Austria 2025 – GC Powerlist
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Austria 2025

Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel

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  • Industries

  • Powerlist

Adam Kozielski

Head of legal and compliance | TTTech Auto AG

Information technology

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Alexander Höller

Legal Austria lead | Google

Information technology

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Alexander Krause

Regional general counsel & group compliance officer | ANDRITZ AG

Industrials and real estate

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Alexander Schall

General counsel | UniCredit Bank Austria AG

Financials

Alexey Gorlatov

Senior legal counsel, head of global practice area | ANDRITZ AG

Industrials and real estate

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Amanda Neil

General counsel | Head Group

Consumer products

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Benim Saric

Head of legal and regulatory compliance and DPO | bank99 AG

Financials

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Christian Siller

General counsel | HASSLACHER NORICA TIMBER

Industrials and real estate

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Christian Sparl

Chief legal counsel | ALPLA Group

Materials and mining

Christoph Löhmann

Head of Legal, Compliance & Risk Management Department Southeast Europe | Schenker & CO AG

Transport and infrastructure

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Christoph Oswald

Head of legal | Philip Morris Austria

Food, beverages and tobacco

Christopher Fischer

Group Head of Legal and General Secretary | DenizBank AG

Financials

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Claudia Lettner

Head of Legal Department | Wirtschaftskammer Wien

Commercial and professional services

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Constantin Fladerer-Burgess

Head of legal | REEEP

Non - profit

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DDr. Manuela Kohl

Head of group legal and compliance | TÜV AUSTRIA HOLDING AG

Information technology

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Derik Zusann

General counsel | FACC AG

Transport and infrastructure

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Dr. Bernard Reviczky

General counsel South East Europe | Siemens Energy Austria

Energy and utilities

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Dr. Christian W. Schaumann

Head of central legal services | Greiner AG

Healthcare and pharmaceuticals

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Dr. Gefion Hauer

General counsel (Head of legal, compliance and insurance) | Kwizda Holding GmbH

Healthcare and pharmaceuticals

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Dr. Jasmin Hintner

General counsel | Single Use Support GmbH

Healthcare and pharmaceuticals

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Dr. Jonas Hermann

Director / Head of Group Legal | ALDI

Food, beverages and tobacco

Dr. Michael Stelzel

Group general counsel & chief compliance officer | HOERBIGER 

Materials and mining

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Dr. Peter Lachinger

Head of Legal Department | Austrian Power Grid

Energy and utilities

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Dr. Roswitha Stöllner

General counsel/head of group legal | SPAR Österreichische Warenhandels-AG

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Elias Pressler

Head of legal | WSF Group

Hotels, restaurants and leisure

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Elvira Schmid

Head of group legal | MM Group

Materials and mining

Ernest Jędrzejewski

Head of Legal and Compliance, East Europe | DS Smith

Materials and mining

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Eva Hickl

General counsel | Schindler Aufzüge und Fahrtreppen GmbH

Consumer products

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Eva Ritter

Head of Legal Corporate & IP Management | RHI Magnesita

Materials and mining

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Fabian Reinisch

General counsel | Bitpanda

Information technology

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Florian Wirth

SVP General counsel | LENZING AG

Materials and mining

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Franz Fazekas

Vice president and head of legal global | ams OSRAM

Materials and mining

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Franz-Michael Hohensinn

General counsel | Semperit Group

Industrials and real estate

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Gerald Watzinger

General counsel | Porsche Holding

Consumer products

Gregor Gessner

General counsel | GATX Rail Europe

Transport and infrastructure

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Hannelore Schulz-Schmidt

Head of Legal & Compliance | Bundesrechenzentrum GmbH

Information technology

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Hasmik Baroian-Haftvani

General counsel | Kontron AG

Information technology

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Ingo Steinwender

Group head of legal | CA Immobilien Anlagen AG

Industrials and real estate

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Jakob Geyer

Senior Legal Counsel & Internal Group DPO | IXOPAY

Information technology

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Johannes Tuerk

General counsel | Allianz Elementar Versicherungs - Aktiengesellschaft

Financials

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Karl Wagner

Head of corporate legal affairs | Wienerberger AG

Materials and mining

Katerina Schenkova

Regional Compliance Officer Central/Eastern Europe/CIS | thyssenkrupp AG

Industrials and real estate

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Katharina Majchrzak

Head of Legal | Institute of Science and Technology

Information technology

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Katja Tautscher

SVP / Chief Legal Officer | OMV AG

Materials and mining

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Katrin Rauch

Team lead legal Austria and Switzerland | BP Europa SE

Energy and utilities

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Klemens Keferboeck

