Meet our leadership team
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Edith Hlawati
Edith Hlawati was appointed CEO of ÖBAG on February 1, 2022. She is an experienced business lawyer with a key focus on stock corporation law, capital markets, M&A as well as corporate governance. Prior to joining ÖBAG, Edith was a Senior Partner at CERHA HEMPEL Rechtsanwälte, one of the largest corporate law firms in Austria. She holds a doctorate degree from the University of Vienna and is a registered attorney. As a leading lawyer, she has typically accompanied numerous capital market transactions such as IPOs, capital increases, and takeovers of major Austrian companies. Moreover, she has advised the state-owned investment holding for more than 30 years. As a supervisory board member, Edith had a distinguished career spanning more than 35 years. Edith chairs the supervisory boards of two ÖBAG portfolio companies, Telekom Austria AG and Österreichische Post AG.
ÖBAG’s primary mandate is the investment management of its portfolio companies, a task which is carried out through the nomination of supervisory board members. The supervisory board functions of the three ÖBAG executive board members are part of the holding company’s core tasks and are not regarded as additional functions.
This is underlined by Section 11 para 4 of the ÖBAG Act, which provides that all supervisory board seats in ÖBAG portfolio companies shall be counted as one seat for purposes of board limitation considerations.
Ms. Hlawati is the CEO of Österreichische Beteiligungs AG. In this function, she represents the interests of the Republic of Austria in the supervisory boards and ensures high standards of corporate governance in the portfolio companies.
Portfolio companies of ÖBAG:
- BIG: 100%
- Österreichische Post AG: 52.85%
- Verbund AG: 51%
- Casinos Austria AG: 33.24%
- APK Pensionskasse AG: 32.97%
- OMV AG: 31.50%
- Telekom Austria AG: 28.42%
- 100% of the shares of ÖBAG are held by the Republic of Austria.
Current supervisory board functions of Ms. Hlawati:
- Until 2023 – Chair of the Supervisory Board, Österreichische Post AG (listed)
- Until 2023 – Chair of the Supervisory Board, Telekom Austria AG (listed)
- Until 2026 – First Deputy Chair of the Supervisory Board, Verbund AG (listed)
Announcement by Ms. Hlawati:
Ms. Hlawati will not be available for re-election to the Supervisory Board of Österreichische Post AG after the end of her current term in office. The term will end at the Annual General Meeting 2023.
Executive Director
Carola Wahl
Carola Wahl is Executive Director of ÖBAG. Prior to joining ÖBAG, Carola was an independent consultant and held various supervisory board positions. Carola held several executive positions in the telecommunications industry (Deutsche Telekom) and the private insurance industry (AXA Switzerland). As an independent advisor for Booz Allen Hamilton, she focused on the digital, media, and telecommunications industries. Carola has an MBA from the University of Texas, Austin, and completed executive management programs at the London Business School and the MIT Sloan School of Management
Executive Director
Robert Stajic
Robert Stajic serves as Executive Director of ÖBAG. Robert began his career at the management consultancy McKinsey, with a focus on operational transformation in the process industry. During his time at OMV, Robert was responsible for strategy development in the upstream division and held a significant role in the transformation office. In 2018, Robert led the strategy development and transformation program at Semperit AG. Robert completed his studies at the Vienna University of Technology and has an MBA from the IESE Business School.
Director
Aakriti Chandihok
Aakriti Chandihok heads the legal and compliance department at ÖBAG. Prior to joining ÖBAG she gained international work experience both in legal practice as well as in management consulting and focuses both on corporate and capital markets law as well as sustainability and governance. Aakriti is qualified to practice law in Austria and New York and completed her studies at the University of Vienna and holds an LL.M. degree from Columbia Law School.
DIRECTOR
Martin Holzinger
Martin Holzinger heads the ÖBAG operations team. He brings 15 years of experience across strategy consulting and M&A, with a focus on the financial services industry in Austria and CEE. In addition to his legal studies, he completed an M.B.A. at Nyenrode University (NL) and Kellogg University (US). He holds supervisory board positions at BIG and its subsidiary ARE, as well as at APK.
Head of Corporate and Capital Markets Communications
Michael Mauritz
Michael Mauritz heads ÖBAG’s communications agendas. He brings 25 years of experience in various management functions at Erste Group Bank AG. During his time at Erste Group, he gained experience both in internal and external communications as well as in sponsoring. Michael invariably accompanied numerous capital market transactions and headed the Public Affairs Department of the banking group. Prior to joining ÖBAG, Michael worked as an independent communications advisor. He holds a degree in business administration (Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration) and has worked as a journalist for “Vorarlberger Nachrichten” and “Industrie”.
Supervisory board of Österreichische Beteiligungs AG
ÖBAG‘s supervisory board consists of six independent board members and three employee representatives of the three largest companies by revenue under ÖBAG’s ownership.
