Professor Dr. Péter Gál Has Passed Away

Back20/01/2026

With deep sorrow, we announce that Professor Dr. Péter Gál, university professor, distinguished economist, Professor at Corvinus University of Budapest, and former Chief Executive Officer of the Hungarian Development Bank, passed away on 18 January 2026, in the 74th year of his life.

Dr. Péter Gál was born on 23 February 1952 in Szombathely. Throughout his career, he was a leading and influential figure in Hungarian and international higher education in economics. He earned his degree at the Karl Marx University of Economics and went on to obtain and defend his academic degrees there as well as at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

For decades, he taught at Corvinus University of Budapest (formerly MKKE and BKE), where he educated and mentored generations of students. His professional authority is reflected in his international recognition as a scholar and educator: he was a regular visiting professor at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien) and taught as an invited lecturer at several other universities in Austria and Germany.

Alongside his academic career, he achieved significant professional success in the banking sector. Between 2002 and 2010, he served as Chief Economist and Managing Director of the Hungarian Development Bank, and earlier he headed the Strategic Advisory Board of Commercial and Credit Bank (Kereskedelmi és Hitelbank).

In 2010, his work was recognized with the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary. Colleagues and friends mourn not only a highly knowledgeable professor, but also a supportive mentor and a deeply humane individual.

The family will provide information about the date of the funeral later.

We will preserve his memory with respect and gratitude.