Franz Vranitzky
Founding and Honorary President of the Kreisky Forum
Dr. Franz Vranitzky (*1937 in Vienna) studied at the then Hochschule für Welthandel (Vienna University of World Trade), graduated in 1960 with a diploma in Business Administration and in 1969 he received his doctorate in Commercial Sciences. Vranitzky began his professional career in 1961 at Siemens-Schuckertwerke. Within the same year, however, he moved to the Oesterreichische Nationalbank.
In 1970, he became economic and financial policy advisor to the Kreisky government; in 1976 he moved to Creditanstalt-Bankverein as Deputy General Manager; from 1981-1984 he was General Manager and Chairman of the Board of Länderbank.
From 1984 to 1986, Franz Vranitzky was Federal Minister of Finance, in 1986 he replaced Fred Sinowatz as Federal Chancellor. Following the elections in autumn 1986, he led the grand coalition formed in January 1987 with the ÖVP (the Austrian People’s Party). From 1987-1997, he headed the coalition government (formed by the Social Democratic Party and the People’s Party) as Federal Chancellor, and from 1988-1997 he held the office of Federal Party Chairman of the Social Democratic Party.
In 1997, Franz Vranitzky took office as OSCE Special Representative for Albania. From 1997 to 2004 he was advisor to the Westdeutsche Landesbank.
Franz Vranitzky is Honorary President of the Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue.
Rudolf Scholten
President of the Kreisky Forum
From 1997 to the end of July 2016, Rudolf Scholten (*1955 in Vienna) was a member of the Board and from January 2014 until his resignation, Director General of Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG (OeKB). As a politician, and from 1990 to 1997 as Federal Minister of the Republic of Austria, he substantially shaped Austria’s cultural policy.
Rudolf Scholten is President of the Bruno Kreisky Forum and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Wiener Festwochen, has been Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Austrian Film Institute since 1 December 2007, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Bilderberg Conference.
Rudolf Scholten studied Law and Economics at the University of Vienna. He received his doctorate in Law in 1978. After having joined the Oesterreichische Kontrollbank (OeKB) in 1976, he was active in the Board’s secretariat until 1983, focusing especially on international financing. In 1983, he worked at the international financing section at Morgan Stanley, Morgan Guaranty, New York (USA). In 1984, he returned to the Oesterreichische Kontrollbank.
From 1984 to 1986, Scholten held the office of Secretary for Economic Policy Affairs of the then Federal Minister of Finance, Franz Vranitzky. After Franz Vranitzky was appointed Federal Chancellor, Rudolf Scholten was active as economic and cultural policy advisor in the Federal Chancellery from 1986-1988. From 1988 to 1990, he was Secretary General of the Österreichischer Bundestheaterverband (Austrian Federal Theatre Association).
From 1990 to 1997 he was Federal Minister of the Republic of Austria. He served as Federal Minister of Education and the Arts in the Vranitzky III cabinet (1990-1994), as Federal Minister for Science, Research and the Arts in the Vranitzky IV cabinet (1994-1996) and as Federal Minister of Science, Transport and the Arts (1996-1997) in the Vranitzky V cabinet. After Vranitzky’s resignation, Rudolf Scholten also left the Federal Government.
In 1997 Rudolf Scholten became a member of the Board of Oesterreichische Kontrollbank, holding the position of Director-General from January 2014 to May 2016.
Since 2004, Rudolf Scholten has been President of the Bruno Kreisky Forum, and since 2005 Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Wiener Festwochen.
Together with the writer Robert Schindel, he founded the literature festival Literatur im Nebel in Heidenreichstein in 2006. Every year, this festival focuses on the works of a renowned international writer who also attends the meeting and a reading of his/her works. Such writers have included outstanding figures as Salman Rushdie (2006), Amos Oz (2007), Jorge Semprún (2008) and Margaret Atwood (2009).
Eva Nowotny
Vicepresident of the Kreisky Forum
Eva Nowotny took her doctoral degree on 1 April 1968 and, after more than four years as a university assistant, joined the diplomatic service in March 1973. After her first assignments abroad, where she worked at the Austrian Cultural Institute in Cairo and the permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations in New York, Eva Nowotny was appointed to the Office of the Federal Chancellor in 1983, where she served as Foreign Policy Advisor until November 1992.
From 1992 to 1997, Eva Nowotny was Austrian Ambassador to France, and from 1997 to 1999 to the UK at the Court of St. James.
In December 1999, she was appointed head of the Directorate-General for Integration and Economic Policy at the Foreign Ministry, a position she held until September 2003.
From September 2003 to autumn 2008, Eva Nowotny was Austrian Ambassador to the United States of America, Permanent Observer of the Republic of Austria at the Organization of American States (OAS) and Non-resident Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
In February 2009, the Federal Minister of Education and the Arts appointed Ambassador Nowotny as President of the Austrian UNESCO Commission, a position she held until February 2018.