VP legal and general counsel | Magna International

Information technology

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Lucia Kautzky

General counsel | Immofinanz

Industrials and real estate

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Majda Meric Iljazovic

Group general counsel | Innomotics

Materials and mining

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Manfred Klika

Chief legal officer | Diamond Aircraft Industries

Transport and infrastructure

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Manuel Ritt-Huemer

Head of legal and compliance | REWE Group (Austria)

Consumer products

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Marc Schütt

Chief legal officer | VKB-Bank

Financials

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Maria Lepushitz

Group compliance officer and general counsel | IMS Nanofabrication

Materials and mining

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Marielouise Gregory

General counsel | A1 Telekom Austria AG

Telecommunications

Mario Zlattinger   

Head of legal (Austria and Switzerland) | ALD Automotive Fuhrparkmanagement und Leasing GmbH

Consumer products

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Martin Lukas

Head of legal and compliance | Liechtensteinische Landesbank (Österreich) AG

Financials

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Meera Ramakrishnan

Head of Corporate Austria | STRABAG

Industrials and real estate

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Melis Mani

Vienna Group Lead International Legal/PPP Department | STRABAG

Industrials and real estate

Michael Pelzl

General legal counsel Austria | Dentsu Austria GmbH

Sports and media

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Michael Zane-Svoboda

General counsel | Niederösterreichische Verkehrs-organisationsges.m.b.H

Transport and infrastructure

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Michaela Mayr

Head of legal | Bitmovin

Information technology

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Michal Stofko

Head of legal Austria | HUAWEI Austria

Information technology

Nicole Christ

Head of legal (EU/CIS & META) | RHI Magnesita

Materials and mining

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Nora Frizberg

COO and general counsel | Speedinvest

Financials

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Norbert Pannagl

Head of legal and compliance | Wiener Stadtwerke GmbH (Vienna Utilities Services Group)

Energy and utilities

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Odett Pászti

Head of legal | S IMMO AG

Industrials and real estate

Patricia Leeb

Lead Counsel CEE and Regional Compliance Officer | TÜV SÜD

Consumer products

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Peter Hiller

Head of Legal Department | delfortgroup AG

Materials and mining

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Philip Pauser

Group general counsel | Alpega

Information technology

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Renata Hrnjak

Head of legal and compliance Austria | Samsung Electronics

Consumer products

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Renate Krenn

Head of legal and compliance | Montana Aerospace

Transport and infrastructure

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Richard Zingl

Head Legal Department | LGT Bank Österreich

Financials

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Rita Wittmann

Head of legal and compliance | UNIQA Group

Commercial and professional services

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Robert Gulla

General counsel | LUKOIL INTERNATIONAL Holding GmbH

Energy and utilities

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Robert Ranftler

Group general counsel | AT&S

Information technology

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Roland Ebenhoch

Head of legal | BE Energy

Energy and utilities

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Roland Schreiner

Group general counsel | Atos

Information technology

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Rudolf Strele

Head of Legal Department | Doppelmayr

Transport and infrastructure

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Sabine Angerer

Group head of legal | Greiner AG

Healthcare and pharmaceuticals

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Sandra Krebs

Country legal director, ethics and compliance officer | Coca-Cola

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Sandra Mueller

General counsel, VP of legal and compliance | Borealis

Materials and mining

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Sieglinde Pfadenhauer

Head of legal affairs | Rail Cargo Group

Transport and infrastructure

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Sigrid Lamprecht

General counsel | McDonalds

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Simon Schuetzeneder

Head of legal affairs Austria | ALSTOM Transport Austria

Transport and infrastructure

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Sonja Muellner

Head of legal Austria | STRABAG

Industrials and real estate

Stefan Führer

General counsel | Schmid Industrieholding

Industrials and real estate

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Stefan Illaunig

Head of legal | Eurest Österreich

Food, beverages and tobacco

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Stefan Tomek

Head of Legal Department | voestalpine VAE GmbH

Materials and mining

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Svjetlana Bulic-Keseljevic

Head of legal | UniCredit Services GmbH

Financials

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Szilvia Daxauer

Senior legal director | Mundipharma

Healthcare and pharmaceuticals

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Tanja Palmetzhofer

Head of legal | ZKW Group GmbH

Transport and infrastructure

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Thomas Traussnigg

Head of legal | Saubermacher Dienstleistungs-AG

Energy and utilities

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Ticiana Kobel

EVP Legal and Digital Transformation | RHI Magnesita

Materials and mining

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Verena Schneglberger-Grossmann

