The glamorous chief executive of a company accused of making the explosive beepers that killed 12 people and injured thousands in one of the most audacious attacks ever launched by Israel against Hezbollah has been photographed.
Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, who studied in London and whose responsibilities include “disaster management”, is listed as the managing director of the Hungarian company BAC Consulting, which allegedly supplied the devices to the Lebanese group.
She has denied any involvement with the pagers, telling a US television network: “I don’t make the pagers. I’m just the middleman. I think they made a mistake.”
Barsony-Arcidiacono, who is in her 40s, has an impressive list of degrees from, among others, the London School of Economics.
He is believed to have lived in Gospel Oak, north London, for the 13 years he studied at UK universities.
Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, who studied in London and lists “disaster management” as one of her skills, is listed as the chief executive of Hungarian firm BAC Consulting, which allegedly supplied the devices to the Lebanese group.
The headquarters of BAC Consulting KFT is pictured on September 18, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary.
A photo taken on September 18, 2024 in the southern suburbs of Beirut shows the remains of pagers that exploded at an undisclosed location. Hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded across Lebanon on September 17.
The shocking incident left dozens of Hezbollah members seriously injured across southern Lebanon and its capital, Beirut.
Civil Defense emergency response teams carry a man who was injured after his portable pager exploded, in the southern Lebanese port city of Sidon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
Barsony-Arcidiacono lists her experience in International Relations and Business Development, and her key achievements include contributing to a Nobel Peace Prize and strategic work on climate and conflict issues.
His CV also states that he speaks seven languages, including Russian and Italian.
Between 2015 and 2017 he studied for a diploma in politics at the London School of Economics, having previously spent four years at the School of Oriental and African Studies, where his final thesis was on the risk of climate change in Guinea Conakry.
Prior to that, he worked at University College London from 2002 to 2006 while studying for a PhD in Physics.
On a website for scientists called Research Gate, he lists his skills as “Quantum Mechanics” and “Disaster Management.”
In her CV published on the BAC Consulting website, she describes herself as a scientist and writes: ‘I am a scientist who uses her very diverse background to work on interdisciplinary projects for strategic decision-making (water and climate policies, investments).
‘With excellent analytical, linguistic and interpersonal skills, I enjoy working and leading in a multicultural environment where diversity, integrity and humor are valued.
Prior to becoming CEO of BAC Consulting, her last position was as a project manager on a hydrological programme in Paris for UNESCO.
Thousands of people were injured on Tuesday when pagers exploded in Syria and Lebanon
A police officer inspects a car where a portable pager exploded, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
Hsu Ching-kuang (L), director of Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, speaks to the media outside the company’s office in New Taipei City on Sept. 18, 2024. Taiwanese company Gold Apollo on Sept. 18 denied a report that it had produced thousands of pagers packed with explosives.
Initial reports suggested that the pagers ordered by Hezbollah were supplied by a Taiwanese company called Gold Apollo.
But executives said this morning that the company had only licensed its branding to the devices, and that they were manufactured and sold by BAC Consulting KFT.
‘Apollo Gold Corporation has established a long-term private label authorization and regional agency cooperation with BAC,’ the statement said.
‘Under the agreement, we authorize BAC to use our trademark for the sale of products in specific regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products remains entirely the responsibility of BAC.’
Gold Apollo Chairman Hsu Ching-kuang told reporters this morning that his company has had a licensing agreement with BAC for three years, but did not provide evidence of the contract.
He also said He negotiated the licensing agreement in Europe with a Taiwanese woman who he believed was a regional representative of BAC.
“She had already flown to Europe several times,” he said, adding that the woman called herself Teresa.
“From beginning to end, they never mentioned Lebanon.”
BAC Consulting Kft, a limited liability company, was registered in May 2022 and its records show it had revenue of $725,768 in 2022 and $593,972 in 2023.
Reporters located the registered address of BAC Consulting in Budapest, but a person in the building, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the company had no physical presence there.
BAC Consulting’s website, which has now been taken down, said the company worked with telecoms companies to “connect technologies in Asia.”