, where she plays a central role in structuring operations, supporting sales teams and ensuring smooth coordination between customers, partners and internal stakeholders.

Known for her analytical mindset, empathy and team-oriented leadership, she combines structure and flexibility to manage complexity with calm and clarity.

Growing a subsidiary while growing a family

Zsuzsanna joined Safic-Alcan in 2017, at a pivotal moment for the Hungarian subsidiary, as increasing market activity made it necessary to strengthen the administrative and customer service structure.

At the time, she was balancing professional ambitions with family life, caring for a young son and a baby daughter. Joining Safic-Alcan part-time allowed her to leverage her academic background in economics and logistics, as well as her prior professional experience, while contributing meaningfully to the development of a growing organisation.

“I had the opportunity to join an emerging team and actively participate in shaping office procedures to support sales activities.”

Working closely with Czech colleagues, the Hungarian team built processes from the ground up — a demanding but deeply rewarding experience.

Collaboration across borders and functions

Having previously worked in multinational environments, Zsuzsanna values international collaboration and cultural diversity. She enjoys working with colleagues, partners and customers from different backgrounds, seeing complexity as both a challenge and an opportunity.

Over the years, anticipation, attention to detail and shared experience have helped the team manage increasing volumes and complexity efficiently. Zsuzsanna firmly believes that success is always the result of collective effort.

“I try to encourage my colleagues to rely on logical thinking and trust their abilities.”

As a manager, she openly acknowledges the challenge of delegating while remaining accountable — a balance she continues to refine with transparency and trust.

Values as daily practice

For Zsuzsanna, Safic-Alcan’s values — Entrepreneurship, Responsibility, Expertise and Trust — are not limited to professional life; they guide everyday behaviour.

Clear communication, reliability and mutual trust are the foundations of effective collaboration. Skills can be developed over time, she notes, but shared principles are what allow teams to navigate uncertainty, work autonomously and support one another when needed.

Life beyond the office: logic, books and springtime

Outside of work, Zsuzsanna is first and foremost a mother and wife, which naturally shapes how she spends her time. Reading is her main escape, with a strong preference for Scandinavian thrillers over travel guides.

She enjoys movies, music (with a few exceptions from her son’s playlist), and logical games such as Sudoku, crosswords and board games with family and friends. Spring is her favourite season, and gardening offers a welcome transition from screen time to fresh air.

A lighter moment from the office

While office roles may seem less adventurous than sales travel, surprises still happen. In a rather unusual coincidence, every Hungarian sales manager injured a finger — both in and out of the office — within just a few weeks.

“To remember this extraordinary situation, we even took a photo of the injured fingers!”

Why join Safic-Alcan?

According to Zsuzsanna, working at Safic-Alcan means continuous learning, expanding awareness of the world and gaining new skills long after formal education ends.

“You will face new challenges every day, meet many people, and constantly broaden your perspective. You certainly won’t be bored.”