During 2020, lack of financial resources was one of the most common barriers to digitalisation for Hungarian small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Navigating the economic challenges is often arduous for SMEs, and Babylon Financial Group was founded to help SMEs weather these challenges effectively. Having been awarded the title of “Best Companies of the Year 2025” by The CEO Views, the company takes pride in its team and innovative solutions. CEO, Balázs Orbán, took to our platform to share the incredible journey of the company towards success on this occasion.
More than a One-Man Show
Orbán embarked on his professional journey 30 years ago as a financial advisor. During this period, he primarily dealt with insurance. Gradually, recognising the need of SMEs for professional support in financial hurdles, he focused on this niche group after the first few months of his career. “I continuously developed the portfolio, which resulted in a significant increase in the number of employees and sales revenue,” shared Orbán.
More than 13 years ago, Babylon realised that it wanted to be more than a one-man show. From the very beginning, the company realised that hard work and innovation were the keys to achieving significant success. Focusing on the principles of helping SMEs achieve their financial goals and differentiating the firm in the market, Babylon strives to ensure long-term impact and success for its clients.
What Does Babylon Do?
As a financial advisor, Babylon offers unique risk management methods, private international health insurance, capital-guaranteed investments, and workforce retention packages, primarily tailored for SMEs and larger clients. Its goal is to equip decision-makers with the tools and resources required for enhancing their financial stability and workforce satisfaction. Through innovative solutions and personalised consultations with the company’s esteemed financial experts, it ensures clients are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of today’s economic landscape.
Weathering the Challenges
Building and running the company has naturally come with numerous obstacles. There have been administrative, market, personnel, and management challenges along the way. With the expansion of its client base, the need for a professional team to take over the administrative workload became clear. This was important for Orbán to focus more on business development.
Orbán holds 15–20 business meetings daily, adhering to a strict schedule and disciplined time management. To operate the business effectively, he closely tracks the specific requirements and cases of the company’s most devoted clients over the decades.
Even during the COVID period, the company turned challenges into opportunities. By introducing online video and telephone consultations, it reached more clients per day and increased revenues.
A Comprehensive Suite of Services
“We provide access to the complete range of products on the Hungarian insurance market. Rather than offering isolated products, we deliver tailored service packages designed to meet each client’s specific needs,” mentioned Orbán. For instance, when meeting a company executive, the team offers term life, pension, health, and property insurance as private solutions. It also provides similar coverage for key employees through corporate group life and health insurance. Babylon integrates these into comprehensive employee retention, pension, or health programs based on client needs.
In addition to providing financial and investment services such as loans and physical gold trading, the company delivers expert portfolio management for its clients. With its investment division set to launch in 2025, Babylon is gearing up to introduce its own investment funds and expand its network of international subsidiaries and partnerships.
A Diverse and Inclusive Culture
With careful and 21st-century recruitment and selection methods, the company ensures that employees feel that they share the most important corporate values, while also being accepting of everyone. Clients appreciate the reliability and continuous innovation demonstrated by employees in addressing their daily financial challenges.
Navigating the Ebb and Flow
Babylon has thrived in a shifting market by boldly adopting digital solutions and putting clients at the heart of every decision. By launching online consultation and sales tools, the company not only stayed connected with clients but also expanded its horizons during challenging periods. Now, Babylon is crafting a custom in-house CRM platform to streamline operations and deliver even greater value to its clients.
Meanwhile, the firm is not only growing its investment division but also forging new international alliances. Babylon is actively investigating ways to integrate artificial intelligence into its operations, aiming to elevate its round-the-clock customer service. The company is also prioritising automation and sparking lively interactions across social media, all with an eye toward full implementation by 2026.
A Culture of Excellence and Integrity
Babylon’s corporate culture is based on professional excellence, integrity, and client-centricity. Promoting a collaborative environment allows colleagues to share knowledge and support each other’s growth. The company ensures that it stays ahead in a fast-changing financial and insurance market, with continuous training and innovation.
Integrating Innovation into Services
As the insurance sector is “condemned to innovate,” anyone failing to keep pace with innovation would lose market share. Babylon has built a dedicated, professional telesales team that effectively generates leads for key account managers. Additionally, the IT and data analysis team has enabled the company to send complex insurance offers to dozens of clients each day with structured databases or records.
Winning a Competitive Edge
Babylon’s data-driven analysis sets it apart, guiding product selection. Instead of one-size-fits-all offerings, the product development team designs client-focused, tailored solutions. Ongoing consultations with key partners and insurers explore ways to make online systems more efficient. Babylon also emphasises the importance of educating clients for the digital transition.
Future Endeavors
The company has a long-term business plan in place, with all subsidiaries and branches actively flourishing. Its focus is on expanding into more European countries to enhance market presence and capitalise on new opportunities. This strategic growth will allow Babylon to strengthen its position and continue evolving in line with market demands.
