Presidential Council

Dr. Clemens Martin Auer, born in Lower Austria, is one of the most distinguished Austrian health experts. In his function as head of division at the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, he was responsible for the healthcare system and its central co-ordination from 2005 to 2018. Being Austria's highest-ranking health official, he played a leading role in the healthcare reforms of recent years, for example in the introduction of the electronic health records ELGA. He sees himself as a change manager and considers standards to be "the key to interoperable ECO systems in which there are no proprietary 'silos' anymore."

Owing to his enormous experience in dealing with diverse players and structures as well as his openness and reliability, Auer is a renowned expert both at the national and international level. At present, the graduate philosopher and political scientist serves as the president of the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) and as a member of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the 2019-2022 term. In autumn 2018, Clemens Martin Auer was appointed special representative for health at the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection. He has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards since the beginning of 2018.

The physicist Hon.Prof. Dr. Dipl.-Ing. Mag. Brigitte Bach, MSc heads the Telecommunications and New Business Fields division of Wien Energie. Before, she managed the Center for Energy at the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) for ten years, which conducts research on key issues of energy infrastructure and has internationally recognized know-how on smart grids and smart cities. Other milestones in her career were arsenal research, the predecessor of AIT, where Brigitte Bach built the required research competency as a business segment head and previously, the management of the Austrian Institute for Ecology. Key strengths of the top manager are excellent communication skills, strategic thinking and assertiveness.

For her research activities and her efforts for the efficient use of energy, the native Viennese was named Austrian of the Year 2009 by the daily Die Presse. Bach serves on the Expert Advisory Board and as the chair of the System Integration Advisory Board of the German Copernicus projects preparing the energy transition, is a member of the Smart City Wien steering group, juror in the international Mission Innovation programme and teaches at the TU Wien. She is active in numerous other national and international expert bodies and networks and also has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards since 2018. For Brigitte Bach, standards are a key process for successfully bringing to market new technologies and services.

Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Peter Bauer is professor of structural design at the TU Wien and vice-president of the Division of Consulting Engineers in the Chamber of Architects and Consulting Engineers for Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland. He specializes in structural design and has headed the Department of Structural Design and Timber Engineering at the Institute of Architectural Sciences of TU Wien since 2018. The graduated civil engineer has worked as a self-employed consulting engineer for almost 25 years and has been managing partner of the structural engineering firm Werkraum-Ingenieure since 1998.

For Peter Bauer, standards fulfil an important social function: They specify sound methods for achieving defined or agreed objectives and, as generally accepted state-of-the-art practices, guarantee risk-free access to the market also for SMEs. What is important for the problem solver who is fond of unconventional solutions in this context is that access is as broad as possible. Peter Bauer is a member of the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), has served on the Board of the Austrian Steel Construction Association since 2015 and has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International since 2019. Professor Bauer contributes his extensive expertise in structural design to various committees – mainly in the field of construction standardization.

Upper Austrian Othmar Berner is the president of the Federal Trade Organization of Roofers, Glaziers and Tinsmiths. Being the founder and managing director of a roofing and tinsmith company, he stands out by his extensive cross-discipline expertise. His strengths also include the targeted search for new solutions. Innovative products and processes that he discovers and develops are also made available to other companies through SBZ Dachtechnik GmbH, which he co-founded. Othmar Berner considers standards to be the foundation for innovations and a vital basis for co-ordinating processes and for working more cost-efficiently.

Berner uses his comprehensive experiences also as a court-certified expert and a long-standing member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards. It was by chance that the father of two sons and one daughter became active in the sale of water after purchasing a building dating from the times of the monarchy several years ago. While it was not possible to use the well originally located there anymore, brine emerged from the ground elsewhere. Berner had the spring tapped and has supplied the salt-containing water to bakers, restaurateurs, pharmacies and non-medical practitioners ever since.

Ing. Christian Binder is Chief Product Owner Business at the telecommunications provider Hutchison Drei Austria. For more than 20 years, he has worked in various fields (marketing, product management, IT and corporate portfolio management) in the telecom industry and sees himself as an all-rounder. His career also included positions at enterprises such as ABB, AEG and Hutchison Drei's predecessors One and Orange.

At present, Binder is in charge of the implementation of the B2B portfolio of Hutchison Drei Austria. The manager considers standards to be important organizational tools for all market participants that ensure equal opportunities for all players. The sporty father of two daughters views himself as versatile, communicative and open to change. Since 2018, Christian Binder has contributed his skills and market experiences to the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

KommR Ing. Josef Breiter from Lower Austria is the vice-president of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce. A cabinetmaker by training, he took over his parents' company in 1975 and complemented it by a furniture shop and a technical office for interior design. In parallel, he became active in the Economic Chamber and served as the president of the trade organization of cabinetmakers at the district, provincial and federal level. Moreover, the father of two daughters has served on the board of Holzforschung Austria (HFA) for 33 years and still chairs the certification committee of this wood research institution. For Breiter, standards are "indispensable as guidelines for the state of the art and a global economy."

Since 1999, the wood specialist has also been a court-certified expert in the field of wood. He teaches at the upper secondary technical school in Mödling, has been president of the Vocational School Council in Lower Austria and a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards for many years. The communicative networker stands out by his focus on solutions and his innovative spirit. In 2011, he received the "Great Golden Order of Merit" from the province of Lower Austria.

Innovation by diversity – this is the thematic guiding principle characterizing the career of Mag. Eva Czernohorszky. The political scientist heads the Technology Services department of the Vienna Business Agency (VBA) where she and her team help convert research results into marketable products and business ideas. In this context, Czernohorszky can rely on a cross-industry and interdisciplinary network of around 2,000 enterprises, research institutions and start-ups. In her function as the VBA's gender mainstreaming expert, she is also in charge of the FemPower initiative of the Vienna Business Agency. The knowledge manager has been involved in numerous research projects on issues related to technology and innovation policy and stands out by systematic and analytic thinking.

