Founder, Member of the Board of Trustees

Erika Csányi

I'm Erika Csányi, economist, master's degree in wildlife engineering

More than thirty years ago, I started hunting and, through hunting, became involved in conservation. I believe that we can only effectively protect the world around us if we have the knowledge to do so. It is this belief that led me to pursue a degree in wildlife engineering alongside my degree in economics. Wildlife management has now become not only my hobby but also my job. In my research, I am involved in wildlife population estimation, GPS telemetry research of roe deer, jackal and fox. As a founder, my aim was to help motivated young people to acquire the knowledge needed for effective conservation and to learn as much as possible about natural science, so that our natural values can be preserved. I like to dream big and make it happen. 

My favourite motto: "Everybody knows that certain things cannot be achieved until someone comes along who doesn't know and achieves them" (Albert Einstein)

Chairman of the Board

Dr. Gyula Sándor

I am Dr. Gyula Sándor, a qualified forest engineer (Msc.), wildlife engineer (Bsc.), doctor of forestry and wildlife management (PhD.), habilitated associate professor at the Faculty of Forest Engineering of the University of Sopron and CEO of TAEG Tanulmányi Erdőgazdaság Zrt. My career so far has been determined by my desire to learn about nature and the animals that live in it and by the task of passing on the knowledge I have acquired.

My areas of training included game management, hunting dogs, hunting weapons, hunting manners. My main research interests are in the field of domestic big game species, dealing with their reproductive biology, habitat use, daily movement patterns, etc. I have been using all this experience and knowledge for several years now as a staff member of the Fauna and Flora Foundation, organizing and participating in several study trips, internships and research.  

Member of the Board

Sándor Németh

My name is Sándor Németh. I work for the South-Transdanubian Fauna Association in Nagybajom as a chief hunter. I was the only one in my family who chose this "green" path, but I was raised under the spell of nature since my childhood. The choice of career was therefore not a big problem. I graduated as a hunter-game breeder in Csongrád, then I graduated as a wildlife management engineer and later as a wildlife management graduate (MSc) in Sopron. I was already involved in education and research. Therefore, I hope that I can use my knowledge to become a useful member of the board of trustees of a foundation dealing with topics close to my heart and like-minded people.

Member of the Board

Dr Miklós Heltai

I am Miklós Heltai, Director of the Institute of Wildlife Management and Conservation at the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Around the age of ten, I decided to work with wildlife, influenced by my reading experiences (István Fekete, Kálmán Kittenberger, Zsigmond Széchenyi, Gábor Molnár) and my uncles who were foresters and hunters. Since then, I have been on the beautiful road that one must travel to get to know nature and which, in fact, leads to infinity. This is how I became a wildlife biologist, a researcher and a university lecturer. As a researcher, I mainly study mammalian predator species and wildlife species that migrate to urban areas.

In the course of my work, I've acquired a lot of nice species. The wild cat was the first one I had the opportunity to join in the study of radio telemetry tagging when I was still at university. Then the red fox, as this species was the subject of my thesis and studies related to this species have accompanied me throughout my life. And then the red deer: I have captured, killed and tagged nearly two hundred specimens with my colleagues in connection with a long-term habitat-use study. And the badger, the marten, the otter, the bear, and so on. But the golden eagle has had the greatest impact on me personally and on my research career. If only we could understand how the species has become so successful... The work of the Foundation can help us to do that.

Member of the Board

Dr. Ferenc Jánoska

I am Dr. Ferenc Jánoska, a qualified forest engineer, a qualified conservation engineer and a candidate of agricultural science (forestry). My workplace is the Institute of Wildlife Management and Biology of the University of Sopron, where I am currently working as the director of the Institute. 

Throughout my professional career (since I was in high school), I have focused on forests and their ecological systems. My current teaching and research activities focus on intensive wildlife management, hunting culture, and national and international wildlife conservation. I consider the protection of wildlife and its habitat as the most important challenge of conservation.

Member of the Board

Dr. József Szőts

I am József Szőts, lawyer, advocate. I mainly represent forestry companies, agricultural companies and hunting rights holders. On a daily basis I deal with legal issues of nature conservation, forestry and game management, related legislation, their application and interpretation. 

I am interested in the harmonisation of nature conservation and management (especially forestry and wildlife management). 

I consider the preservation of the natural environment, including wildlife and biodiversity, an important task, and I am happy to participate in the work of the Foundation.

Member of the Board

Gábor Marosi

I'm Gábor Marosi, economist and political scientist. During my almost 30-year professional career, I worked first at Postabank Értékpapír Rt., then at ING Baring Zrt., mainly in government securities and exchange-traded equity derivatives, and between 1998 and 2004 as Director of the Equity and Derivatives Market Division of Magyar Takarékszövetkezeti Bank Zrt.

During my career on the Budapest Stock Exchange, I have been awarded the title of "Best Stock and Futures Trader of the Year" several times. I was a member of the Exchange's Trading and Index Committee for more than a decade. In 2001 I was awarded the Joseph de la Vega Special Prize by the Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE).

From 2004, I was the Chief Executive Advisor to the Chairman of OTP Bank Plc for four years, and in 2009 I founded CSAM Asset Management Pte Ltd, a Singapore-registered investment management company, which I led as CEO for 14 years.I returned to Hungary in early 2023, where I am now CEO of Unity Asset Management Foundation.

As my professional experience is in financial instruments and investment portfolio management, my role at the Foundation is also primarily to develop the investment strategy and manage the Foundation's assets. I have been involved with conservation through climate impact analysis of investment decisions and sustainable investment (ESG). In addition to these, I see an exciting opportunity to develop my knowledge of wildlife management and forest wildlife.

Professional coordinator

Dorottya Gaál

I am Dorottya Gaál, I study Regional and Environmental Economics at Corvinus University of Budapest. I have always been interested in nature conservation, and since I was very young I have been interested in how I could contribute to international efforts to conserve natural resources. I feel fortunate that as a staff member of the Fauna and Flora Foundation I can learn about wildlife management methods, try my hand in the field and participate in the work of a foundation that is fighting for a noble cause.

Foundation staff

Attila Tankó

My name is Attila János Tankó, a certified wildlife engineer (Bsc Msc), professional and chief hunter of the Hertán VT in Kommando (Transylvania). My childhood "playground" was the evergreen pine forests of the Csiki Mountains, where my love for nature and wildlife and my commitment to it were developed. I spent my leisure time reading hunting literature and technical literature, and my main goal was to one day experience the romance so much talked about in hunting literature and to make the teachings of this literature my profession. I am honoured to be an active part of scientific research and a team of dedicated professionals, thanks to the Fauna and Flora Foundation!