Advisory Boards

Dr. Reinhard Felix Paulesich

Expert in sustainable development for companies and regions

Dr. Reinhard Paulesich has been at the newly opened Interdisciplinary Institute for Environment and Economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business since 1991. At the beginning of the 1990s, Mr Paulesich refocused his research interests. The basis for this was the structure of Plan Do Check Act. His research support for a number of first movers resulted in a case study design that he has retained to this day. The case studies were (are) the basis for companies to engage external consultants. With regards to the laws of waste management and the evaluation of workplaces, these case studies were (are) created as a support. Among other things, it also serves as an impetus for improving evaluation methods (audit, rating, etc.).

Another core area is the concept of social capital. The Basel II regulations gave rise to a new research interest for Dr. Paulesich: locating the future viability of an organisation and its ability to repay and thus getting banks and companies alike interested in linking the measurement of social capital to the credit assessment. We have been conducting case studies on this topic since 2009. Not always focused on one bank-creditor relationship, but always with the same survey structures, so that the data material remains open for subsequent analyses. For example, some company case studies on climate protection could be used retrospectively to analyse repayment capacity.

DI Agnes Steinberger-Sendlhofer

Head of Experts Board, fodd technologist eccos22(R)-Auditor

DI Agnes Steinberger gained important professional experience as a quality manager in the international food industry in Austria and Canada and completed her studies in food technology at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna. Further training in the field of management systems during her studies sharpened her view of the big picture. As a network partner of Quality Austria Certification GmbH, she acts as lead auditor for the management systems ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ONR 192500. She is also an eccos22® assessor approved in the CSR sector. With her profound EFQM knowledge, she worked as an EFQM assessor for more than 8 years. For 3 years, Ms. Steinberger-Sendlhofer has been working in the private sector again as regional manager of the central QM of an international group in the food industry. Prior to that, she worked for Quality Austria for almost 10 years as a product manager CSR and lead auditor / trainer. In her private life, she and her family run a small mountain farm in Salzburger Land, which offers her “sustainability and future viability at her fingertips” every day.

Mag. Doris Bock

Expert in financing and subsidy consulting, independent business consultant for SMEs and start-ups

Doris Bock offers a comprehensive package of services in the field of financing and subsidy consulting, starting with the search for suitable financing options and subsidy programs through to the preparation of the overall financing. This includes support and preparation of financial plans for budget planning and securing financing; preparation of financing via banks and funding agencies, including the preparation of presentation documents; general funding advice on funding content and its implementation priorities in project management; compilation of possible funding instruments for the respective project or company; preparation of the necessary documents and calculations; preparation of the necessary documentation and financing programmes for the respective project or company. This includes the preparation of the necessary documents and calculations for the submission of funding applications, the preparation of the internal company reporting documents required for funding invoicing, such as a corresponding time sheet, project documentation, etc., through to the submission and invoicing of funding applications.

She is managing partner of db.Unternehmer-Beratung GmbH and has been supporting companies in operational and strategic agendas since March 2005. Prior to this, she gained 17 years of professional experience in various functions in the private sector, including at Philips, and completed her business studies at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration.

Benjamin Djezic, BSc

Master-Student at the Barcelona School of Management, Project Consultant, pro bono engagement

Mag. Sandra Donke

Psychologist, Auditor, eccos22(R)-Assessor

Sandra Donke is an expert in quality management and has worked at the voestalpine Foundation for many years. After studying psychology at the University of Salzburg, she completed several internships at VA-Tech in the USA. When she entered the world of work, she worked as a recruiter and in client relationship management at the WIFI qualification network in Linz. She then began her long career at the voestalpine Foundation, where she is still responsible for quality management. She also supervises and supports participants from Vienna and Lower Austria in the application process as well as students and company founders. Special projects and the organisation of assessment centres round off her area of responsibility. Most recently, she also supported the foundation in obtaining the social seal of approval. In addition to her full-time work, Sandra Donke is certified as an auditor and assessor at Quality Austria in the areas of CSR and quality management.