Milestones of her professional career were Vienna's Centre for Innovation and Technology and the life science platform LISAvienna. For Eva Czernohorszky, standards guarantee high safety levels. "Moreover, standards can facilitate the market entry of innovative companies," states the manager who has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards since 2018.

Since his retirement in 2009, Ing. Peter Diatel has chaired the Technical Committee of the Austrian Industrial Gases Association (ÖIGV) as a part-time activity. For almost 30 years, he has worked as a safety engineer and department head (health, safety and environment) in the field of technical and medical gases in international enterprises. In the course of his Europe-wide activities, Diatel also took part in different technical bodies of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). For the engineer specializing in occupational safety, health and environment, standards are "of fundamental importance for the safe design of technical facilities and the definition of controlled work processes."

Against the backdrop of globalization, Peter Diatel advocates that the technical know-how available in Austria is input even more intensively into international standardization in order to positively influence the substance of European and international standards. Diatel contributes his long-standing experience and expertise to the discussions of the Presidential Council as well as national and international standardization committees. Peter Diatel is married,has two sons and five grandchildren.

Mag. Arno Ebner heads Division III – Consumer Policy of the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection. During his career, the law graduate and registered mediator held positions in businesses – for example with Austrian railways ÖBB and as the managing director of a printing company – and Parliament before his present function in the Federal Ministry. The communicative native of Carinthia sees himself as an all-rounder and facilitator. The father of one daughter visited the Ukraine and China on study trips.

For Arno Ebner, standards are an important complement to legislation as they lay down details and close gaps apart from general legal requirements. Since they reflect the state of the art, their application enhances legal certainty for enterprises. Moreover, standards are an important help for consumers in making decisions with a view to safety and quality. “Given increasing technical complexity, rapid innovation and globalization, standards will continue to play a significant role in defining specific requirements for products and services,” explains Ebner. Since 2019, Mag. Arno Ebner has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International.

Dipl.-Ing. Dr. techn. Eva M. Eichinger-Vill is a partner at Vill Ziviltechniker GmbH where she is in charge of projects raising the safety of road infrastructure and guaranteeing the reliability of bridges and similar structures throughout their life. Moreover, she teaches at the FH Campus Wien and the Graz University of Technology and serves on the supervisory boards of Großglockner-Hochalpenstraßen AG and Schieneninfrastruktur-Dienstleistungsgesellschaft mbH. For the World Bank and the United Nations, she is active as a senior consultant in various regions of the world, which suits her very well, given her great passion for foreign countries, cultures and languages. Apart from German, she also speaks English, Italian and French fluently. The full-blooded engineer also loves to travel with her family and dog. Italy – in particular Sardinia, Umbria and Piedmont – is one of her preferred destinations.

Before setting up her own business, she headed the Department of Road Safety and Safety Management Infrastructure at the Transport Ministry and managing director of the Austrian Road Safety Fund. In those functions, she was responsible for the safety of Austrian roads, briodges and tunnels and the entire road safety work of the Republic of Austria. In addition to graduating from the Institute of Structural Concrete of the TU Wien, Eichinger-Vill also studied in the USA (Austin, Berkeley) and Denmark (Copenhagen) and is a qualified mediator and conflict manager in the field of construction.

"Standards are essential factors for fair framework conditions for business, society and the environment. They stand for quality and ensure security and trust," the structural engineer firmly believes. She has long-standing experiences in national and international standardization. Eichinger-Vill was in charge of the Eurocode introduction in Austria, has successfully chaired the committee "Construction of bridges in general" at ASI for several years and has been a member of the Presidential Council since 2011.

For Urs Fischer, standards are "indispensable conventions that exert a sustainably positive influence on interactions between the economy and society." Positive leadership forms part of the self-perception of the CEO of the Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV). He is used to taking a fact-based, constructive and solution-oriented approach in management. The graduated aviation and mechanical engineer worked as a manager in the aerospace and packaging industry for 15 years before he joined the SNV as deputy director and head of standardization and international relations in 2001.

Swiss-born Fischer has ample experience in the fields of strategic, operational and project management, excellent social skills and access to a wide network. Urs Fischer served on the administrative and technical boards of ISO and CEN for several years and is a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

Ing. Werner Fischer is Head of Standardization & Regulation Management at Siemens AG Austria. The electrotechnical engineer has been active in national and international standardization for many years. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Austrian Electrotechnical Association (OVE) and was a long-standing president and head of delegation of the Austrian National Committee of CENELEC and IEC. Fischer who also serves on the Council Board of the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) has ample experience in the implementation of standards in industry.

Since he joined the enterprise in 1980, the enthusiastic archer and musician has worked in managerial positions in sales, engineering and services during his career at Siemens. "If we do not standardize, we will be standardized by others," believes Ing. Werner Fischer who takes part in various Austrian standardization committees on behalf of his company and is a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

The graduate engineer for forest and wood management is the managing director of GrünstattGrau Forschungs- und Innovations GmbH, the first "innovation lab for green urban technologies". In the course of her career, Susanne Formanek worked, for example, for the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the Lower Austrian business agency ecoplus and the Austrian Energy Agency. The main priorities of her activities include sustainable, energy-efficient building and housing, building biology, material ecology and the digital transformation of the construction sector. Formanek initiated and implemented numerous research, development and co-operation projects.

The innovative Viennese integrates not only strategic inputs but also gender aspects into her work and is frequently seen as a role model in the construction sector. For her, standards are "like a common language, build trust and are of great importance for all of us. They make it possible to ensure consistent quality over time and to define processes in a traceable and reproducible way. They also provide a benchmark for handling, safety and fitness for purpose." Susanne Formanek also is the president of the Austrian Institute for Healthy and Ecological Building (IBO) and has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards since 2018. 

Dipl.-Ing. Christian Gabriel, born in Upper Austria, heads the standardization department of the Austrian Electrotechnical Association (OVE). In this capacity, he also is the managing director of the Austrian Electrotechnical Committee (OEK). Having worked in standardization at the national, European and international level for more than 20 years, Gabriel also acts as the secretary of the Austrian national committees for the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) whose Austrian member is the OVE.

