Zsuzsa Kecsmar

Antavo AI Loyalty Cloud

What is the future of loyalty programs? How can we help to create the best loyalty programs out there? I am responsible for the growth of our company, and you will find me supporting our partners, customers, prospects, and speaking on events and holding educational sessions.

Co-founder, Chief Strategy Officer

Being in the board of Antavo is important to me, as boards are the highest level decision making bodies for companies. Strategic stuff happens here, and it's great fun to work together with our investors and stakeholders.

Board Member

Antavo provides a SaaS platform to run loyalty programs. We are working together with amazing partners - loyalty consultants, agencies, system integrators, digital transformation consultants - to help brands, retailers and enterprises reach their goals. 

I lead our partner efforts till I hired the best partner lead!

Co-founder, Head of Partnerships

I helped Antavo's client base with a team of account managers and tech project managers, navigating first the uncertainty of the pandemic and then the skyrocketing demand we had from clients. These amazing brands and retailers were running ahead with digital transformation to keep their customers engaged, and we couldn't have been happier working with them.

Co-founder, Chief Customer Officer

From our original product we pivoted and relaunched Antavo, as a loyalty management platform for retailers. We grew our customer profile and started to work with companies like Luisaviaroma, Pepsico or Benetton.

Co-founder, Chief Marketing Officer

Forbes Business Council

Sharing insights on customer loyalty and technology with Forbes Business Council.

Official Member

Seedcamp

Empowering the next generation of game-changing companies and shaping the future of technology.

Private Investor

Antavo Promotions for Retail

We launched Antavo as a SaaS in martech, targeting small businesses with a great solution for running contests and sweepstakes. Since the very beginning, I had the responsibility of promoting our solutions, establishing and developing a comprehensive marketing system for lead generation, engagement, and customer development. At peak Antavo was used by 30.000 marketers globally.

Co-Founder, CMO

Various radio stations

Edited multiple FM radio shows on culture, society, and entertainment, occasionally hosting morning and weekend programs. As a radio producer, I received the prestigious Young Journalist Award in Hungary in 2009, presented by the European Commission.

Radio Producer, Broadcaster

I am all in for customer loyalty. This is what the last decade of my entrepreneurial journey was about.

Remember the old-school spend-a-dollar-earn-a-point loyalty programs?

Or the ones that only work in the store, or online but not at both places?

Or the ones that never change because it's a pain to develop them? 

We are here to change that.

Antavo's powerful platform helps you create loyalty programs that really match your brand - reward when customers work out, recycle or refer friends. We can serve brands too, who do not sell directly to their customers. We do coalition loyalty programs, and b2b2c. We go really, really deep in the tech of loyalty programs.

I am Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Antavo. It's loyalty cloud, that helps global brands like KFC, BMW, and Kathmandu to run next-gen loyalty programs.

I am a former journalist who won the European Young Journalist Award from the European Commission, and a recognized female founder in tech by Forbes. 

We are an amazing team of 100 people working remotely all over the world. I love working from home, with my husband who is my co-founder, and also I quite enjoy business travel these days. I am a mother of 3 daughters. And I restarted ballet as an adult! It's great fun.


**


THE WAYS I CAN HELP YOU:


- I can help you be better at your job in customer loyalty and marketing. Follow me for loyalty info. We publish THE report for loyalty programs for years. Here is the latest edition: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H073g3k0

- We can help you with innovative tech for loyalty programs: https://antavo.com/

- I can speak on your next event related to marketing, customer retention, loyalty, or loyalty programs. DM me!

- I can help you think about your loyalty program revamp or replatform, or if you are considering launching a new program. Book a 15 mins slot in my calendar (through the button under my profile).

Looking forward to connecting with you!

Zoltan A. Vardy

The Launch Code

• The Launch Code: a proven sales blueprint for B2B founders to consistently close 3+ high-ticket clients per quarter.
• Applied by 200+ startups across 26 countries to turn sales from guesswork into a repeatable growth engine.
• Delivered through a video course, 1:1 mentoring, group accelerator programs & workshops.