Patricia Elias

Lawyer in international Law, Human Richts and Female Rights Activist

Mag. Susanne Fridl, E.MA

Expert for Human Rights

Susanne Fridl, E.MA completed her law studies at the JKU Johannes Kepler University in Linz with a semester abroad at the Dominican University of California. This was followed by the European Master of Human Rights and Democratisation E.MA at the Global Campus for Human Rights in Venice with a semester abroad at the Universidad de Sevilla. Since 2017, she has completed numerous internships, including at the European Parliament (2017), the Federal Ministry of the Interior (2019), the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs – Permanent Mission of Austria to the OSCE (2019), Caritas Austria (2020/2021) and UNHCR (2021). As a project assistant at Fundaciòn Musol in Guatemala from October 2022 to March 2023, she was responsible for the preparation and implementation of workshops for the indigenous population on the topics of gender and the human right to water as well as the implementation of social media strategies and the creation of advocacy material. Since April 2023, she has been working in legal counselling and representation in asylum and immigration law at the BBU Federal Agency for Care and Support Services.

Born in Upper Austria, she has also been involved as a volunteer in various organisations since 2009, e.g. ÖH JKU Linz, European Law Students’ Association Linz, UNI Management Club, CSR Dialogue Forum and, since 2022, the Club Alpbach Oberösterreich. In 2019 she was honoured with the Study Abroad Excellence Award, in 2022 she received a scholarship for the European Forum Alpbach.

Martina Grimus, MSc

Expert in strategic business development, HR development and corporate management in the fields of health care management and tourism

She is passionate about working with people for people and professionally supporting companies in their development steps and change processes to the “next level”. Moderating strategic topics in an interdisciplinary manner, developing sustainable concepts and providing conceptual support for change processes are both her motivation and her attitude.

Martina Grimus, MSc, has been an independent management consultant since 2105 and advises organisations on change processes and the further development of competencies. She focuses on positive leadership and strength-oriented personnel development as well as strategic business development and customer-centred communication. Her successful work and clients include her involvement in the “future of work” project at Danube University Krems, the “target group-orientated internal communication” project at VAMED KMB, the “B2B Push” project at ÖBB Personenverkehr AG and stakeholder management support for the “BRAINMEE” product launch for digitAAL Life GmbH.

From 1986 to 2012, she held various management positions with PL responsibility in the B2B tourism industry and was responsible, among other things, for the successful establishment of Columbus Business Travel GmbH and the development of the two international partnerships, the listed Australian Flight Centre International Group and the German REWE Touristik, as well as the subsequent successful launch of the international brand FCm Travel Solutions in Austria.

After a sabbatical in Qatar / Doha from 2018-2020 with a focus on intercultural skills, she completed her Master’s degree in Health Care Management Public Health at the Danube University Krems. In addition to her basic commercial tourism training with Matura at the MODUL tourism schools in Vienna, she completed further training and further education in the areas of Positive Leadership PERMA Lead (Dr Ebner), Online Marketing (BFI), Master Coaching (KickOff Consulting), Communication, Master Trainer (R.O. KNOR), Sales Advantage and Value-Oriented Leadership (DALE CARNEGIE).

Dipl. Geol. Gabriele Harrer-Puchner

Systems scientist and expert in the application of holistic systems analysis and networked thinking

With her System Logics T.T. GmbH, Gabriele Harrer-Puchner advises and accompanies companies, organizations and municipalities in transformation processes and decision-making as well as in the development of future-proof and sustainable strategies, measures and their implementation. The current focus of her work is on mobility, climate protection, new business models and entrepreneurship, renewable energies, construction and buildings, digitalisation and cybersecurity, security and defence, agriculture and food. She is a co-developer of system-oriented methods and collaborative formats, cybernetic simulation games and the web-based System Logics®software tools for holistic, biocybernetic system analysis according to Vester.
The founder and managing director of the think tank System Logics T.T. GmbH in St. Gallen, Switzerland, has worked closely with Prof. Frederic Vester in his study group for biology and environment, Munich, for over 18 years. After integrating Vester’s work into the Malik Management Centre in St. Gallen, she founded the Competence Center Vester there. There she carried out international consulting and training projects on the basis of the holistic system and management approach. The graduate geologist is a trainer and lecturer at universities worldwide. She is a member of the scientific board of Scientists for Future and an associate fellow at the PhD Lab Urban Mobility of the Chair of Urban Structure and Transport at the Technical University of Munich as well as President of the German Society for Human Ecology e.V.