For Gabriel, standards laid down in the electrotechnical field – but also in other fields – primarily ensure functionality and (legal) certainty. He views their application as a win-win situation for users, manufacturers and builders of electrotechnical installations and equipment. In his activities as university lecturer, court-certified expert and consultant, Gabriel also highlights the special importance of standardization from a strategic economic and legal perspective. Since 2018 Christian Gabriel has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

SenR Mag. Richard Gauss is Director for Financial Management in the Administrative Group for Social Affairs, Public Health and Sports in the City of Vienna, heads Municipal Department 24 for Strategic Healthcare and chairs the Board of Trustees of the Vienna Social Fund. Furthermore, the graduated economist manages the Vienna Health Fund and is in charge of financing the Viennese hospitals covered by the Fund. The native of Upper Austria was a member of the cabinet of Finance Minister Rudolf Edlinger and served on the supervisory board of the federal pension fund, the administrative board of the Public Employment Service and the supervisory body of the Federation of Austrian Social Insurance Entities before he started to work for the City of Vienna in 2010.

SenR Richard Gauss is a long-standing member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International. For the expert in institutional frameworks and operational processes in the public sector, standards are the basis of conformity and quality marks and allow for simplified communication between all economic operators. Richard Gauss believes that the key subjects of future standardization are Smart Cities, Industry 4.0 and electromobility as these issues “will decisively influence consumer behaviour, the economy and policy-making the next few years.”

The graduate mechanical engineer Stefan Haas has been the CEO of TÜV AUSTRIA since 2013 and, furthermore, the president of the International Confederation of Inspection and Certification Organisations (CEOC) since 2017.

Haas has vigorously advanced not only the internationalization of the company group – TÜV AUSTRIA is already active in more than 20 countries –, but also its successful positioning in the fields of collaborative robotics, automated driving, industrial IT and Internet of Things. Stefan Haas considers it important to stay on the cutting edge of technology, promote innovation and think ahead: for example, in the fields of e-mobility and energy efficiency where TÜV AUSTRIA itself also embraces the sustainability principle, for example, by gradually switching to electric vehicles in its own car pool and to green energy in power supply. The most recent initiative of Stefan Haas is "Next Horizon", the establishment of a digital acceleration incubator in the TÜV AUSTRIA Group.

According to Haas, safety changes from being a static state to being a highly dynamic, continuous process that becomes a competitive advantage in a more and more digital world: "Standards significantly contribute to this safety, help achieve more efficiency, consistent quality and sustainability and, moreover, have a strong integrative and coordinating function," believes the CEO of TÜV AUSTRIA.

Law graduate Mag. Martin Haidvogl is an expert on administrative organization and local authority law. Being the head of public administration of the City of Graz, he is particularly interested in the interfaces between law and organization and hence, in how standards and liability issues that may result from them influence organizations. Haidvogl, who took office as Austria's youngest head of municipal administration at the age of 32 years in 2000, describes standards as "important pillars of a well-functioning economy," but also warns against using them to shirk personal responsibility.

The father of three who was born in Graz gives lectures, teaches at the University of Graz and authored the companion "Gemeinderecht für Praktiker verständlich erklärt" providing comprehensible explanations of local authority law. Martin Haidvogl is a member of the board of the Law Society of Graz, the Styrian branch of the Austrian managers association WdF and the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards and also plays a leading role in the "Austrian Dialogue Forum on Construction – working together for clear and simple rules for building".

Salzburg-born Hon.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. techn. habil. Michael Heiss is Principal Consultant for Digital Enterprise at Siemens AG Österreich. In his work, the graduate electrotechnical engineer and alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston focuses on knowledge, innovation and technology management as well as digitization in industrial automation. The open innovation expert has a broad technological knowledge and extensive international experiences. He used his ability to identify and advance strategically significant technologies and innovations, for example, in developing a technology management tool for Siemens. "TechnoWeb" allows for networking expertise throughout the entire Siemens group with its 360,000 employees across departments and countries.

Michael Heiss is honorary professor for innovation and technology management at the TU Wien and vice-chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE Austria. He describes himself as enthusiastic, innovative and analytical. For him, standards are "valuable if they facilitate day-to-day work". Michael Heiss has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards since 2018.

The business administration graduate Mag. Gregor Herzog is the CEO of GS1 Austria. The world-wide system of GS1 standards providing unique identifiers forms the basis of electronic business data interchange and is used not only in the consumer goods industry but also in numerous other sectors. Previously, Herzog who is characterized by his focus on objectives and consistency headed the Strategy department of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and was managing director of the Association of the Hotel Industry and the Recreational Trade Association.

Herzog is experienced in stakeholder management and inter-company co-operation – for example, in the development of industry-wide standards that he considers an existential basis. Since 2018, Gregor Herzog has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards. In his free time, the father of three likes to run, mountain-bike and ski.

Dipl.-Ing. Christian Holzer heads the Directorate-General for Waste Management, Chemicals Policy and Environmental Technology at the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. Previously, the civil engineering and water management graduate (University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences) served as the head of the Department for Waste Treatment and Remediation of Contaminated Sites and deputy director-general for Waste Management at the Ministry. With 30 years of experience in important roles in the federal administration, Holzer is considered to be a pioneer of modern waste management. He views environmental protection as a responsibility of society at large in order to achieve sustainability, building on the ecologic, economic and social pillars. His aim is to protect humans and the environment and make available secondary resources by managing wastes and chemicals properly.