CHAIRMAN OF THE SUPERVISORY BOARD
Helmut Kern
Throughout his career, Helmut Kern held leading positions in the consulting industry, e.g. as a global partner at Deloitte Consulting and Head of Consulting at PwC Austria. He has more than 25 years of experience serving on supervisory boards of Austrian and international companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE250). Until mid-2020, he was general manager of the Austrian hospital group “Barmherzige Brüder”. Helmut holds degrees in Business administration from WU Vienna, and history and medieval history from the University of Vienna. Additionally, he completed programs at Columbia University and Harvard University. Currently, Helmut is Chairman of the Economic Council of Statistik Austria and Deputy Chairman of the University Council of the University of Vienna, as well as a member of various other advisory boards and committees.
DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE SUPERVISORY BOARD
Günther Helm
Since 2019, Günther Helm has served as CEO of German drugstore chain Müller. Between 2010 and 2018, Günther was CEO and partner of the retail company Hofer KG, where he was responsible for Aldi in the US, Australia, UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and Hungary. Under his leadership, Aldi successfully entered the Italian market. In his role as CEO, he was responsible for the acquisition of Aldi Süd Group, including procurement operations in Asia. Before that, he held various international positions at Aldi / Hofer. Günther studied law at Johannes Kepler University Linz and at University of Cambridge.
DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF THE SUPERVISORY BOARD
Karl Ochsner
Karl Ochsner is majority shareholder and CEO of Ochsner Wärmepumpen GmbH. After joining the family business – founded in 1872 – in 2008, he transformed the company into an international technology leader with approximately 400 employees. Karl holds several managing director positions within the group. Before joining the company, he worked for Xerox in Germany for nine years, e.g. as general manager and member of the management team. In addition to ÖBAG, Karl Ochsner also serves as a member of the supervisory board at ÖBB Holding AG.
SUPERVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Susanne Höllinger
Susanne Höllinger is Managing Director of SHE Advisory E.U., a consulting company with a focus on corporate and financial advisory. Previously, she was CEO of Kathrein Privatbank AG between 2013 and 2018. Before joining Kathrein Privatbank, she worked in various functions at Erste Bank AG starting in 2006, where she was ultimately appointed Head of Private Banking. Susanne holds a master’s degree in economics and a Ph.D. in health management and is currently a member of various advisory committees. In addition to her work as Chair of the Audit Committee of ÖBAG, Susanne is Chair of the Supervisory Board of Vienna Airport, Chair of the Lower Austrian State Health Agency, Deputy Chair of FIBEG, Chair of the Board of Forum Morgen Privatstiftung and Board Member of Sepp Michelfeit Privatstiftung.
SUPERVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Iris Ortner
Iris Ortner took over management of the IGO Industries group in 2013. IGO Industries is an international group of technology companies, a leader in technical building equipment and industrial plant construction. Iris was a project manager in Poland between 1997 and 2000. Before that, she worked as a consultant at Siemens Management Consulting in Germany and the US between 2002 and 2003. Iris graduated from ETH Zurich with a degree in mechanical engineering and holds an M.B.A. from INSEAD (Fontainebleau). She currently holds supervisory board positions at PORR, UBM and ELIN.
SUPERVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Caroline Toifl
Caroline Toifl is a self-employed attorney and tax advisor who runs her own consulting companies, which are specialized in advising, representing and defending clients in tax and white-collar crime proceedings as well as in compliance and liability prevention. Caroline Toifl studied law in Vienna and Sydney and worked as a university assistant at the Institute of Finance Law at the University of Vienna, where she also completed her doctoral thesis. She gathered her professional experience in internationally renowned tax and law firms as well as in the Cabinet of the Austrian Ministry of Justice. In addition to her professional activities, Caroline Toifl is a member of the Dispute Resolution Committee and the Disciplinary Board of the Austrian Chamber of Tax Consultants and Auditors, as well as a board member of the Society of Tax Consultants and Auditors (ÖGSW) and of the Hubert Hahnekamp Privatstiftung.
EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVE
Helmut Köstinger
Helmut Köstinger serves as employee representative at Österreichische Post. He has been with the company since 1982. Since 2010, he has been Chairman of the central committee. He currently also serves a member of the supervisory board of Österreichische Post.
EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVE
Werner Luksch
Werner Luksch serves as employee representative at Telekom Austria. He has been working with the company in various positions since 1988 and has been a union member for many years. Since 2017, he has served as Chairman of the central committee of Telekom Austria. Werner is a member of the supervisory board of A1 Telekom Austria and APK.
EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVE
Nicole Schachenhofer
Nicole Schachenhofer is a member of the Supervisory Board of OMV AG and is also Chairwoman of the Employees’ Council of OMV Austria Exploration & Production GmbH. Schachenhofer studied petroleum engineering at the University of Leoben and has been with OMV AG since 2010. She is a member of the Supervisory Board at APK Pensionskassen AG and OMV Austria Exploration & Production GmbH.