The founder and managing director of the think tank System Logics T.T. GmbH in St. Gallen, Switzerland, has worked closely with Prof. Frederic Vester in his study group for biology and environment, Munich, for over 18 years. After integrating Vester’s work into the Malik Management Centre in St. Gallen, she founded the Competence Center Vester there. There she carried out international consulting and training projects on the basis of the holistic system and management approach. The graduate geologist is a trainer and lecturer at universities worldwide. She is a member of the scientific board of Scientists for Future and an associate fellow at the PhD Lab Urban Mobility of the Chair of Urban Structure and Transport at the Technical University of Munich as well as President of the German Society for Human Ecology e.V.

The graduate geologist is a trainer and lecturer at universities worldwide. She is a member of the scientific board of Scientists for Future and an associate fellow at the PhD Lab Urban Mobility of the Chair of Urban Structure and Transport at the Technical University of Munich as well as President of the German Society for Human Ecology e.V.

Ing. Katharina Heil, BSc

Managing Owner of VITAVO & ORELIO | CISO | Digital Transformation, Information Security, Sustainability & AI

Katharina Heil is the managing owner of the digitalization and consulting firms VITAVO and ORELIO. After completing an IT apprenticeship, she pursued several relevant continuing education programs, including some in the U.S., as well as a bachelor’s degree in innovation management at FH Campus 02.

She started her professional career in project management and software development. As early as 2008, she established her own business in the fields of management consulting and IT, with a focus on innovation management. Today, through her companies, she supports organizations in their digital transformation, combining technological expertise with strategic business development.

As a certified CISO (Chief Information Security Officer), her work places a particular emphasis on information security management, cybersecurity, and the sustainable integration of information security into business processes. She views information security not in isolation as an IT issue, but as an integral part of governance, risk management, and responsible corporate leadership.

Another focus is on the intersection of information security, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. Katharina Heil explores how these topics can be systematically integrated into operational business processes and supported by digital platforms. The goal is to treat regulatory, technological, and sustainability-related requirements not as separate disciplines, but to incorporate them into a holistic corporate management framework.

Under her leadership, VITAVO and ORELIO were successfully certified to ISO 9001 for quality management systems and ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management systems.

In addition to technological innovation and information security, Katharina Heil places great emphasis on sustainable corporate development and a modern, family-friendly corporate culture. In 2021, VITAVO was recognized as the “Most Family-Friendly Company” in Styria in the category for companies with up to 20 employees. In 2024, Katharina Heil took third place in the Innovation category of the “Entrepreneur of the Year” awards.

Katharina Heil is committed to combining digitalization, information security, sustainability, and the responsible use of AI with the goal of helping companies develop in a way that is future-proof, resilient, and sustainable.

Albin Kälin

Expert for Circular Economy

Owner, founder and CEO of EPEA Switzerland GmbH, accredited assessor for the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ certification standard.

Managing Director of Rohner Textil AG / Switzerland, 19 international design awards under his leadership in the 1990s. 1993 Start of the development of the Climatex® product line, the first Cradle to Cradle® products worldwide. Member of the Supervisory Board of Fein Elast Group in Austria, from 2005-2009 Managing Director of EPEA Int. environmental research in Hamburg and 2007-2009 EPEA Nederland. 2009 Foundation of EPEA Switzerland.