According to Holzer, his significant personality traits are open-mindedness, respect and appreciation. Standards are an indispensable element for a well-functioning society for the waste expert. Christian Holzer is a member of the Commission for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites, owner representative at BALSA, the federal government's company for the remediation of contaminated sites, and a member of the board of the Austrian Water and Waste Management Association as well as of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

Economist and mechanical engineer KommR Dipl.-Ing. Dr.Gerhard Hrebicek, MBA, who studied at the TU Wien as well as the University of Graz and the University of Toronto (specializing in marketing and finance), is the founder and president of the European Brand Institute. Having worked as an independent brand expert and management consultant for more than 20 years, Hrebicek is the scientific director and publisher of the annual Austrian Brand Value Study as well as the GLOBAL TOP 100 Brand Corporations, an international brand ranking. Hrebicek played a leading role in the development of the world's first standard on brand and patent valuation published in Austria.

Building on these experiences, he has led international work on this subject as an Austrian delegate and convenor of the competent working group of ISO/TC 289 "Brand evaluation". Gerhard Hrebicek is recognized as an independent expert in brand and patent valuation, brand- and IP-oriented corporate structuring as well as brand and IP reporting and brand certification world-wide. The Vienna-born expert has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards since 2018.

Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Wolfgang Hribernik heads the Center for Energy at the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT). There, the electrical engineer who graduated from the renowned ETH Zurich is responsible for scientific, economic and strategic development. Research priorities are the transformation of the energy system as well as the development and integration of the technologies required for this change. An important milestone of Wolfgang Hribernik’s work was the establishment of the Smart Electricity System & Technology lab.

Dr. Hribernik is active in national and international organizations. The expert is a member of the VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies, senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Secretary General of the Austrian National Committee of the Conseil International des Grands Réseaux Electriques (CIGRE) as well as a member of the Executive Committee of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA). Within the Austrian flagship regions for energy, Wolfgang Hribernik is in charge of network coordination for the programme New Energy for Industry (NEFI). In the innovation environment, the expert calls for early standardization activities in research and development in order to speed up and optimize the process for bringing highly innovative energy technologies to market. Dr. Hribernik has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International since 2019.

Dipl.-Ing. Günter Idinger is the managing director of Eaton Industries Austria GmbH, a developer, manufacturer and distributor of electrotechnical components and systems for power distribution in Austria and part of the EATON group, a global leader in power management solutions. In his capacity as Vice President Standards and Alliances, the responsibilities of the graduated electrotechnical engineer also include group-wide co-ordination of European and international standardization in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). Previously, he held responsible positions in the fields of operations as well as sales and marketing at enterprises such as F&G, Moeller and Frequentis.

The top manager views research & development, production and sales of solutions for diverse segments as his core subject fields. In this context, he considers standards to be "enablers of new technologies and of world-wide, barrier-free marketing“. In addition to his technical background, he stands out by his economic understanding and by an open thematic approach. Günter Idinger contributes these assets to the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards and the Board of the Austrian Electrotechnical Association (OVE). He is a member of OVE's steering group as well as president and head of delegation of the Austrian national committee for CENELEC and IEC.

Being a real estate fiduciary, Brigitte Jank has extensive knowledge in the fields of the economy, finances, construction and accessibility. For the honorary senator of the University of Applied Arts Vienna, standards are a common language in a networked world. As an entrepreneur, Jank specializes in the management and valuation of properties and is also active as a developer. Since 1988, she has been a sworn and court-certified expert for real estate. Individual responsibility and reliability characterize the committed Viennese. She has evidenced her willingness to take responsibility, for example, as the president and vice president of the Viennese Chamber of Commerce, board member of Raiffeisen-Holding Niederösterreich-Wien as well as Member of Parliament and spokesperson for education of the Austrian People’s Party. Currently, Jank also serves as the president of the Austrian Sports Federation for the Disabled (ÖBSV).

ObersenR Dipl.-Ing. Bernhard Jarolim heads the competence centre for construction research, building regulations, engineering services and standards in the Executive Group for Construction and Technology of Vienna’s Chief Executive Office. The graduate of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences has worked in leading positions in the Vienna city administration for 20 years. He served as head of Municipal Department 25 — Urban Renewal & Inspecting Authority for Residential Buildings – where he managed the support and communication unit, and headed the unit for rental value and value-in-use calculations in Municipal Department 40 – Real Estate Evaluation and Assessment.

As an executive, Bernhard Jarolim has always made efforts to ensure that managers have the standards they need so that they can optimally orientate processes to quality management. He sees far-reaching standardization as a vital requirement with great benefits and value for civilized and organized society. For the speed-seeking downhill mountain biker and skier, the focus is on people as well as on fair and clear communication. An unbiased approach to people and challenges are essential to him. His motto is “Those who can laugh together can also work together.” Jarolim is responsible for the centralized management of standards in the Chief Executive Office and decides in which standardization committees the City of Vienna participates. ObersenR Bernhard Jarolim has contributed his expertise in housing and building law and his long-standing experience as a top manager in the administration of a metropolis to the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International since 2019.

Prof. Dr. Reinhard Kainz is the director of the Trade and Crafts Section of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and thus represents the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Austria and the European Union. Training offers and standards that meet the needs of SMEs are particularly important to the Vienna-born expert. For Kainz, standards are "the foundation of positive economic and social development and, thus, for growth, jobs and quality."

The legal expert has been active in decision-making and control functions in the organization of agricultural markets for more than 20 years and authored numerous specialist publications on this topic. Reinhard Kainz teaches European food law at the University of Vienna and the University of Veterinary Medicine, sits on the supervisory body of AMA Marketing and is a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

Dr. Ing. Konstantinos Karachalios is managing director of the IEEE Standards Association, an organization of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers developing global standards in the fields of energy supply, medicine, information technology, telecommunications and others. As a member of the IEEE Management Council, Greece-born Karachalios pays particular attention to strategically important industries, such as robotics, blockchain and big data. The IEEE, the biggest organization of electrical and electronics engineers world-wide, plays a leading role in taking account of ethical and social aspects in standardization.