Since March 2013 Eva Nowotny has chaired the University Board of the University of Vienna.
Helfried Carl
Member of the Board of the Kreisky Forum, Secretary
Helfried Carl has been in the Austrian Foreign Service since 1996 and is currently on leave. After serving as Austrian Ambassador to Slovakia (2014-2018), he became a partner at the Innovation in Politics Institute in Vienna, where he is building up the European Capital of Democracy Initiative.
Helfried Carl was chief of cabinet and foreign policy advisor to the President of the Lower House of the Austrian Parliament, Barbara Prammer, from 2007 until her untimely death in 2014. Previously, he had worked for the Austrian Foreign Ministry in London at the British Foreign Office as an exchange officer, at the Permanent Mission to the OSCE in Vienna and at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, and served as Deputy Head of Cabinet to the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch, in Sarajevo from 1999-2002.
He studied political science in Salzburg and international politics and international economics at the School of Advanced Studies, Johns Hopkins University in Bologna and Washington, D.C.
Articles on Slovakia, the Austrian security policy debate and democracy development.
Gertraud Auer Borea d’Olmo
Member of the Board of the Kreisky Forum, Deputy Secretary
Gertraud Borea d’Olmo (*1952) studied languages, architecture, theatre and politics in Vienna and Paris.
From 1980 to 2004 she worked as a freelance cultural manager (inter alia at the Theater in der Drachengasse, the Wiener Festwochen, the Pompidou Centre and at the Bruno Kreisky Forum).
From 1991 to 1995, she was advisor to the Federal Minister of Education and the Arts.
Since 2005, Gertraud Borea d’Olmo has been Secretary General of the Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue.
Georg Lennkh
Member of the Board of the Kreisky Forum, Treasurer
Georg Lennkh, born in Graz, studied Law and Political Science in Graz, Bologna and the USA. In 1965, he joined the Austrian Foreign Ministry. As Bruno Kreisky’s Head of Cabinet, he contributed to preparing the first international North-South Summit in Cancun, Mexico in 1981. Subsequently he was Permanent Representative of Austria to the OECD until 1993. From 1993 to 2004, Georg Lennkh headed the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Cooperation with Eastern Europe at the Foreign Ministry, playing a key role in shaping Austria’s development cooperation.
Georg Lennkh has also been active on numerous missions to Africa, including as Austrian Special Envoy for Africa (2005-2010) and as EU Special Representative in Chad (2006-2010).
Renate Brauner
Member of the Board of the Kreisky Forum, Deputy Treasurer
Mag Renate Brauner, born October 23, 1956
Studied social and economic sciences at the University of Vienna
From 1981 to 1989, initially a trainee, after graduation a consultant in the economic policy department of the Vienna Chamber of Labor.
From 1983 district councillor in Margareten
From 1990 Member of the Municipal and Provincial Parliament of the City of Vienna
Member of the provincial government from 1996
From 1996 to 2004 City Councillor for Integration, Women’s Issues, Consumer Protection and Personnel
From 2004 to 2007 City Councillor for Health and Social Affairs
From 2007 to 2018 City Councillor for Finance, Economy and International Affairs
Deputy Mayor and Deputy Governor from 2007 to 2015
During this time, President of the Vienna Tourist Board, the Vienna Business Agency and the Austrian Association of Public and Non-Profit Enterprises, among others
Representative of the City of Vienna for Services of General Interest and Municipal Economy from 2018 to 2021
Political functions:
1989 to 1994 State Women’s Secretary of the SPÖ Vienna
1994 to 1996 State Party Secretary of the SPÖ Vienna
1998 to 2009 Chairwoman of the SPÖ Margareten
From 1997 to 2019 Chairwoman of the Vienna SPÖ Women and Deputy Chairwoman of the Vienna SPÖ, Deputy Chairwoman of the Federal SPÖ and SPÖ Women
Currently Chairwoman of the associations “Frauen helfen Frauen helfen” and “Friends of Education Africa Vienna”
President of the Jerusalem Foundation Austria, President of the “Urban Forum” Board of Trustees and Vice President of the Association for the History of the Workers’ Movement
Sabine Kroissenbrunner
Member of the Board of the Kreisky Forum, General Secretary
Sabine Kroissenbrunner
Born 14th January 1969, Graz/ Austria
2021-2024: Deputy Head of Mission of the Austrian Embassy in Cairo and Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum
2015-2021: Deputy Head of Mission, Austrian Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia
2011-2015: Deputy Head of Mission, Austrian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey
2007 – 2011: Head of the Task Force for Dialogue of Cultures and Religions
2004-2007: Head of Press Department of the Austrian Embassy in Berlin, Germany
Since 2000: Diplomat in the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs
1995 – 2000: Federal Chancellery, General Directorate for EU Affairs
1995-96: Advisor on EU affairs to the Austrian Minister for Women’s Affairs, Federal Chancellery
Studies in political science at the University of Vienna (Mag.a phil.), Bosphorus University, Istanbul and at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London (MSc in Politics of Asia and Africa).