EPEA Switzerland GmbH supports companies in various fields of activity in the development and implementation of the Cradle to Cradle® design concept. With an experienced, internationally orientated and interdisciplinary management team, Cradle to Cradle® projects are implemented worldwide in all industries. EPEA Switzerland is an accredited general assessor for the Cradle to Cradle CertificationTM certification standard.

Cradle to Cradle Certified™ is a globally recognised assessment standard for safe, sustainable and recyclable products, details at www.c2ccertified.org. Products Designers, manufacturers and brands around the world rely on the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ certification standard, which, like ^eccos22®, takes a holistic approach.

Albin Kälin was honoured with the UBS Key Trophy “Rhine Valley Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2001.

DI Dr. Roland Kuras

Expert in the field of sustainable energy solutions and energy management

After a technical education, Roland Kuras completed a degree in mechanical and process engineering and graduated in 1994 with a dissertation on “Fundamentals of sustainable development from an energy industry perspective” at the Vienna University of Technology. Prior to this, he had already gained his first professional experience at Siemens AG in Germany. During and after his studies, he worked at the Scientific Academy of Lower Austria and at the Vienna University of Technology before moving to the management of TechSet GmbH. Since the turn of the millennium, he has been supporting companies in energy issues with his companies PowerSolution Energieberatung GmbH and PowerSolution Errichtung und Betrieb GmbH and, since 2021, in the establishment of energy communities. From 2011-2016, Dr Kuras was a member of the Regulatory Commission pursuant to Section 10 of the Energy Control Act at E-Control. Since 2014, he has been a member of the scientific advisory board of the Department of Building and Environment at Danube University Krems. He is also the initiator and co-founder of the first renewable energy community in Vienna (WGE-Grätzlenergiegemeinschaft eGen).

His lecturing activities cover the topics of energy consumption development – worldwide, energy strategies for regions and at company level, the Energy Efficiency Act, ISO 50001 energy management systems, energy purchasing for major customers, renewable energy communities and energy audits. Dr Kuras is also active in research projects in the areas of optimising energy consumption for industrial companies, e-mobility and energy communities.

Mag. Christina Marktl

Communications & PR Expert with a Passion for Leadership

Christina Marktl is an experienced communications and public relations professional with over 25 years of expertise in strategic communication, event management, and employer branding across multiple industries. With a global perspective, her international career has led her to work on prominent events such as TedX Klagenfurt, the 4Gamechangers Festival, and the Fast Forward Forum in St. Tropez and Venice. As a creative and entrepreneurial leader, she thrives in developing innovative, sustainable concepts, particularly in tech, leadership, and corporate communications. Passionate about shaping organizational cultures and enhancing leadership practices, Christina has made significant contributions to enhancing the effectiveness of communication strategies for renowned companies. Her commitment to driving transformation is evident in her advisory role at CSR-Dialogforum, where she actively engages in shaping sustainable business practices and leadership initiatives.

Dr. Nayan Mitra

Expert for Sustainability, CSR and Corporate Governance

Dr Nayan Mitra is an international expert in sustainability, CSR and corporate governance. Ihr Unternehmen „Sustainable Advancements (OPC) Private Limited“ ist frauengeführt und zielt hauptsächlich auf die Unterstützung der Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) durch Engagement und Einführung ab (www.sustainableadvancements.com). Under her leadership, Sustainable Advancements has become a leading holistic institution with a national and international reputation in CSR coaching, consulting and research (e.g. the first Women@work study together with the Aspire For Her Foundation, where she is also a mentor for SDG 5).

Nayan Mitra is also the founding president of the Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI) Sustainable Businesses Council. Numerous publications in the CSR series of Springer Verlag (including ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in India: Cases and Development after the Legal Mandate’ in India (2017), ‘Mandated Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from India’ (2019) and ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in Rising Economies: Fundamentals, Approaches and Case Studies’ (2020), partly together with Dr René Schmidpeter, round off her activities.

Dr Mitra is a recipient of the prestigious Author Award at the Indian CSR Leadership Summit in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She is one of the top 25 CSR leaders in India and was also awarded the Exceptional Woman of Excellence at the Women Economic Forum in New Delhi, India in 2019.