Karachalios combines his extensive expertise in technology and science with a keen interest in humanist, social and philosophical aspects. This forms the basis for his continuous commitment to ensuring that technical progress is to serve broad sections of society and population groups. In addition to texts on science and technology, Karachalios also continuously publishes on culture, policy and knowledge management. For him, standardization is a method of collective collaboration to solve technical problems at a global level. Since 2018, Konstantinos Karachalios has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards where the IEEE's European Technology Centre has been based since 2017.

Mag. Mariana Karepova is president of the Austrian Patent Office. A native of Russia, she studied Slavic philology and literature in Moscow and economics at the University of Vienna and continued her education in financial policy and innovation management, among others, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the London School of Economics and Political Science. During her career she worked at the European Commission in Brussels as well as at the Austrian Research Promotion Agency and the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology in Austria. Her objective is to position the Patent Office as an open and easily accessible service provider in the domestic innovation scene.

Karepova is an expert in innovation and technology management, intellectual property and research promotion. Even though she is "unfortunately not an inventor" herself, which she sometimes regrets, she has a strong affinity for technology and business. "It is very important to me to support creative people in keeping control of their own works," says the first female president of the Patent Office.

The legal expert Mag. Andreas Mörk is director of the Industrial Section of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and specializes in labour and social law. A key area of his work relates to the collective bargaining policy of industry and related aspects of employer interests and Austria's social partnership. In addition to his extensive legal expertise, Andreas Mörk has long-standing experiences as well as social and communicative skills and stands out by his decision-making and negotiating capabilities.

Andreas Mörk is co-editor of the study Industriebuch published by the Institute for Industrial Research (IWI) and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). Mörk who is also a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards views standards as key factors of industrial production.

The graduate legal expert and economist DDr. Alexander Petsche, MAES (Brügge) is lawyer and partner in the law firm Baker & McKenzie. He specializes in the introduction and further development of compliance management systems, internal investigations and commercial disputes as well as commercial criminal law. For the native of Vienna, standards are "opportunities for further development and the basis of free competition."

Petsche chairs Committee 265 "Compliance Systems" of Austrian Standards, is one of the main authors of the practitioners' guide "Compliance Management Systems (CMS) – ONR 192050“, chief instructor of a course for certified compliance officers and head of the Austrian delegation for ISO 19600. The multiple national karate champion of Austria names consistency and sustainability as his key personality traits. Alexander Petsche represents the committee chairpersons on the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

As Head of Intellectual Property Rights, Standards & Journals, Corporate Research (SF) of voestalpine Stahl GmbH, Mag. Dipl.-Ing. Alexander Poledna is responsible for the commercial and legal protection of research and development results. Poledna studied electrical engineering and business informatics at the TU Wien and started his career in industrial plant engineering. Subsequently, he worked in executive positions at subsidiaries of voestalpine in Austria, Germany, South Africa and China. Poledna has been in charge of intellectual property rights and standards at voestalpine since 2013. For his task of providing support to the innovation process throughout the group, he views standards as "an important opportunity for making know-how accessible."

The top manager knows how the interaction of standards and intellectual property rights can positively influence research and development and indicates as one of his key personality traits that he always tries to find the simplest solution. According to Poledna this requires "to look at everything from all perspectives and to put myself in the position of all the parties involved." Alexander Poledna, who also speaks English and Spanish, chairs Committee 021 "Iron and steel" at Austrian Standards and is a member of the Presidential Council.

Mag. Jean-Marie Reiff is director of the Luxembourg Institute of Standardization, Accreditation, Security and Product and Service Quality called ILNAS for short. After graduating from the University of Innsbruck, the microbiologist has been active in the civil service of Luxembourg for around 25 years. Being responsible for copyright and patent law at the economic ministry, he developed the national accreditation agency that he has headed for seven years and then, from 2007 on, the agency for accreditation, standardization, market surveillance, metrology  and digital trust. As director of that institution – ILNAS – Jean-Marie Reiff has represented Luxembourg's interests in the European and international standardization and accreditation organizations ever since.

During many years of participation in working groups of the European Council and the European Commission as well as active contributions to European regulations and directives, he has gained extensive expertise and recognition in these fields. For Reiff, standards are a key element for reducing barriers to trade, improving the safety and quality of products, promoting their interoperability and ensuring fair and equal conditions for competition. Jean-Marie Reiff has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards since 2018.

Biochemist AR Ing. Helmut Richter works in the field of plastics technology and environmental engineering at the Testing Centre of Technologisches Gewerbemuseum (TGM), one of the biggest technical secondary schools of Austria. He specializes in packaging of hazardous goods and the suitability of materials for drinking water and heads quality control at the accredited Testing Centre. For more than 30 years, he has contributed to the development of standards and has been responsible for TGM-wide standards management for which Technologisches Gewerbemuseum received the Living Standards Award in 2016.

Moreover, Helmut Richter serves on various working groups of ministries and associations (e.g. Austrian Association for Gas and Water, German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water, Austrian Institute of Construction Engineering – oib). Richter who is also a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards as the elected representative of committee chairpersons defines standards as a generally accepted description of solutions for a product, operation or process. In his spare time, Richter supports the Volunteer Fire Brigade, among others, as an expert.

The law graduate Mag. Maria Mercedes Ritschl who specializes in public commercial law works as legal policy expert at the Federation of Austrian Industry. For her, standards provide certainty and orientation in a fast growing, technological environment and an opportunity for facilitating day-to-day work in enterprises. In her work, Maria Mercedes Ritschl focuses on the fields of data protection, competition and administrative criminal law. Ritschl co-authored the publication "Neuerungen im europäischen Datenschutzrecht für Unternehmen" on new developments in European data protection law for enterprises.

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs has appointed her a member of the Competition Commission for a four-year term on which she also serves as a deputy chairperson. She stands out by her curiosity, competency and reliability and contributes these characteristics also to the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

Konrad Scheiber has been the CEO of Quality Austria Trainings- Zertifizierungs- und Begutachtungs GmbH since its establishment in 2004. The native of the Tyrol was already involved in founding the organizations offering system and product as well as training and personal certification that award the Austria Quality Seal for Austrian products and services and continue to be the shareholders of Quality Austria today. Scheiber started his career in research and development at Plansee. His instructor training at the German Association for Quality (DGQ), completed in 1984, marks his entry into the world of quality management – he has trained around 8,000 quality managers and auditors himself ever since.

