MATEJ VARGA

Matej is a Slovak retail executive and Board Member of ORLEN Unipetrol Slovakia, where he serves as Executive Director of Retail. His career spans commercial leadership, retail transformation and strategy, with experience at both national and international level.
He began his executive journey with Subway International, serving as Country Director for Slovakia and Croatia and gaining early multi-market leadership experience in an international franchise environment. Before joining ORLEN, Matej built a significant part of his career at METRO. He served as Head of Retail Franchise and later as Head of Sales and Franchise, combining responsibility for commercial performance with the development of franchise retail. He subsequently moved into an international role as Vice-President of Retail Strategy and Finance, contributing to the strategic development of METRO’s retail business across its global organization. This progression from operational and commercial leadership to international strategy shaped his approach to building and transforming retail businesses.
Today, Matej leads ORLEN’s retail business in Slovakia, with annual revenues exceeding €600 million. His responsibilities span the fuel station network, convenience and gastronomy, sales and operations, marketing, investments and development, fleet business, electromobility and renewable energy.
Under his leadership, the business has delivered significant improvements in profitability and non-fuel performance while accelerating the modernization of its retail network. He is also leading strategic initiatives to expand ORLEN beyond the traditional fuel-station model, including acquisitions and the development of standalone convenience formats.
His current focus is on building a broader, modern retail platform and creating new sources of sustainable growth as mobility and consumer expectations continue to evolve.