Chief legal officer | KTM

Consumer products

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Vicky Corley

General counsel | Enery

Energy and utilities

Victor Koncha

General counsel | ZBV Holding GmbH

Industrials and real estate

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Wen Wei Xu

General counsel/Managing Director Zürich Service GmbH / ZSG (subsidiary of Zurich) | Zürich Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft

Financials

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Wolfgang Vanas

Head of legal | ecosio GmbH

Information technology

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Yvonne Thurner

Head of legal and Corporate Affairs Director | Tobaccoland Handels GmbH & Co KG

Food, beverages and tobacco

It is my pleasure to announce another edition of Legal 500’s GC Powerlist: Austria. The 2025 edition of the Powerlist once again recognises some of the pre-eminent in-house counsel across the country.

I would like to congratulate all those featured in this year’s Powerlist and thank everyone who took part in the research process.

Throughout our conversations with general counsel from an array of companies across different sectors, several recurring themes emerged – ones that in-house counsel should keep in mind. As Dr. Michael Stelzel, group general counsel and chief compliance officer at HOERBIGER, points out, ‘extremely fast-moving sanctions regimes and geopolitical economic and political power games’ are forcing organisations to stay on top – and ahead – of various emerging trends. And in-house counsel are often at the forefront of these efforts.

Among the most frequently cited issues were AI and digitalisation. Philip Pauser, group general counsel at Alpega, cited AI as ‘a key trend, if not the key trend’. As AI continues to impact the way that companies operate, GCs are having to strike a balance between embracing new technology and maintaining the high standard expected of legal departments. Amanda Neil, general counsel at Head Group, notes: ‘law is an area which demands a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail, and some tools are not yet adequate to the task.’

However, as AI continues to be incorporated into organisations and the legal sector more widely, Dr. Roswitha Stöllner, general counsel at SPAR Österreichische Warenhandels-AG, reminds us that ‘the potential for efficiency and accuracy gains is significant and worth monitoring closely’.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns are also a priority for many in-house counsel across Austria – despite ongoing global political shifts – as GCs play an integral part in the adoption of ESG initiatives. Mario Zlattinger, Head of Legal Austria and Switzerland at ALD Automotive Fuhrparkmanagement und Leasing, emphasises that the GC ‘plays a critical leadership role in embedding ESG principles into the corporate fabric.’ He examines several ways in which in-house counsel can ensure that they carry out this crucial role, from training to curating the very culture of the company.

After all, as Christian W. Schaumann, Head of Central Legal Services at Greiner, points out: ‘ESG principles and compliance is not a trend, but a business enabler and a potential USP in the competition for sustainable business opportunities.’

And, as the majority of our honourees agreed, in-house counsel are are integral to organisational success. As Nicole Christ, Head of Legal (EU/CIS & META) at RHI Magnesita GmbH, puts it: ‘legal acumen is, of course, foundational, but the ability to apply that expertise in a commercially pragmatic, risk-balanced way is what really adds value to the business.’

GC Powerlist Japan 2025

The Legal 500 was proud to host the third edition of the GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 at the Capitol Hotel Tokyu, honouring the top General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, Legal Directors, and senior in-house legal professionals operating at the highest level of Japan’s corporate legal landscape. Held in Tokyo, this year’s reception welcomed around 100 of the most respected and senior corporate counsel from across Japan. It was an unrivalled success, and cements Legal 500’s status as the leading force in legal media supporting the achievements of in-house counsel in Japan. The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 marks the continuation of our commitment to recognising excellence in-house, and this year’s edition represents the most competitive and selective list to date.

Joe Boswell, lead editor of the GC powerlist publication at The Legal 500, opened the evening with an introduction that reflected on the growing prestige of the Japan list. He emphasised how the Powerlist has grown stronger each year, both in scope and quality, making the task of selection more difficult. This year’s honourees emerged from a deeply competitive field, making their recognition even more meaningful.

