Leading across markets
“The real challenge is asking a high-performing local team to trade a short-term win for what strengthens the region”
Peter Halmo
CEO, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary
Xerox
Menity Leaders Talk · March 2026
Regional strength depends on choices across markets
Regional leadership is choosing what matters
Peter Halmo is CEO of Xerox Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary. He leads three markets with different conditions, balancing local agility with shared regional priorities and global standards.
In this Leaders Talk with Peter Nemčok, he discusses the trade-offs behind regional decisions, the role of cultural alignment and partner trust in the Lexmark integration, and the discipline needed to keep teams focused. He also explains why a CEO’s lasting contribution is an organisation that can perform independently.
In this conversation
Five questions on regional leadership, integration and autonomy
Local strengths need shared priorities and partner trust
Where regional strategy meets local reality
Peter explains when local wins need to give way to regional priorities, and why cultural alignment and partner trust mattered in the Lexmark integration.
What is the toughest call when leading across CZ/SK/HU?
01
The most difficult decision isn't just about saying “No”. It’s about managing the tension between local agility and regional scalability.
In CEE, Hungary has unique fiscal complexities, Czechia is a highly competitive tech hub, and Slovakia requires a balance of both. The real challenge is asking a high-performing local team to trade a short-term win for what strengthens the region. It’s not about forcing markets to be the same. It’s about keeping local excellence — but making it work for the region.
During the Lexmark integration, what ultimately determined whether the integration would succeed?
02
Success wasn’t determined only by financial models. What mattered was cultural alignment and channel trust. While the math showed we were becoming a larger entity, the real engine of our success was that our cultures and partner approaches were already speaking the same language.
This reduced friction and allowed collaboration to start quickly. Integration success was defined by how fast we built trust and continuity for our partners.
Peter Halmo, CEO of Xerox Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary, in conversation with Peter Nemčok about balancing local market strengths with regional priorities and building partner trust during the Lexmark integration — Menity Leaders Talk, March 2026.
Discipline keeps local agility aligned with regional goals
Discipline is where regional leadership holds
He sees discipline as choosing opportunities that strengthen the region while preserving each market’s distinctive advantages.
Where must you be most disciplined as a regional CEO?
03
As a regional CEO, discipline is most critical in balancing local agility with global alignment. It’s not about rules — it’s about consistency. My role is to ensure that while we move with the speed of a local partner, we maintain the global standards.
In a region like CEE, there are many good opportunities. Discipline means saying “No” to distractions so teams can say “Yes” to what truly scales. Discipline creates the trust and stability that allows our talent to innovate and lead.
What separates effective regional leadership from strong local management?
04
The difference lies in the scope of the responsibility. A local manager is focused on winning the game today. A regional leader is focused on winning the entire season and building a franchise. While local management is about execution, regional leadership is about alignment.
My role is not to make Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary identical. That would be a mistake. It is to ensure their unique strengths are coordinated. Effective regional leadership is the art of turning individual market advantages into a collective competitive edge, making the whole region far more than just the sum of its parts.
Peter Halmo and Peter Nemčok during Menity Leaders Talk, discussing the discipline behind regional decisions, the coordination of three different markets and why a CEO should leave an organisation that can perform independently.
A CEO’s legacy is an organisation that works independently
Leadership shows in what works without you
For Peter, leadership succeeds when capable people and clear processes allow the organisation to perform without depending on the CEO’s presence.
What should remain after a CEO moves on?
05
In our industry, we often measure output in numbers and quarterly targets. But if performance depends on my presence, I haven’t been a leader — I’ve been a bottleneck. I believe my most important output isn't a number on a spreadsheet. It’s the integrity and autonomy of the organisation I leave behind.
What should remain is autonomy - leaders who are more capable than me, and processes disciplined enough to create freedom, not friction. A leader shouldn't just write a great chapter. They should build the “template” others can use long after you leave.
In Menity’s CEO and board work across CEE, one pattern repeats: regional strength comes when local performance supports a shared strategy.
(Context: Xerox completed its acquisition of Lexmark in July 2025.)
About the guest
Peter Halmo is CEO of Xerox Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary, with responsibility for commercial performance and regional execution across three CEE markets. He brings over 20 years of commercial experience.
About Leaders Talk
Leaders Talk is Menity’s editorial interview series featuring CEOs, board members and senior leaders across CEE. Each conversation examines the decisions, trade-offs and operating realities of senior leadership.
Guests are selected by Menity for the relevance of their experience. No fee is paid or received for participation. Answers are the guest’s own, edited only for length and language, and reviewed by the guest before publication.
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