Studies in theology and comparative religious studies.
Training and workshops in Creative Writing and Integrative Therapy (Book and Poetry Therapy).
Researcher and consultant for the Vienna Integration Fund, the Institute for Conflict Research, Vienna, the Bruno Kreisky Archives and the Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue, Vienna et al. Research and mediation projects.
Founder and Director of ADAM – Academy for Dialogue and Mediation https://www.akademie-adam.at/ fostering education/ training and cooperation between Austria, Europe and the Orient.
Publications in academic research and literature, in particular on topics related to religion, Islam and migration/ integration.
Fluent in German, English, French and Turkish. Beginner level in Arabic.
Andreas Mailath-Pokorny
Member of the Board of the Kreisky Forum
Andreas Mailath-Pokorny (* 1959 in Vienna) studied Law and Political Science at the University of Vienna’s Faculty of Law, where he also took his doctorate in Law. He continued his post-graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University (School of Advanced International Studies, Bologna Center) where he received a diploma in International Relations, and at the Institute of Political Science at the University of Vienna.
Mailath-Pokorny started his professional career in the diplomatic service at the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1986. From 1988 to 1996, he worked in the cabinet of Federal Chancellor Franz Vranitzky, ultimately as the Chancellor’s head of office. Subsequently, he headed the Directorate General for Arts at the Federal Chancellery until 2001. In 2001, he moved to the Vienna City Government as City Councillor for Culture and Science. From 2015 onwards, his portfolio was expanded to also include sports, information and ICT. He held the position of City Councillor until May 2018.
Currently, Andreas Mailath-Pokorny is Rector of the Private Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK).
Mailath-Pokorny is President of the Association of Social Democratic Academics, Intellectuals and Artists.
Weblink (in German only): Andreas Mailath-Pokorny
Ewald Nowotny
Member of the Board of the Kreisky Forum
Prof. Dr. Ewald Nowotny (*1944 in Vienna) studied Law and Political Science at the University of Vienna and Economics at the Institute for Advanced Studies (Vienna), receiving his doctorate in Law from the University of Vienna in 1967.
Since 2008, Ewald Nowotny has held the position of Governor of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) and has been on the Governing Council of the European Central Bank. He is also a member of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) and has been a member of the ESRB’s Steering Committee since June 2012.
Before being appointed head of the OeNB in September 2008, Ewald Nowotny held a number of senior positions in the financial sector. From 2006 to 2007, he was CEO of the BAWAG P.S.K. Group, before that (from 1999 to 2003) Vice-President and Member of the Governing Council of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Luxembourg.
Ewald Nowotny was also assistant to Prof. Kurt W. Rothschild at the Institute of Economics and Finance at the University of Linz.
Wolfgang Petritsch
Member of the Board of the Kreisky Forum
Wolfgang Petritsch (* 1947 in Klagenfurt) was Secretary to Federal Chancellor Bruno Kreisky from 1977 to 1983.
From 1997, he was Austrian Ambassador to Belgrade, then Special Envoy of the European Union for Kosovo and EU Chief Negotiator at the Kosovo Peace Talks in Rambouillet and Paris.
Wolfgang Petritsch then served as High Representative of the International Community and civil administrator for Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1999 to 2002. Under his leadership, the negotiations of the Yugoslav successor states were successfully concluded in 2001.
From 2002 to 2008, Petritsch was Ambassador to the UN and the WTO in Geneva and is currently Permanent Representative of Austria to the OECD in Paris.
From 2013 to 2014, Wolfgang Petritsch was a Joseph A. Schumpeter Fellow at Harvard University. He is currently President of the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation.
Wolfgang Petritsch was awarded the European Human Rights Prize 2006 in Strasbourg. He has published numerous books, among others on Bruno Kreisky.
Weblink: Wolfgang Petritsch
Barbara Prainsack
Member of the Board of the Kreisky Forum
Professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of Vienna and at the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine at King’s College London
Barbara Prainsack is a Professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of Vienna, and at the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine at King’s College London. In Vienna she directs the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Solidarity (CeSCoS), as well as the new Research Platform “Governance of Digital Practices”. Her work explores the social, regulatory and ethical dimensions of biomedicine and bioscience, with current research projects focusing on personalised and “precision” medicine, on citizen participation in science and medicine, and the role of solidarity in medicine and healthcare. Her latest books are: Personalised Medicine: Empowered Patients in the 21st Century? (New York University Press, 2017), and Solidarity in Biomedicine and Beyond (with Alena Buyx, Cambridge University Press, 2016).