B2B Sales Strategist & Founder

• Startup & Tech Conferences: Dublin Tech Summit, EU Startups Summit, Arctic15, TechChill, TNW, Wolves Summit, PODIM, How To Web.
• Accelerators & VCs: Startup Wise Guys, Supercharger Ventures, Design Terminal, ReaktorX, Speedinvest, Kindred Capital, Euroventures, Fil Rouge. 
• Organizations: Venture Cafe, HBBA, United Way

Keynote Speaker - Sales, Growth & Entrepreneurship

Antavo Enterprise Loyalty Cloud

• Support founders, leadership team, and investors to accelerate Antavo's global expansion.
• Antavo is an enterprise loyalty SaaS technology with clients like BMW, KFC, Kathmandu and BrewDog in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.

Chairman

Investor & Board Member

Mentor Equity LLC

• Investor and board member of B2B enterprise technology startups based in Europe.
• Portfolio - Dexory (AI data analytics in logistics), Antavo (loyalty program SAAS tech platform)
• Exit: Brainient (video advertising technology), sold to Teads (2016).

Angel Investor & Board Member

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

• Led global ad sales teams for international TV division, 12 offices and 50+ channels across EMEA, APAC and LatAm. 
• Grew TV and digital ad revenues +20%, unified global sales organization, developed digital commercial strategy and negotiated multi-market ad partnerships.

Sr. Vice President, Global Ad Sales, NBCUniversal International Networks

ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE

• P&L responsibility for 900-employee, $150m revenue division with TV channels in Hungary (TV2, FEM3), Romania (Prima TV, Kiss TV) and a TV production company. Private-equity backed (KKR, Permira) company, bought SBS Broadcasting in June, 2007.

CEO, Central & Eastern Europe

• Generated record revenues and profits by relaunching flagship general entertainment channel, reducing costs during economic downturn, and launching cable channel portfolio.

CEO, TV2 Hungary

SBS Broadcasting

• Oversaw ad revenues of $1.1 bil for 19 TV channels in Nordic, Benelux & Central Europe; negotiated group-wide advertising deals with marketers and media agencies.

Vice President, Advertising Sales

• Led 60-person commercial team in super-charging revenues by 50% to $150 mil over 3 years alongside declining viewing share.

Commercial Director, TV2 Hungary

eEurope Media

• Developed business plan and raised $1.5 mil from angel investors to launch a network of consumer Internet portals in Central Europe; built and managed staff of 30, created exclusive partnerships with Google and Hewlett Packard; sold business to strategic buyers.

Co-Founder & CEO

CBS Corporation

GM & Vice President, CBS Plus

Turner Broadcasting

Business Development Manager, Europe

USA TODAY

Marketing Manager, Europe & Asia

I teach B2B founders how to close more enterprise deals faster using The Launch Code 🚀 Generated $2 billion in B2B revenue in my 30-year career📣 Speak about B2B sales & entrepreneurship

Struggling to sell your B2B tech product, even though you know it’s great?

I’ve been there. After 30 years in B2B sales — from leading $150M revenue teams at NBCUniversal to building my own startup — I’ve closed $2B in revenue by learning how to make skeptical buyers say “yes.”

That’s why I built The Launch Code, a proven blueprint trusted by 200+ founders in 26 countries to turn sales from a constant struggle into a repeatable growth engine. It’s designed to help founders win 3+ high-ticket clients per quarter.

👉 I created The Launch Code by blending my two worlds:

• Corporate sales leadership at the highest level

• Startup founder grit, speed, and focus

The result: a sales system that gives startup founders corporate-level structure without losing startup agility.

What you’ll learn with me:

✅ How to FOCUS your offer & message so buyers instantly get it

✅ How to STRUCTURE your sales process so you close more with less stress

✅ How to SCALE your sales so you stop doing it all yourself

Who I work with:

• Early-stage founders → use my video course + mentoring to land your first consistent high-ticket clients.

• Scaleup founders → work 1:1 with me to scale faster, build a high-performing team & break revenue ceilings.

Why listen to me?

🔹 Closed $2B+ in revenue
🔹 Carried $150M revenue responsibility as SVP at NBCUniversal 
🔹 Built & sold my own company
🔹 Investor in multiple startups
🔹 Author of The Launch Code & keynote speaker

📩 DM me if you’re ready to win 3+ high-ticket clients per quarter and turn sales into your growth engine.

• The Launch Code is a blueprint that helps B2B tech founders sell and market to enterprise customers.
• Worked with 200+ founders from 26 countries.
• I share The Launch Code via a personal mentoring program, an on-demand course and a course + mentoring package.
• Startup accelerators can choose a course + group coaching package.

