Katalin Walter handed in her resignation as CEO of BKK to the Mayor of Budapest on May 29th, due to the extremely challenging political situation that is hindering productive and effective leadership. Subsequently, she will also leave the presidency of EMTA, a position she has held since 2023. She will remain in her role until June 30th.
Laurent Probst of Île-de-France Mobilités in Paris will take over as Interim President from July 1st, and the new EMTA Board and President will be elected by the General Meeting of EMTA in London in October.
Katalin leaves behind a legacy of leadership, respect, and warmth that will be missed by the entire EMTA community.
After the news broke, BKK staff published an open letter thanking Katalin for her time at BKK. As the letter summarises magnificently what kind of person we are forced to let go of, we are releasing a translation of the letter in its entirety, below the picture (see the original open letter in Hungarian on a public Facebook page).
Köszönjük, Kati – we wish you all the best going forward!
Open letter to Katalin Walter from the BKK staff
Dear Kati,
The way we reacted — and the way we saw each other react — when we received your letter about leaving says a lot about what you mean to us. You even made sure that we wouldn’t hear the news as gossip or read it in the media: our leader is leaving.
That Thursday morning, we kept working: some were coordinating with drivers during a site visit, others were launching replacement buses or reading traffic news on the radio. As we learned from you, we worked with responsibility despite everything — only this time, pale, teary-eyed, clinging to each other’s gaze.
An important era is coming to an end with your departure — not only in the life of BKK, not only in our lives, but probably in Budapest’s as well.
The era when, for the first time in BKK’s history, the same person led the company for nearly five years. When we knew why we were doing what we were doing, because decisions were shared with us, based on thoughtful plans, driven by clear goals and values. When we became a true community, because you paid special attention to that. When we could look up to the one who led us, because in every situation, you appeared intelligent, prepared, and deeply human.
When achievements followed one after another that made us proud — Bubi 2.0 [a bike-sharing scheme], the launch of BudapestGO [a BKK mobile app], the renovation of Blaha Lujza Square and the Chain Bridge, the electronic ticketing pilot — even though all the odds were against us.
We were proud of the recognition you received — such as the EMTA presidency or the innovation award from the Managers’ Association — because you always made it clear: these were also the result of the work we did together.
You took over the company during COVID, then came the energy crisis, funding difficulties, and the constant drama around EU grant applications. The hurdles were continuously raised, yet under your leadership, we always managed to clear them.
Then came a hurdle that, compared to all of these, proved insurmountable.
For months, we watched the CEO selection process with confusion and concern. We found it opaque and unworthy — both for ourselves and for the applicants. We’re sorry, but we understand that you no longer want to take part in such an uncertain process, and we admire the calm and perseverance you’ve shown up to this point.
We will forever be grateful to you for everything you taught us about work, responsibility, and community!
Thank you, Kati!
With love,
The employees of BKK