Gabor Koska
Executive Vice President, Head of Data x Intelligence (DXI) APA
Edelman
Hong Kong SAR
Gabor Koska's career is a story of continued reinvention: a Hungarian-born researcher who built his professional life across three continents, always asking the same question — how does insight change decisions?
He began in Budapest before moving to Paris to join Millward Brown, where he was first exposed to the rigorous quantitative tradition of communications measurement. He then relocated to Tokyo to join Kantar's communications evaluation practice, working across Coca-Cola, GSK, Levi's, Audi, and De Beers. Japan's exacting research culture forced him to develop a style where method was never enough on its own — insight had to be translated into a specific, actionable recommendation.
At Added Value in Paris, he built and led the quantitative practice for L'Oréal, Louis Vuitton, Ford, and Moët Hennessy. At TNS in Hong Kong, he carried that capability into a new market context, developing client relationships that combined technical rigour with genuine business advisory.
On turning 50, Koska undertook the most ambitious chapter of his career: building a sector-leading analytics and intelligence practice inside Edelman across more than ten APAC markets. When he took on the regional leadership of DXI APAC, it was a small, reactive operation. He grew revenue from approximately USD 1.2 million to a current run rate of USD 4.5–5.0 million, expanded the team from 12 to 35 specialists across six offices, and launched new practices in Shanghai, Tokyo, and Mumbai. He transformed the function from account support into a strategic advisory business embedded in corporate, public affairs, and C-suite engagements.
His leadership philosophy draws on quiet leadership methods that develop thinking before action, where people discover their own capabilities and leadership rather than depend on others.
To Quote: “At his core, Gabor is a creator, innovator and problem-solver — there is always a path forward. He shines in both day-to-day client delivery and in designing something entirely new for our industry.” - Meghan Barstow, CEO and Representative Director Japan, Edelman