“When do I give up?”
I ask myself that at least once a quarter.

When things hit harder than expected.
When a prospect or partner shuts me down.
When something I really counted on... doesn’t happen.

But somehow, I always pick up the pieces and keep moving.
Founders ask me this question too — a lot.

Because “never give up” can be dangerous advice.
Blind persistence can kill your startup just as fast as quitting too soon.

So here’s what I tell them:
✅ If you're still learning, improving, and seeing progress → keep going.
⚠️ If you're repeating, losing money, or drained of motivation → pause, pivot, or reset.

Giving up isn’t failure.
It’s strategy.
It’s how you make space for your next big win.

This is the side of entrepreneurship no one glamorizes, but every founder knows.
👉 When did you know it was time to quit?
👇 Let’s talk in the comments.

#FounderStruggles #Resilience #Entrepreneurship #Startuplife

B2B Sales Strategist for Tech Founders | Win 3+ High-Ticket Clients per Quarter | Closed $2B in Revenue | Author of The Launch Code | Keynote Speaker

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This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for more than just good fortune.

I’m thankful for the decisions that changed my life, even when they felt risky.

🙏 I had the courage to walk away from a comfortable corporate career in my late 40s.
Starting over wasn’t easy. But it was right.

🙏 I get to share my knowledge with incredible startup founders, and help them turn their dreams into reality.

🙏 I’ve built a life where financial stress no longer runs the show.
It took years of hard work, discipline, and yes...a bit of luck.

🙏 I’m physically healthy and energized enough to pursue the work I care about.
That’s a privilege I don’t take for granted.

🙏 I’m surrounded by a loving wife and daughter who believe in me and support my purpose, especially on the hard days.

None of this happened overnight. But every step was worth it.

👉 What’s one thing you’re grateful for this year that didn’t come easy?

#Thanksgiving #Gratitude #EntrepreneurLife #Founders #StartupJourney #Reflection

Last week, I fired a brand new client — no regrets.

He wasn’t prepared to listen to my advice.
He was rude, dismissive, and resistant to feedback.

Ironically, his business was about helping others “clarify their focus.”
But when I asked him to define his own... he listed 20 things.
When I suggested choosing one, he pushed back. Hard.

That’s when I knew: we weren’t aligned.
And alignment isn’t a luxury. It’s a requirement.

After mentoring 200+ founders, I’ve learned:
→ The best client relationships are built on mutual respect
→ Shared values and shared trust.
 
When those don’t exist, it’s better to walk away.
Early. Clean. Honest.

Because great outcomes only happen when you’re building with the right people.

📸 This is me — standing firm in that decision.
Respect is non-negotiable.

Would you have fired him, too, or tried to make it work?

#b2bsales #founders #entrepreneurship #focus #clientrelationships

I thought publishing my book was the finish line. I was wrong.
Turns out, the real work begins after the launch.

📖𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝 𝘾𝙤𝙙𝙚

Last week, I wrapped up an eight-month European promotional period with one final talk at Venture Café London.

𝟭𝟴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝟭𝟭 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
From Finland to Spain, Germany to Estonia, I shared The Launch Code with founders, dreamers, and doers.

I stood on stages and in countries I'd never been.
I met readers I’ll never forget.
I signed and sold hundreds of books to founders building what’s next.

And I hit walls.

My “favorite”? I once traveled 1,180 kilometers over two days... to speak to four people and sell one book.

𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
➡️ Hearing MY words come to life in a stranger's voice in my audiobook.
✅ Signing a Hungarian publishing deal with Líra Group for 2026.

Would I do it again?
Absolutely.

Because true impact doesn’t happen in a single moment.
It’s built, brick by brick, one trust-building conversation at a time.

👉Swipe through for moments from the road.

What’s something you finished that changed your life?

#entrepreneurship #founders #authorlife #globalkeynote #startups

The Launch Code Promo Tour 2025

Basic professionalism is now a competitive advantage.
Crazy, right?

What comes naturally to you might feel like a revelation to others.

Paul Kulon from SummerJam once told me:
“God, you’re really great with follow-up!”

Urban Lapajne from PODIM thanked me for giving honest feedback — not because it was easy, but because it was real.

It made me realize:
The stuff that makes you look like a pro isn’t flashy.
It’s not loud.
It’s consistency.