Mag. Elisabeth Moser-Marzi

Lawyer & FH lecturer in environmental, climate and sustainability law, specialising in the Taxonomy Ordinance and in waste and operational waste disposal law

Elisabeth Moser-Marzi studied law in Vienna and Graz. She completed the postgraduate course of the “Interdisciplinary Institute for Environment and Economy” at the Vienna University of Economics and Business with “Environmentally Oriented Corporate Management” and “The Optimal Implementation of the EMAS Regulation”. In 1987, as a student, Mag. Moser-Marzi wrote her first article entitled “The world is degenerating into a greenhouse” (Management Report 3/1987) on climate change. In the further field of commercial law, she specialises in advising research, technology and testing facilities as well as plastics-related companies. The topics of her numerous publications range from ” Verpackungsverordnung ” (MANZ 2007) to the interdisciplinary study for the FFG on behalf of the BMvit on ” Rechtliche Anreize für die Verbesserung von Urban Mining im Abfallrecht ” (2014). In 2021, an article was published in the German RECYCLINGmagazin about ” Der Kampf um das Pfand ” – dealing with the legal aspects of the introduction of a deposit on single-use plastic beverage bottles and beverage cans in Austria. A lectureship at the Pinkafeld University of Applied Sciences in the MA course “Energy and Environmental Management” as well as lecturing activities such as at the Vienna University of Technology ” Schaffung von rechtlichen Anreizen von Urban Mining im Abfallrecht ” or most recently at the TÜV SÜD Academy on
“kunststoffrelevante Verpackungs-Aspekte der PPWR” (March 2023) mark her portfolio. Reference is also made to presentations on the “Taxonomy Regulation” at the events “Enterprise Klima” (May 2022) and “Connecting Cluster” (March 2023).

Neil Nassar, BBE

Co-Founder work-alongside & Tap Dot KG

Engaged in bridging the global AI skills gap through innovation and inclusion. Student representative at The Centre for Effective Altruism, UK (remote) as well as member and Erasmus representative at the ÖH of the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Bachelor’s degree in International Business and Ecomonics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Kerstin Osterer, CSE

Expert in Finance, Operations, and Sustainability Management

Her focus lies on designing future-proof organizations that combine economic precision with ecological and human strength. Kerstin Osterer relies on holistic transformation and structured process optimization. Her ambition is to act as a numerically strong sparring partner at eye level and to translate complex requirements – such as taxonomy alignment or KPI steering in sustainability management and sustainable corporate governance – into measurable success. In doing so, she combines strategic foresight with a pragmatic “can-do” mindset.

Her professional expertise focuses on the operative and strategic development of organizational structures as well as precise finance and numerical management. She has extensive experience in supporting annual financial statements and specialized audit procedures, as well as in the digital transformation of business processes. A central pillar of her work is personnel development: As a long-standing instructor and state-certified examiner in the field of commercial vocational training, as well as a trainer in adult education, she ensures the quality of future specialists through the targeted promotion of young talent and potential.

Kerstin Osterer is a Certified Sustainability Expert (CSE). To continuously sharpen her profile, she will begin the Executive MBA program “General Management for Future Business” at LIMAK Austrian Business School in 2025.

DI Leopold Peneder

Technology expert and solution architect with in-depth know-how in the implementation of complex software systems, artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

In his leadership positions at HC Solutions Gmbh (2006-2018) and Kontron Technologies GmbH (since 2021), he acquired extensive know-how in the areas of Artificial Intelligence & Data Science, Software Development and System Architecture, Project Management & Technical Leadership as well as platforms and tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Midjourney and Lumo and their integration into existing systems.

