The head of Slovakia’s state-owned gas utility SPP has resigned unexpectedly after two years in charge, stepping down from both his role as director general and chair of the board.
Vojtech Ferencz gave no reason for his departure, which was first reported by the SITA news agency and confirmed by Economy Minister Denisa Saková. “I respect his decision and have accepted his resignation,” Saková said, adding that the government would announce further leadership decisions in due course.
SPP, which controls Slovakia’s gas supply, moved quickly to appoint Martin Húska, a board member and former executive at ESCO Slovensko and MH Teplárenský holding, as the new chief executive. Juraj Ondris, a long-serving manager at SPP, becomes chair of the board.
Peter Bagin and Vladimír Švigár have been appointed as new members of the board of SPP. Martin Rybár has been named deputy chair of the board.
Juraj Ondris
1998–2012: Worked at SPP as officer, head of department, director of planning and risk management, and board member
2010–2013: Board member, SPP CZ, a.s.
2012–2014: Executive director, SPP CZ, a.s.
2015–2016: Adviser at the Slovak Ministry of Education, Science and Research
2016–2019: Adviser to the Minister of Economy for energy
2018–2022: At SPP CZ, a.s. – deputy chairman of the board, CEO, chairman of the board, and later board adviser
Graduate of the University of Economics in Bratislava and the CUBA MBA programme
Ferencz’s resignation comes against the backdrop of continuing tension over the future of Russian gas in Europe. During his tenure he consistently opposed calls to end SPP’s contract with Gazprom, which runs until 2034, even after the Russian supplier failed to deliver volumes in early 2025.
He argued that cancelling the deal could expose Slovakia to legal claims of up to €20bn and insisted the contract offered favourable pricing compared with alternatives. Appearing on Rossiya-1 on July 29, a Kremlin-controlled broadcaster, Ferencz warned that the EU’s planned 2027 ban on Russian gas could bankrupt SPP.
His stance drew criticism in Slovakia. Former economy minister Karel Hirman said some of the transit costs Ferencz cited were paid to Eustream, a Slovak pipeline operator, and argued that SPP had a duty to pursue legal action against Gazprom for undelivered supplies.
Ferencz, a political appointee under Prime Minister Robert Fico, had previously worked in the ministries of economy and environment. Under his leadership, SPP delivered €279mn in profit last year and contributed more than €700mn to the state budget in taxes and dividends.
SPP faces mounting challenges as the EU moves to cut reliance on Russian energy. The company’s new leadership must decide whether to maintain Ferencz’s cautious approach towards Gazprom or align more closely with Brussels.
Vojtech Ferencz
November 2023-September 2025: Chairman of the board and CEO of SPP
1995–2005: Východoslovenské strojárne, Košice – roles from assistant to general director to finance director
2005–2007: Financial manager and analyst in private firms, Košice
2007–2010: Director of strategy, Ministry of Economy; later director at Advanz, s.r.o.
2010–2012: Deputy director, Slovak Water Management Enterprise, Košice
2012–2020: Adviser and state secretary at Ministry of Environment; later state secretary at Ministry of Economy
Since 2019: Lecturer at Technical University of Košice, Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies
2020–2021: Financial analyst at Advanz, vice-president of Slovak Energy Employers’ Association
2020–2023: Adviser to operations director at NDS, a.s.