Barbara is a member of the Austrian National Bioethics Committee advising the federal government in Vienna, of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies advising the European Commission, and she chaired the European Science Foundation’s (ESF) Forward Look on Personalised Medicine for the European Citizen (2011-2012, with Stephen Holgate and Aarno Palotie). She is also a member of the British Royal Society of Arts, an elected foreign member of the Danish Royal Academy of Sciences and Letters, and an elected member of the Academia Europaea (AE). She is an affiliate of the Centre de recherche en éthique (CRE), University of Montreal, Canada, and of the Centre for Health, Law, and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX) at the University of Oxford.
Ernst Woller
Member of the Board of the Kreisky Forum
First president of the Vienna state parliament
Born on March 2nd 1954 in Vienna
Married, three sons and two daughters
Professional career
1972 Start of studies of computer science and computer engineering at the TU Vienna
1979 Completion of the diploma study of computer engineering
1979-‐1983 Study of political science and education at the University of Vienna (quit in the stage of dissertation)
1979-‐1993 Employee of the Dr.-‐Karl-‐Renner-‐Institute (head of the provincial office in Vienna)
1993-‐2018 Employee of the Vienna Insurance Group (Wiener Städtische Versicherung)
Political career
1967-‐1983 Employee of the Union of Socialist Youth Landstraße
1975-‐1982 Deputy Chairman of the Austrian Union of Socialist Youth
1976-‐1981 Regional Chairman of the Union of Socialist Youth Vienna
1978 -‐ 2018 Chairman of section 1/2/4 of the SPÖ Landstraße
1978-‐1988 Member of the Landstraße district council
1988-‐1991 Member of the Vienna State Parliament and Municipal Council
1991-‐1993 Member of the Federal Council
since 1991 Deputy district party chairman of the SPÖ Landstraße
since 1993 Chairman of the Vienna Education Committee of the SPÖ
since 1993 Member of the Vienna State Parliament and Municipal Council
since 1993 Member of the municipal committee for culture and science
1995-‐2018 Chairman of the Vienna City Council Committee for Culture, Science and Sport
since 2010 Member of the Vienna City Council Committee for European and International Affairs
since 2018 First President of the Vienna Parliament
Gerhard Zeiler
Member of the Board of the Kreisky Forum
Gerhard Zeiler (* 20 July 1955 in Vienna) is an Austrian media manager. After graduating from high school, he studied psychology, sociology and education. In 1979 he was initially a research assistant at the Austrian Institute for Vocational Training Research and worked as a freelance journalist on the side. In November 1979, Zeiler became press secretary and press spokesman for the Minister for Education and the Arts, Fred Sinowatz (SPÖ). When the latter became Austrian Chancellor in 1983, Zeiler retained this position, even under Sinowatz’s successor Franz Vranitzky, until October. In 1986 he changed to the media industry. His stations included the management of the German TV stations Tele 5, RTL II and RTL as well as four years as the director of ORF. After nine years as CEO of RTL Group, he moved to Time Warner (today: WarnerMedia) in 2012 and is now President, WarnerMedia International, responsible for the business of the three group divisions Warner Bros, HBO and Turner (CNN, Cartoon Networks, TNT) outside the USA.
Andreas Staribacher
Auditor
Dr. Andreas Staribacher (*1957 in Vienna) is a lawyer and auditor.
Staribacher initially worked in the banking sector, later in an auditing firm. From 1984 he started his own business as a tax consultant and public auditor.
From April 1995 to January 1996, Andreas Staribacher was Federal Minister of Finance. He then returned to work as a tax consultant and certified public accountant.
Staribacher is chairman of the political think tank “Arbeitsgemeinschaft für wissenschaftliche Wirtschaftspolitik” (WIWIPOL, Foundation for Scientific Economic Policy).
Werner Obermayer
Auditor
Markus Marterbauer
Co-opted Board Member of the Kreisky Forum
Dr. Markus Marterbauer
Chamber of Labour Vienna, Department of Economics and Statistics
Working experience:
1988-1994: Research and Teaching Assistant, Department for Economic Theory and Policy, University of Economics and Business Vienna.
1994-2011: Senior Economist, Macroeconomics and Business cycle analysis, Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), Vienna.
Since 2011: Chief Economist, Head of Department of Economics and Statistics, Chamber of Labour, Vienna.
Research Interest:
Macroeconomics, Fiscal policy, Distribution of income and wealth, Post-Keynesian Economics
Other Professional Activities:
Vicepresident Austrian Fiscal Council.
Lecturer at the University of Vienna.
President Benedikt Kautsky Kreis
Expert in the Budget Committee of the National Assembly.
Member of the Austrian social partners‘ Advisory Council for Economic and Social Affairs.