Pictured: Boss of firm ‘making exploding pagers to attack Hezbollah’

The glamorous CEO of a company accused of manufacturing the exploding pagers that killed 12 people and injured thousands in one of the most audacious attacks ever launched by Israel on Hezbollah has been pictured. Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono (pictured left), who studied in London and lists ‘disaster management’ as one of her skills, is listed as the Chief Executive of the Hungarian-based company BAC Consulting said to have supplied the devices to the Lebanese group.

She has denied any involvement with the pagers and told a US TV station:’ I don’t make the pagers. I am just the intermediate. I think you got it wrong.’ Barsony-Arcidiacono, who is in her 40s, has an impressive list of qualifications from among others the London School of Economics (pictured). She is understood to have lived in Gospel Oak, North London, during the 13 years studying at UK universities.

Barsony-Arcidiacono (pictured) lists her expertise as International Relations and Business Development with her main achievements contributing to a Nobel Peace award and strategic work on climate and conflict issues. Her CV also claims she speaks seven languages, including Russian and Italian. From 2015-2017 she 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 her final thesis was on the risk of climate change in Guinea Conakry. Prior to that she was at University College in London from 2002-2006 while studying or a PhD in Physics.

On a website for scientists called Research Gate she lists her skills as ‘Quantum Mechanics’ and ‘Disaster Management.’ On the CV posted to BAC Consulting website she describes herself as a scientist writing: ‘I am a scientist using my very diverse background to work on interdisciplinary projects for strategic decision-making (water&climate policy, investments). With excellent analytical, language, and interpersonal skills, I enjoy working and leading in a multicultural environment where diversity, integrity, and… humor are valued.’

Before becoming the Chief Executive of BAC Consulting (head office pictured), she listed her last employment as a project manager working on a Hydrological Programme in Paris for UNESCO. Initial reports suggested the pagers ordered by Hezbollah were supplied by a Taiwanese company called Gold Apollo. But executives this morning said the company had only authorised its brand on the devices, and that they were manufactured and sold by BAC Consulting KFT.

‘Apollo Gold Corporation has established a long-term private label authorisation and regional agency cooperation with BAC,’ a statement read. ‘According to the agreement, we authorise BAC to use our brand trademark for production sales in specific regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are entirely handled by BAC.’

Gold Apollo chair Hsu Ching-kuang (pictured) told journalists this morning that his company has had a licensing agreement with BAC for the past three years, but did not provide evidence of the contract. He also said he negotiated the licensing agreement in Europe with a Taiwanese woman whom he believed was a regional representative of BAC. 

‘She had already flown several times to Europe,’ he said, claiming 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 with records showing it had revenue of $725,768 in 2022 and $593,972 in 2023.

Reporters located the registered address of BAC Consulting in Budapest (pictured), but a person at the building speaking on condition of anonymity said the company did not have a physical presence there. BAC Consulting’s website, which has now been taken down, said the company worked with telecommunications companies to ‘bridge technologies in Asia’.

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