Boswell extended heartfelt congratulations to all honourees and acknowledged the critical support of key partners and sponsors who made the evening possible. Special thanks were given to Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, JustLegal, and SS&C Intralinks for their generous sponsorship and ongoing collaboration.

In a moment of reflection, Joe paid tribute to Tim Mackey, chief legal officer at SoftBank, who sadly passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. Tim had contributed to the Powerlist in each of its three editions and was known not only for his exceptional legal acumen but also for his warmth and generosity.

The evening featured insightful remarks from distinguished speakers representing our partners and the broader legal community: Mischa Mulligan, Japan Director at SS&C Intralinks; Hiroki Kodate, Partner and Management Committee Member at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune; Jeremy White, Global Co-Chair of M&A for Morrison Foerster; and, representing those awarded in the Powerlist, Naoki Hamada, General Counsel for Japan at HSBC.

Each speaker provided reflections on legal innovation, leadership, and the evolving role of in-house counsel in Japan’s corporate landscape. Their remarks added valuable context to the achievements celebrated throughout the evening.

The formal awards segment celebrated this year’s GC Powerlist honourees. With assistance from long-time collaborator Isaac Uchiyama who read out awardees’ names, recipients were invited to collect their certificates, pose for photographs, and be formally recognised by their peers.

Certificates were presented on stage by Hiroki Kodate or Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and Jeremy White of Morrison Foerster, whose participation further underlined the deep support of the Japanese and international legal communities.

The GC Powerlist: Japan 2025 reception reaffirmed Legal 500’s commitment to spotlighting the very best of in-house legal talent. With record levels of interest and unmatched quality among candidates, the Japan edition continues to solidify its place as one of the most respected publications in the global GC Powerlist series.

We extend our sincere congratulations to all honourees and thank our partners, sponsors, and speakers for making the evening a success.

We look forward to returning to Tokyo again next year. As a parting gift, you can view Naoki Hamada’s excellent keynote address below, where he touches on a lot of issues and themes that many other GC, whatever country they operate in, will recognise:

‘Good evening, everyone. I am Naoki Hamada of HSBC. I am very pleased to be here speaking to you today. It is a great pleasure and honor, and at the same time, I feel a bit overwhelmed being surrounded by the busiest and most expensive lawyers in the industry—even if I know that nobody will be charging us for their time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Legal 500 for organizing such a great event, and Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Morrison Foerster, iManage, SS&C Intralinks, and Just Legal for sponsoring and supporting it. And, huge congratulations on the recognition each of you is receiving, which is truly a great accomplishment and the result of your hard work and the accumulated trust the entire industry has placed in you.

It must be emphasized that this award is given only to general counsels. Being a general counsel means a lot more than just being a subject matter expert. You are a most reliable strategic partner for the business, and I am sure that you have distinguished yourself from the crowd by your ability to identify underlying risks, devise legal solutions, ensure the right processes and governance for corporate decisions, influence others, and educate the next generation of lawyers. This is what you are being recognized for.

Looking back on my career, I have been hugely helped by lawyers in other companies through various industry communities. When I joined the in-house world 12 years ago from a Japanese law firm, large international banks were all struggling with a huge wave of regulatory reform. Back then, I was relatively new to that particular area of finance, and my hiring was somewhat potential-based. Nonetheless, I was assigned to lead the regulatory reform efforts locally. My predecessor had left the bank before I joined, there was no sufficient handover, and I was completely lost as to what to do. What helped me most were the industry peer group discussions, where in-house counsels from major banks would get together to discuss common issues. I learned so much from what was discussed there and absorbed as much as I could. Without that network, I am sure that I wouldn’t have survived that time.

However, our situation today is far more difficult. The changes in the landscape we face today are unprecedented. Technological developments and the corresponding shifts in geopolitical and industrial landscapes are completely unpredictable, and the speed at which they happen is far faster than before. We might face a time that requires us to pivot, forcing us to redefine how we add value and rebuild the way we work. That is somewhat intimidating. But, I am confident that a way forward will be found through the collective wisdom and effort of the people in this room. I would like to be a part of that, and this network of people is enormously valuable and truly priceless.

Finally, let’s have a drink and celebrate our achievements for now – before your CEO calls asking you to join a call! Thank you so much.’