Konrad Scheiber authored numerous articles and publications on quality assurance, including "Praxiswegweiser Qualitätsmanagement" providing practical guidance on ISO 9000. In addition, he vigorously promoted the idea of an endowed chair for integrated quality design at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz. Scheiber is familiar with the development of standards, for example, given the many years he collaborated in the former "Technical Committee for Quality Assurance". For him, standards simply are "the measure of all things". Konrad Scheiber is a member of the Austrian Council for Sustainable Development, a Senator of Austrian Economy, the First Vice President of the European Organization for Quality (EOQ) and a long-standing member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Schmidt is president of Austrolab, a non-profit association safeguarding the interests of accredited conformity assessment bodies. He teaches at and heads the Testing Centre of Technologisches Gewerbemuseum (TGM) in Vienna. The polymer and environmental technology expert graduated from the Montanuniversität Leoben. Andreas Schmidt is a member of the European umbrella organization Eurolab and serves on the Board of EuroHeat & Power, a European network of district heating and power suppliers.

“Standards increasingly determine collaboration in all economic, social and legal fields,” highlights Schmidt who is also active as a chairman and member of national and European standardization committees on plastics and district heating. In these activities, Vienna-born Schmidt always puts the focus on people. Since 2019, Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Schmidt has contributed his expertise to the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International.

Univ.-Lektor RA Dr. Walter Schwartz is attorney-at-law and senior partner of the law firm SHMP Schwartz Huber-Medek Pallitsch Rechtsanwälte GmbH that he co-founded. In his work, he focuses on constitutional and administrative law and, in particular, procurement law and contract award procedures, public private partnerships, gambling and sports betting law as well as state-aid law and European Union law. On these topics, he teaches at the Faculty of Law of Vienna University, gives presentations and publishes papers in specialized media. Walter Schwartz serves on the board of the Vienna Juridical Society and is a member of the Austrian Jurists’ Association (ÖJT), the Austrian Society for Legislative Science (ÖGGL) and the Austrian Society for Administrative Sciences (ÖVG). Dr. Schwartz chaired the supervisory boards of various enterprises – e.g. Wiener Stadthalle Betriebs- und Veranstaltungsgesellschaft.

For the legal expert, standards contribute to the non-discriminatory implementation of the internal market and thus promote the European idea. His personal approach is characterized by precise analyses and focused problem-solving expertise. Since Dr. Walter Schwartz has joined the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International 2019, he has advocated that standardization should consistently move from defining merely minimum standards to developing high-quality standards so that “the population is protected and European enterprises stay competitive,” says Walter Schwartz.

Ass.Prof. Dr. Christian R. Schweiger is a specialist for medical and chemical laboratory diagnostics working at the Vienna General Hospital/Medical University Campus. During his career, the native of Lower Austria played a decisive part in the start of operations of the current central laboratory of the Vienna General Hospital, headed the unit for administrative and information management of the Medical University of Vienna and the unit for controlling and performance accounting at the Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics. Dr. Schweiger is an auditor for the standards ÖNORM 9001, 13485 and 15224, serves as a technical expert appointed by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs in the accreditation procedure for medical laboratories according to EN ISO 15189 and was active in the vigilance procedure on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health. He has extensive experience in the commercial development and production of quality management software. The father of two stands out by the fact that he is active in many different fields and knows how to integrate them with a view to quality management.

For many years, Christian R. Schweiger has been active in national and international standardization bodies, e.g. as the chairman of the committee “Quality management in health care institutions” and as a member in numerous other committees of ASI, CEN and ISO. For him, standardization is “a key tool for ensuring the functioning of processes and organizations and to allow for a rational approach to controlling organizations.” Schweiger gives lectures and seminars on topics such as leadership and organization at hospitals, accreditation and assessment techniques for test laboratories and quality management in healthcare. He is president of the Austrian Association for the Promotion of Quality and Management Systems (ÖQS), member of the general assembly of Quality Austria Zertifizierungs- Trainings- und Begutachtungs GmbH as well as member of the board of the Society for Good Analytical and Laboratory Practice. Furthermore, Dr. Christian R. Schweiger is a member of the Austrian Society for Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Chemistry and of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International.

The graduate material scientist o.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. techn. Dr.-Ing. h.c. Sabine Seidler is rector of TU Wien. She became the first female professor of TU Wien in 1996 and its first female rector in 2011, re-elected two times since then. Being responsible for 5,000 employees and around 30,000 students, she continuously demonstrates her management expertise, leadership and diplomatic skills. Her team attests to Seidler's high level of discipline and strong focus on objectives. Being a scientist, she is able to examine issues in an open, precise and efficient way. Her research priorities relate to polymer diagnostics, fracture mechanics and structure-property correlations in polymers. Sabine Seidler publishes continuously, takes part in conferences and takes great pleasure in passing on her knowledge in her teaching activities.

The strategic thinker serves on the supervisory boards of major companies such as Austria Metall AG, chairs the Board of Trustees of the Natural History Museum, works on various advisory boards and juries and is a member of numerous scientific bodies, associations and networks. The native of Germany is characterized by her straightforwardness and good humour as well as her interest in the arts and culture. For Sabine Seidler, standards are clearly defined principles of work that need to be elevated and, at the same time, feasible. "This assures quality in the long term," states the knowledge manager who has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards since 2018.

Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Regina Sommer is a professor habilitated in water and food hygiene at the Medical University of Vienna and heads the Water Hygiene Unit at the Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology. In her work, she focuses on water quality and health. Her field of activities ranges from hygiene requirements for drinking water and technical and medical water applications (e.g. haemodialysis) to therapy pools and cooling towers as well as bathing waters and wastewater. In addition to her teaching and research activities, the graduate food scientist and biotechnologist established an accredited testing laboratory for hygiene at the Medical University of Vienna and, in co-operation with the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, AIT and Vienna Water, set up the Water Test Centre Wiental. Moreover, Sommer is an expert pursuant to the Food Safety Act and the Consumer Protection Act, chairs the Codex Commission on Drinking Water and is a member of the expert panel on bathing water hygiene (the latter two within the framework of the health division of the Federal Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection).

