Alexander Brody (businessman)

Alexander Brody (Born Sándor Bródy) (b. January 28, 1933, Budapest) is a businessman, author and marketing executive. He is the grandson of Hungarian writer Sándor Bródy.

Family and early life

Brody's father, János Brody, raced horses and traded grain commodities in the period encompassing the two world wars. His mother, Lilly Brody – Pollatschek, was a painter. The family slowly rose into the upper class. Artists and scientists frequented the house, among them Nobel laureate physicist Dennis Gabor, the inventor of the krypton-filled fluorescent lamp, Imre Brody, actress Gizi Bajor and film actor Csortos Gula.

In the late 1940s, Brody studied at Princeton University in the US. He was inspired by John von Neumann. Brody graduated in 1953 with degrees in Chinese, history and philosophy. He worked at Young & Rubicam company for 34 years. During this period, Brody was sent to Frankfurt and the year after, he became Bureau Chief in Italy. He was a strong supporter of his employees, cancelling a major contract in order to defend them.

In 1981 the firm joined Dentsu, the international Japanese advertising group. Brody received a top managerial position. In 1993 he became president of Ogilvy & Mather.

In 1993 he retired from his advertising activities and returned to Hungary. His activities thereafter were mostly focused on the literary world. Brody is both a writer and an organizer of the Sandor Brody literary award for journalists in honour of his grandfather.

Books

• Gondok és gondolatok (Thoughts and concerns), Seneca edition Budapest 1998, aphorism collection·
• Húszezeregy éjszaka – Álmok és mesék a valóságról (Twentythousand and one night – Dreams and tales about the real world), Noran edition, 2001
• Alibi hat hónapra 1. Evés-ivás (Alibi for six months. Eating-drinking ·
• Alibi hat hónapra 2. Kert (Alibi for six months. Garden