Who is Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono? Woman whose firm was linked to exploding pagers

Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono , the 49-year-old Italian-Hungarian CEO of Hungary-based BAC Consulting , has become the centre of attention after her company's involvement in the manufacturing of exploding pagers that killed 12 people and wounded more than 2,000 in Lebanon this week.

While Barsony-Arcidiacono denies direct involvement, the pagers were reportedly licensed from a Taiwanese manufacturer, Gold Apollo , raising questions about her firm's role in the deadly incident.

Barsony-Arcidiacono, who speaks seven languages and holds a PhD in particle physics in a brief interview with NBC News, distanced herself from the tragedy, stating, "I am just the intermediate. I think you got it wrong." Since then, she has remained out of the public eye, and her home in Budapest, where pastel drawings of nudes are displayed on the walls, has been shuttered.

Described by those who know her as intelligent but somewhat erratic in her career path, Barsony-Arcidiacono’s life is marked by a string of short-term jobs across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, often in humanitarian work. Kilian Kleinschmidt, a former UN administrator, who hired her in 2019 for a Dutch-funded project in Tunisia, called her a "bullying" manager and cut her contract short, describing the decision as "one of the biggest mistakes of my life."

Neighbors and acquaintances in Budapest describe her as kind but elusive, while her resume shows inconsistencies. Claims of holding senior positions, such as a project manager at the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) and a board member of New York’s Earth Child Institute, have been debunked by the respective organizations. The IAEA confirmed she was only an intern, and the Earth Child Institute stated she had no formal role there.

Despite her impressive academic background, including a PhD from University College London, Barsony-Arcidiacono’s career has not followed a scientific path. Her CV on BAC Consulting's website, now taken down, highlighted her work in interdisciplinary projects, but it remains unclear what her firm's actual business was in Hungary.

Barsony-Arcidiacono’s future remains uncertain as authorities continue to investigate the deadly explosion. For now, she remains out of sight, her company’s role in the tragedy casting a shadow over her once-illustrious credentials.