Regina Sommer represents Austria on the European Microbiological Expert Group (EMEG) of the European Commission and is a member or convenor of working groups of Austrian Standards and ISO. She takes pleasure in joint technical work and is committed to and enthusiastic about her field of specialization and the dissemination of knowledge. For Regina Sommer who is also a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards, standards are an essential national as international tool for achieving and verifying quality.

Dipl.-Ing. Roland Sommer, MBA is managing director of the association "Industry 4.0 Austria - The Platform for Smart Production". The native of Vienna studied at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna and has an MBA in international management of the University of London. During his career, he worked, for example, at the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the Federation of Austrian Industry and AVL List, a developer of powertrain systems in Graz. In his work, he focuses on research and innovation policy as well as all aspects of the digital transformation.

For Sommer, standards are a basic prerequisite for enterprises to operate successfully in a more and more digital world. Roland Sommer is a member of the International Council of the Organization for International Economic Relations (OiER), vice chair of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD (BIAC) and a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

VHR Dipl.-Ing. Walter Steinacker is Provincial Construction Director at the Office of the Provincial Government of Lower Austria. He studied technical physics at TU Wien and, after having worked in positions of responsibility at the Lower Austrian Environmental Protection Agency and Environment Agency Austria, he joined the Office of the Provincial Government in 1988. There, the father of two grown-up children is in charge of a team of 354 employees, the authorized expert system, building construction and the legal implementation of technical standards.

Being the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Austrian Institute of Construction Engineering (OIB) and the representative of the provinces on the Advisory Board on Standardization of Austrian Standards, Walter Steinacker is extremely familiar with formulating and applying legal and technical requirements. “Standards ensure transparent and objective competition. Standardized procedures and products create trust and ensure safety,” explains Provincial Construction Director Steinacker. The goal-oriented manager likes to take on strategic and economic policy challenges and focuses on implementation in his activities. Walter Steinacker has given lectures on subjects such as technical environmental protection and the real estate industry at various universities of applied sciences. Since 2019, he has also contributed his expertise to the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International.

Martin Ewald Steinhäufl, MSc is managing director of the metal working company he founded more than 20 years ago. Furthermore, the master metalworker and welding specialist chairs the working group on standards and certification in the Federal Metalworking Trade Association of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. Steinhäufl is a court-certified expert, NDT expert and certified auditor. He enjoys passing on knowledge and gives lectures on materials technology, steel construction, manufacturing technology and standards in various adult education institutions.

As a member of various committees and working groups at Austrian Standards International, the Lower Austrian also plays an active part in standardization, is lead auditor for certification according to EN 1090 and EN ISO 3834 in the certification body of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and supports steel construction companies in developing and implementing quality management systems. “A good standardization system is to provide clarity for its users without hampering innovative development,” states Steinhäufl who has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International since June 2019. 

Mag. Heidrun Strohmeyer is Chief Digital Officer of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. The native of Lower Austria is in charge of the field of information technologies, digitization and media in the Ministry and was decisively involved, for example, in the development and implementation of the "School 4.0" strategy, the introduction of digital textbooks within the framework of the free textbook initiative as well as the overall co-ordination of the "klasse:zukunft" initiative for quality development at Austrian schools. Moreover, the education expert also made significant contributions to the digitization action plan for education, science and research and the initiatives EFit Austria, Future Learning and EFit 21 - digital education as well as the introduction of harmonized pupil management and e-government in the education sector.

In 2007, Strohmeyer initiated the "Bildungsarchitektinnen" network and has been president of the Management Forum for Innovative Public Service since 2009. For the senior civil servant, standards set a framework for the implementation of projects in public administration. Heidrun Strohmeyer who also is vice-president of the Austrian-Guatemalan Society has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards since 2018.

Dipl.-Ing. Mark Topal-Gökceli who studied civil engineering with a focus on business administration heads the Rail System Engineering and Operations department of ÖBB Holding AG. The committed rail manager pursues the ambitious goal of further developing the world of railways by using new technologies and making it even more attractive and better. In the past, he lived up to that aspiration in the planning of large-scale infrastructure projects such as the intermodal terminal at the Rail Freight Centre Vienna South and the Vienna Main Station. In his function as research and development co-ordinator, he was also responsible for interoperability and standards during his career with ÖBB.

For Topal-Gökceli, standards are "very important, but have to be drafted in such a way that they never jeopardize innovation and profitability." The manager has played a leading role in numerous harmonization processes and takes pleasure in innovation and responsibility. Mark Topal-Gökceli serves on the supervisory boards of ÖBB Technische Services GmbH and ÖBB Produktion GmbH, teaches at the FH Campus Wien and is a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

Dr. Bogdan Topić is president of SIST, the Slovenian Institute for Standardization. The graduated physicist has more than 20 years of experience in standardization. Bogdan Topić conducted research in experimental solid-state physics and phase shifts of ferroelectric crystals. He held managerial responsibility in organizations such as Gorenje, the European Space Agency (ESA) and TÜV Bavaria. The passionate tennis player and pianist has long-standing expertise in developing, restructuring and privatizing enterprises and in implementing quality management systems such as the EFQM model.

After Slovenia declared independence in 1991, Topić, who in addition to Slovenian, speaks Serbian, Russian, German, English, Italian and French, was entrusted with managerial tasks at the Standards and Metrology Institute of Slovenia (SMIS) as well as the Slovenian Development Company (SDC). The father of two served on the board of numerous research and industrial enterprises and represents SIST in the bodies of ISO, IEC, CEN, CENELEC, ETSI and ITU-T. Dr. Bogdan Topić also contributes his extensive expertise to the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International. 