In addition to his studies in Technical Mathematics with a focus on Computer Science at the Research Institute for Symbolic Computation Hagenberg, DI Peneder has the following education:

eccos²²® Consultant & Assessor | ECCOStandards & More KG (2018), Expertise in Sustainability-Assessment and CSR-Assessment Systems

EFQM Assessor | Quality Austria (2015-2016), Business Excellence and Quality Management Systems based on European Foundation for Quality Management

CIS – Information Security Manager | CIS – Certification & Information Security Services GmbH (2017), Information Security Management, DSGVO-Compliance, Data Protection

Mediator | PGA Akademie für Gesundheit und Soziale Kompetenz (2003-2004), Conflict Resolution and Mediation in organisational contexts

Claudia Rankers

Expert in finance & business

Claudia Rankers is an editor, author, member of various juries and regularly in demand as a speaker and panelist as well as for podcasts.

Since 2003, she has been the founder and owner of Rankers Family Office, a multi-family and entrepreneur office that takes care of all financial issues for wealthy private individuals and entrepreneurs.

Previously, she was a director at the Swiss bank UBS, where she managed the assets of wealthy private and corporate clients. As a director at Deutsche Bank, she headed a private banking unit and was responsible for special funds and investments for companies, foundations and associations. Claudia Rankers holds a degree in banking management, is an EFA European Financial Advisor, Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Certified Generation Advisor (CGA) and Certified Foundation and Estate Planner (CFEP).

In 2016, she was appointed to the Gründungsallianz and in 2022 to the Startup Board of the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Economic Affairs. In 2022, she also became a network partner of the Rhineland-Palatinate Transformation Agency. As Honorary Chairwoman of the Rhineland-Palatinate Women’s Council, she is responsible for the topics of finance, business, sustainability and impact. Among other things, Claudia Rankers has founded a network of female entrepreneurs and a think tank. She is the initiator of the nationwide “Successful Women in SMEs” award, which will be held for the third time in 2023 in cooperation with WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management (www.frauen-im-mittelstand.de). With the books “Sustainability – Women Create the Future” in 2021 and “Founding – Women Create the Future in 2022”, she has made over 80 committed female scientists and entrepreneurs visible. In September 2023, the third book will be published with the topic “Unternehmensnachfolge – Frauen schaffen Zukunft” – again with FAZ-Verlag and over 40 best practices. Claudia Rankers is currently working on a sustainability project that aims to enable all small and medium-sized companies with in-depth knowledge to develop a networked corporate strategy, prioritise the appropriate measures and achieve an ESG rating and sustainability report on the path to transformation.

In 2021, Claudia Rankers was awarded the Order of Merit of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate for almost 30 years of voluntary work.

Mag. Dr. Jürgen Scheibz, MBM

Founder of SGE – Sustainable Geo, Expert for Environment and Groud Water

Jürgen is a geologist with a PhD from the University of Vienna and postdoctoral research at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute. He also holds a Master in Business from BI Oslo and IFPEN Paris.

Since 2002, he has worked at the interface of environmental and groundwater challenges across 18 countries (from 78° N to 42° S) and multiple sectors, including infrastructure, energy, and mining. His experience spans applied research institutions, startups, and transnational engineering corporations such as Multiconsult and AFRY.

In 2024, Jürgen founded SGE – Sustainable Geo, integrating engineering and business consulting to address the environmental dimension of ESG with a focus on practical solutions for groundwater stewardship, geothermal energy development, and physical climate risk strategies.

Nicole Schram, MSc

Expert for Circular Economy, Sustainable Innovation, Global Business Development & Marketing in Chemical and Textile Industry

Head of Global Technical Business Development, Lenzing AG
Austrian Country Chair for Sustainable Business, Women Economic Forum (WEF) / G100
Expert status, Women Economic Forum Germany / Equalink

Nicole Schram brings over ten years of experience in project and innovation management, sustainability, and brand and marketing strategy. As a recognized expert in the circular economy, sustainable innovation, and international business development in the chemical and textile industry, she drives forward-looking solutions. Her international career has taken her to economically significant markets such as China, India, the USA, Hong Kong, and Europe. In these regions, she has successfully led strategic projects, developed sustainable business models, built global partnerships, and managed interdisciplinary and multinational teams.