✅ Sticking to deadlines
✅ Following up when you say you will
✅ Delivering what you promised

These aren’t “big” moves....but they build trust.
And trust builds everything else.

Your achievements might get attention.
But your behavior is what earns opportunity.

What’s one “basic” behavior that, in your eyes, sets true professionals apart?

👇 I’d love to learn from your perspective.

#leadership #professionalism #followthrough #founderlife #trust

Brilliant founders. Great products. But no traction?
It’s not a product problem — it’s a sales system problem.

That changed last week. 

🚀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽 kicked off inside the V4 Startup Force accelerator, uniting early-stage founders from:
🇨🇿 Contesaur.cz  
🇭🇺 Felm
🇵🇱 RunPixie.com  
🇸🇰 shealed  

Over four intense weeks, we're going beyond theory:

✅ 5 live mentoring sessions
✅ Hands-on playbook building
✅ Real-world sales simulations

Each founder gets access to The Launch Code — but more importantly, they build their own repeatable sales process, together.

One founder’s initial feedback:
"I’ll finally know what to say in sales calls without sounding like a robot."

If you run an accelerator or incubator and want your founders to stop guessing and start closing, let’s talk.

📩 Message me to see how The Launch Code can plug into your program.

Let’s equip the next generation of founders with the skills they need to sell.

#b2bsales #startups #foundertraining #accelerators #launchcode

Most founders don’t struggle because of their product.

They struggle because of their message.

If your customers don’t instantly get why you matter, they’ll move on, no matter how good your solution is.

That’s what I talked about at Podim Conference, where we broke down how clarity and structure turn chaos into consistent sales.

But the conversation doesn’t stop there.

Because the same myths keep holding founders back:
❌ That you can build a unicorn in 9–5 hours
❌ That AI can sell for you

The truth?
AI can speed you up, but if your fundamentals are broken, it’ll just help you fail faster.
And balance is great, but commitment still wins.

I unpacked all this in my latest newsletter.

Which do you think is the bigger myth right now: AI replacing sales or success without sacrifice?

the-launch-code

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(24) Venture Café London: Posts | LinkedIn

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JSESSIONID

Talks about #b2bsales, #startups, #entrepreneurship, #salesandmarketing, and #businessdevelopment

Every founder I meet has one goal: sell more. But most miss the real reason they’re not closing more deals. It’s not the product, it’s not the market…

How 200+ startups fixed their sales with one simple shift

Podim Conference

Your sales team doesn’t need another motivational talk.
They need the startup mindset to close big deals faster.

I discovered my superpower at age 25 when I spoke on stage at an international sales event, sharing how I sold ads for Cartoon Network in Eastern Europe. 

I was nervous but ready.

That talk launched me to become a Vice President at CBS three years later.

Since then, I’ve led sales teams at TV2 and NBCUniversal, using speaking to align vision, drive revenue, and energize performance across global markets.

In the last six years, I’ve taken 50+ stages in a dozen countries, helping founders scale B2B sales.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀.

Whether it’s sales kickoffs, leadership offsites, or global conferences -- I’ll 
show your teams how to think, sell, and win like founders.

🎥 Here’s the 2.5-minute speaker reel - and imagine this on your stage.

Planning your next sales event? Message me.

And let’s create the kind of keynote they’ll talk about all year.

#CorporateEvents #PublicSpeaking #EntrepreneurialThinking #HRLeadership #B2BSales

5PM: Quit or Conquer?

Meetings are done.
Your to-do list? Still stacked.

This is the moment that separates dreamers from builders.

Do you scroll…
or do you show up and finish strong?

Because success isn’t built when it’s easy.
It’s forged in the quiet hour...
when no one’s watching and quitting feels justified.

The best founders I know don’t wait for motivation.
They commit.
Even when it’s unglamorous.
Even when it’s exhausting.

That’s how businesses are built.
That’s how founders grow.

So when 5PM hits, ask yourself:
Comfort or progress?

👇 What’s your 5PM ritual?

#founderlife #entrepreneurship #mindset #discipline #leadership #videocontent

Everyone’s trashing office work these days.

But I just spoke with the founder of a high-end lifestyle brand in the UK.

Her company has a full-time, in-office policy.

No hybrid. No WFH.

Has it made recruitment tougher? Yes.

But the founder’s stance is clear:

“If you don’t want to work side-by-side with your colleagues, you’re not a fit for our culture.”