Mag. Ernst Tüchler is an economic expert and works in the economics department of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB). The committed representative of labour interests specializes in national and international economic policy and focuses on food, international trade policy and the EU's eastward enlargement in his work. Tüchler stands out by his good humour and an "instinct" for the mechanisms of economic policy.

The economist serves on the supervisory board of Agrarmarkt Austria Marketing and on the Advisory Council on the Environment at the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism. As an ÖGB representative, Tüchler also contributes his expertise, for example, in the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the Fiscal Advisory Council, the Advisory Council for Economic and Social Affairs and the Trade Union Advisory Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Ernst Tüchler sees standards also as an expression of power relations at the time of their development. He has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards since 2018.

Dir.i.R. Dipl.-Ing. Heinz Wanda is a freelance consultant and a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International. The graduated telecommunications engineer joined the then Wiener Schwachstromwerke in 1962 and worked for the company’s current owner Siemens AG Österreich, most recently as director of worldwide sales of sound and studio equipment as well as head of the central technology department with a focus on standardization and quality assurance, until his retirement in 1999.

Apart from his professional activities, Dipl.-Ing. Wanda has always worked in standardization. He chaired several committees of Austrian Standards International and the Austrian Electrotechnical Association (OVE), served as the Austrian delegate on the Technical Board of the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) for many years, and was member of CENELEC’s Administrative Board for ten years, including three years as the president of CENELEC. Heinz Wanda collaborated in the planning team for the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien and headed a study programme there after the university’s successful establishment. In addition, he taught at TU Wien for more than 20 years and was active as an expert in the electrotechnical studies commission for a long time. For many years, Heinz Wanda has served on the Management Board of TÜV Austria. As a consultant, the expert has supported Austrian Standards International for many years and promoted the objectives and practical applications of the EU’s technical regulations in Eastern European countries. For the future, Dipl.-Ing. Wanda wishes to see globally respected standards to technically cope with climate protection.

Dipl.-Ing. Sonja Wiesholzer heads the Design, Operation and Environment Department at the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) where she is the deputy head of the Infrastructure Procedures and Road Safety Group. The tasks of the native of Upper Austria include the design, construction and operation of federal roads as well as the management of Austrian road tunnels. After graduating from university, the civil engineer worked for Austrian consulting engineering firms focusing on railways before she joined the BMVIT in the fields of roads and environmental protection. From 2006 to 2019, Wiesholzer was in charge of the refurbishment of Austrian tunnels. Moreover, the consulting engineer is also senior risk manager and chairs several working groups of the Research Association for Roads, Railways and Transport.

She is a member of the advisory board of the Austrian Geomechanical Society and of the Technical Committee “Road Tunnel Operations” of the World Road Association (PIARC) and the Road Tunnels Safety Committee of the European Commission. In addition to taking care of her two children, the trained tramway driver still finds time to drive a vintage tramway through Vienna. Wiesholzer authored numerous publications on tunnel safety and also gives presentations on this topic. “Standardization has to be the foundation for digitizing the design, operation and maintenance of transport infrastructure,” the goal-oriented manager says with conviction. Dipl.-Ing. Sonja Wiesholzer has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards International since May 2019. 

Mag. Dr. Lothar Wiltschek who graduated in law and business administration practises law specializing in intellectual property rights and fair trading law. He inputs his extensive expertise in patent, trademark, protected design and copyright law into numerous organizations, such as the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), the International League of Competition Law (LIDC), the Licensing Executives Society (LES) and the European Patent Lawyers Association (EPLAW).

Wiltschek was a long-standing partner in the law firm Schönherr Rechtsanwälte, authored numerous books and publications on patent and competition law and gives seminars and lectures. Lothar Wiltschek serves on the board of the Austrian Association for Intellectual Property and Copyright and is a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards. He views standards as the foundation for structures that can be used in a sensible way.

Christoph Winterhalter who graduated in computer science is chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) in Berlin. After working in numerous positions in engineering, development and product management in Norway, the USA and Germany, he served as director of the German Corporate Research Centre at ABB and was responsible for a global business division of the energy and automation technology group. Winterhalter is an expert for automation, digitization and robotic products. He wants to draw on his long-standing industrial experience gathered in an international corporation in order to advance the digital transformation of standardization.

For him, standards form the "basis of our quality infrastructure today and are one of the most important prerequisites of successful digital transformation.“ Christoph Winterhalter also promotes the successful development of standardization and its openness to new subjects and methods in his function as Vice President Policy of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), as an ISO Council member and as a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Wittig heads the Safety Testing Centre of the Austrian Workers' Compensation Board (AUVA) that examines and certifies personal protective equipment, such as helmets, protective footwear and fall protection safeguards. Wittig sees work primarily as collaboration. The establishment of personal relations is a key factor for success, satisfaction and pleasure in work for him. The graduate industrial engineer has more than 25 years of experience in the field of workplace safety, prevention and management systems for occupational safety and health.

He sees standards as a common language for all stakeholders seriously dealing with a subject. Wittig is a co-founder of the Austrian Rope Access and Rigging Association (OEHRV) and a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards.

Dr. Markus Wolf works in the Department of International Youth and Family Policy of the Federal Ministry of Labour, Family and Youth. Further focal areas of his activities are human rights and social cohesion – in particular, in the sphere of the Council of Europe. Born to Austrian parents in South Africa, Wolf attended a school for “normally sighted” persons in spite of his strongly impaired vision and studied philosophy and psychology. Since he moved to Austria, he has been active in the Austrian Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (BSVÖ), initially as an official and since 2012, as the Federation’s president. From 2012 to 2015, Wolf served as the vice-president of the Austrian Disability Council and since 2015 he has been a member of the Presidential Council of Austrian Standards. In Wolf’s opinion this is an important task as standards significantly contribute to dismantling barriers – also in people’s minds. And in addition to creating an inclusive society, this is one of his most important objectives.