Since 2017, Nicole Schram has held various management positions at Lenzing AG. In early 2025, she assumed the role of Head of Global Technical Business Development. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic direction and implementation of sustainable innovation projects along the entire textile value chain – from fiber to fashion brand – thereby making a key contribution to the transformation towards a circular textile industry.

She earned her Master’s degree in General Management from Johannes Kepler University Linz, with a focus on B2B Marketing, Sustainability Management, and Innovation Management. Her international education was further enriched by a semester abroad at Appalachian State University (North Carolina, USA) and management training at Cologne Business School in the program Sustainable Management as a New Business Paradigm.

In 2023, Nicole Schram was appointed Austrian Country Chair for Sustainable Business by the global initiative G100: Mission Million / Women Economic Forum (WEF) and was honored in London with the Exceptional Women of Excellence Award for Sustainable Business. In 2024, she was appointed to the expert circle of the Women Economic Forum Germany / Equalink in the field of Sustainable Business & Gender Equality.

Nicole Schram is a sought-after expert and moderator at international conferences, panel discussions, and podcasts on topics such as the circular economy, sustainable business models, and innovation.

Mag. Andreas Schneider

CSR Expert

Andras Schneider has been Head of Department for European and International Family and Youth Policy at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Families and Youth since 2012, where he is responsible for Erasmus+ and quality aspects of youth work, among other things.

From 2007 to 2012, he was responsible for social policy and corporate social responsibility at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. He also built up the area of standardisation policy there and was on the board of the CSR entrepreneur platform respACT, a jury member of the TRIGOS CSR award and an advisor to the Centre for a Humane Market Economy.

From 2004 to 2006, Schneider worked as a political, economic and European expert in the cabinet of Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik. Prior to this, he was responsible for EU enlargement, EU lobbying and COREPER in the European Department of the Chamber of Commerce and worked in the Federal Government’s Information Office for the introduction of euro notes and coins and EU enlargement.

DI Anja Schröder

Certified expert in sustainability communication, certified PR consultant and agricultural engineer specialising in landscape development.

Anja Schröder, with a deep understanding of sustainability from over 30 years in communication and consulting, offers comprehensive expertise on the broad spectrum of sustainability topics. After completing her studies (now environmental sciences), she was initially a research assistant at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart and then worked in numerous different positions in the communications industry. For more than 10 years, she was the strategic head of the communications department of Umwelttechnik BW, the state agency for environmental technology and resource efficiency in Baden-Württemberg.

At the same time, she has worked as a freelance journalist and web copywriter for Wortweberei since 1992 and later freelanced with “stay hungry Markenkommunikation”. Her services range from copywriting, strategic communication, brand management and events to process development.

With the founding of “UNTIL WE ROAR”, she is now focussing her services closely on sustainability communication, consulting, reporting, training and speaking. She is passionate about offering sustainability workshops and training courses that aim to reduce complexity in the context of sustainability and increase participants’ expertise. She supports companies and organisations in communicating sustainability services authentically and guides them through the changes in the communications sector brought about by regulations such as the Green Claims Directive. As part of this strategic transformation consultancy, new reporting obligations such as those arising from the CSRD are also addressed Together. In cooperation with consulting partners. Anja Schröder takes on the interface management between companies, consulting and auditing.

Dr. h.c. Brunhilde Schram, MAS, MBA

Expert in CSR Sustainability, Consultant, Coach, lecturer, auditor assessor

CSR/sustainability expert, consultant and coach for resource-conserving corporate management and change management, lecturer, EFQM assessor and internal auditor in the field of CSR and sustainability.

Studied at the University of Salzburg, Krems and at the Open University in London as well as in Heidelberg and Bielefeld in the fields of “Economic, Psychology and General Management and Knowledge Management”. Limak training as a supervisory board member and intensive further training in Basel II. Many years of experience in export and projects in industry, SMEs and the service sector. In 2022, she was awarded the title Doctor in Philosophy honoris causa by Jharkhand Rai University, India, for her commitment to sustainability.