And honestly? I get it.

I’ve led teams from ten to a thousand.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned:

𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻.

Deals, ideas, and culture often happen between the meetings — not on Zoom.

These days I split my time between home and the office. 

But I’m a solopreneur.

And even then, I know: remote work isn’t always the productivity booster people think it is.

The key is knowing what really brings out your best -- not just what feels comfortable.

👉 Curious: would you work for a company that requires full-time office presence?

#leadership #companyculture #productivity #hiring #futureofwork

If you're building a startup, you already know how easy it is to get pulled in ten directions at once.

New ideas, new clients, new markets… everything looks like an opportunity.

But here’s the truth: most founders don’t struggle because of weak products or bad markets. They struggle because they lose focus.

And the same principle shows up at the top of the tech world.
The Magnificent Seven (Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla) now make up 36% of the S&P 500.

Not because they chased everything… but because each one doubled down on what they do best.

Cloud. Chips. AI. Mobility.

Relentless focus turned into momentum, momentum into dominance.
I
n this newsletter, I break down:
🔹 Why focus is the single most underrated growth strategy
🔹 A simple 5-step process to help you find yours
🔹 How narrowing mine changed my entire career
🔹 And what the Magnificent Seven can teach every founder about clarity

If you feel spread thin or “busy but not moving,” this one’s worth a read.

Because once you find your focus, growth stops feeling like guessing, and starts feeling like momentum.

View newsletter: Master your B2B startup sales

f you’re building a startup, you already know how easy it is to get pulled in ten directions at once… New ideas, new clients, new markets. Everything 

Open article: Losing momentum? Here’s how to get it back. by Zoltan A. Vardy • 3 min read

Losing momentum? Here’s how to get it back.

Ever noticed how tracking performance flips a switch in your brain?

I saw this firsthand when a founder I mentor started logging weekly sales data.

No new hires. No extra budget. Just focus.

In 30 days, revenue trends emerged. 
Leaky funnels got patched. 
Momentum returned.

Why? Because what you measure, you manage.

Peter Drucker nailed it:
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”

It’s not glamorous, but it’s a discipline shift.

Founders who track metrics (sales, marketing, finance) don’t just stay informed. They stay in control.

When you ignore the numbers, you manage by gut.
And gut doesn’t scale.

So here’s the question:
What’s one metric you track every single week—no excuses? 👇

#founderinsights #b2bgrowth #startuplife #scalingstartups #founders

Measure it, to manage it

If your value proposition sounds like this guy...
…it’s time for a rewrite.

Founders often want to explain everything:
✅ Every feature
✅ Every benefit
✅ Every audience

But in trying to say it all, you say… nothing.

A strong value proposition answers just 3 things:
1. What problem do you solve?
2. For whom?
3. Why are you better?

In one sentence.
Clear. Sharp. Repeatable.

Once you’ve got it?
Test it.
Watch people’s faces.
Then refine.

Clarity wins. Complexity kills.
So, how simple is your value proposition right now?

👇 First comment = practical help for B2B founders.

#startups #b2bsales #founders #positioning #valueproposition

Everyone’s so loud during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
More offers, more noise, more urgency.

So here’s the opposite of that ⬇️

If you want 2026 to look different, don’t buy more stuff.
Invest in clarity, focus, and systems that actually move your business forward.

That’s why I wrote The Launch Code, not as a trend, but as a practical, proven framework to help founders win high-ticket clients with confidence.

This week’s newsletter goes deeper into that idea:
📘 What The Launch Code is really about
A no-fluff conversation from my Sales Dojo Podcast episode: mindset, value proposition, and why so many founders secretly hate selling (and how to fix it).

📍 Behind the scenes of my European book tour
18 events, 11 countries, hundreds of founders, including the night I traveled 1,180 km to speak to four people… and still considered it a win.

🎯 Why the best investment isn’t a Black Friday deal
It’s structure.
It’s clarity.
It’s the habits that shape your business long after the discounts disappear.

If you want 2026 to be your most focused and predictable year yet, start here.

👉 Read the full newsletter and make your business blast off 🚀

It’s that time again…. Black Friday. Cyber Monday. A week where everyone is trying to sell you something, usually fast, loud, and without much meaning

Open article: If you want 2026 to be different, start here by Zoltan A. Vardy • 3 min read

If you want 2026 to be different, start here

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The Battle

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