Awards and honours from various ministries and state governments for special achievements in the field of education and business. Publication on the topic of “Implementing and anchoring the future concept of corporate social responsibility in corporate management”. Involvement as 2nd CSR federal and state spokesperson for the promotion of CSR topics. Initiator of the expert conference “Reichersberg Sustainability Dialogues”, Chapter 22.

Mag. Andrea Sihn-Weber, CSE

Sustainability expert transformation designer with 30 years of management experience

Ing. Erwin Trinkl-Sebald

Logistics Expert & eccos22(R)-Assessor

Ing. Erwin Trinkl-Sebald has been Head of Logistics at Kone AG in Austria, a subsidiary of the globally active family business Kone, since 2020. He has launched a future-oriented project there, = e-cargo bikes for service technicians, which is already being implemented in many of the Group’s countries. This project was also honoured with the VCÖ Mobility Award 2021. Prior to this, he worked in management consulting (ECONSULT) and management (gabarage upcycling GmbH, LOGIS Industriedienstleistungen) and in logistics companies (cargo partner GmbH, Tibbett Britten Austria GmbH). From 2009 to 2016, he headed the Supply Chain Network of A1 Telekom Austria. In addition to his work at Kone, he is an apprentice examiner at the WKJO and a trainer at bfi Vienna. In addition to the VCÖ Mobility Award, he was nominated Logistics Manager of the Year in 2012 and received the Logistics Award from the Logistics Network Association in 2011. He is accredited as an assessor for the eccos22® Management Assessment by Quality Austria.

DI (FH) Stefan Wöhrer, MES

Founder of HOMIT Verkehrswegebau FlexCo, Master builder and road builder

Stefan Wöhrer is a master builder and road builder with a trade license. With his company HOMIT Verkehrswegebau FlexCo, road and path construction projects for digital eco-technical traffic route construction are planned and achieved. HOMIT is building “The Climate-Fit Road”, the most sustainable road construction method on the market.

HOMIT focuses on a circular growth economy and strategic international partnerships. The aim of the company and its partners is to combine sustainable infrastructure with environmental protection in order to create future-oriented solutions for future generations.

Stefan Wöhrer’s professional experience lies in road construction, earthworks and in the field of renewable near-surface geothermal energy in well construction and special civil engineering. Intergenerational construction is standard, especially in the infrastructure sector, and as an innovation driver and designer, he therefore focuses his work on the areas of personnel development, ecotechnical construction, mechanical engineering and digital services.

Stefan Wöhrer graduated as engineer from the University of Applied Sciences Leipzig in 2015, completed his “^{Master of European Studies}” degree at the University of Vienna in 2024 and is a prospective assessor for eccos22® digital services.

Mag. Christoph Wurm

Sustainable corporate developer with 18 years of banking experience

Christoph Wurm has been an independent management consultant since 2021 and is intensively involved in the interaction of strategy – organisation – people – finance and sustainability. Prior to that, he worked at VBK Bank for 18 years, where he initially headed the steering, board secretariat, risk management, credit reorganisation and legal departments as well as the Basel II project Mr Wurm was appointed to the Executive Board in 2007 and, as CFO/CRO, was responsible for Human Resources, Risk Management, Credit Management, Infrastructure, IT, Marketing, Accounting, Controlling, Product Management, Internal Audit, Legal, Compliance, Treasury and the Executive Board Secretariat. From 2015 to 2021, he was Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of VKB-Bank in Linz.

Currently, Mr Wurm is also a member of the Supervisory Board of VA Intertrading, Vice President of the Management Club Upper Austria and an auditor for both Schuldnerhilfe and the CSR Dialogue Forum. Previous mandates include board member at SOS Menschenrechte, president of the Upper Austrian Stiftskonzerte, supervisory board member at OÖ KGG, Athos Immobilien AG and S Wohnbaubank and many years of involvement with the Upper Austrian Scouts.

Mr Wurm studied law and sociology at the Johannes Kepler University Linz.

Photo credit © Antje Wolm