1^st Webster Vienna Alumni Symposium 2008

Mergers & Acquisitions - How to be successful?

“Mergers & Acquisitions – How to be successful?“ sparked lively discussion among a group of more than 200 business leaders, alumni, students and guests on October 22, 2008 in the Siemens Forum. Organized by the Vienna Chapter of the Alumi Association, the symposium included the following panelists:

• Dr. Benjamin Akande, Dean of the School of Business and Technology, Webster University St. Louis
• Michael Fortier, Executive Vice President, Erste Group Bank
• Dr. Sascha Hödl, Partner, Schönherr Rechtsanwälte GmbH
• Wolfgang Horak, Managing Director, Fujitsu
• DDr. Manfred Moschner, Partner, ACS Acquisition Services Moschner & Co GesmbH and
• Mag. Wolfram Senger-Weiss, Member of the Management Board of Gebrüder Weiss Holding AG. 

They shared their perspective on the impact of Mergers & Acquisitions in times of crisis.

2^nd Webster Vienna Alumni Symposium 2009

Effective Leadership in Challenging Times

On Tuesday, November 24, 2009, the Webster Vienna Alumni Association and Webster University Vienna invited their alumni, students, faculty and the Austrian business community to their second Alumni Symposium focusing on “Effective Leadership in Challenging Times”.  The high-level panel discussion in Palais Eschenbach featured top corporate experts who have all been challenged by leading their companies and employees through times of change, uncertainty and economic downturn. The panel consisted of: 

• Dr. Gustav Dressler, Executive Director, 3 Banken-Generali Investment-GmbH & Generali Capital Management GmbH
• Gerald Grohmann, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Board, Schoeller-Bleckmann Oilfield Equipment AG
• Dr. Michael Schaude, Vice President, Österreichischer Gewerbeverein, Managing Director, Bender MedSystems
• Mag. Clemens J. Stockreiter, Finance Director Bag Converting, Mondi
• Mag. Silja Tillner, Managing Partner, Architekten Tillner & Willinger ZT GmbH, and
• Dr. Wolfgang Wein, Executive Vice President, Global Business Unit Oncology, Member of the Executive Management Board, Merck Serono, Merck KGaA Germany

They shared their inspiring, personal and professional insights and experiences on how to enhance leadership strategies for the 21st century. More than 150 guests attended the event with alumni travelling from Croatia, Hungary, and Slovakia to participate.

3^rd Webster Vienna Alumni Symposium 2010

Where do we go with Ruble & Co? - Strategies for Russia’s recovery

The 3rd Webster Vienna Alumni Symposium was held on Monday, November 15, 2010, once again in the beautiful Palais Eschenbach. A panel of expert discussed the theme of “Where do we go with Ruble & Co? Strategies for Russia’s recovery,” covering such topics as different avenues for sustainable development, lessons learned from the crisis and implications of the current situation for local and foreign investors who are doing business in Russia. Our panel included:

• Dr. Maximilian Burger-Scheidlin, Executive Director of the International Chamber of Commerce, Austria
• Mag. (FH) Anton Chirkovski, BBA, Senior Portfolio Manager Kommunalkredit Austria & Owner of BFE Group
• Dr. Mikhail Davydov, Strategic Advisor to CEO of Invest AD in UAE & Advisor to Cairman of Summa Capital in Russia
• Dipl.-Kfm. Evgenij Minkin, Head of Capital Markets of VTB Bank Austria
• KommR Otto Ordelt, CEO of Knauf GmbH
• Nenad Pacek, MA, President of Global Success Advisors, Author of the book "Emerging Markets"
• Dr. Sergey Shuklin, President of the Russian-European Chamber of Commerce

More than 180 guests attended the event which was followed by a networking dinner of Russian specialties and vodka tastings.

4^th Webster Vienna Alumni Symposium 2011

Diversity versus Conformity: Finding a Balance that's Right for Business

On the evening of November 7, 2011 more than 200 alumni, students and industry professionals gathered once again in the beautiful conference hall of Palais Eschenback to hear an expert panel discuss the topic of diversity within companies. "Diversity versus Conformity: Finding a Balance that's Right for Business" addressed not only the complexities of having a culturally diverse workforce, but also the difficulties of working across borders and appealing to an international customer base.  Webster University President Dr. Elizabeth Stroble and Provost and Senior Vice President Dr. Julian Schuster came all the way from St. Louis for the event and welcomed the crowd, highlighting the international nature of Webster University and the diversity that exists at its very core. The panel consisted of:   

• Dr. Benjamin Ola. Akande, Dean, George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology, Webster University
• Prof. Thomas Hintze, Managing Director, UPC Austria
• Mr. Felix Thun-Hohenstein, Managing Director, 3M Austria and Switzerland
• Mr. Erno Karl, IBM Intellectual Property Licensing, Europe
• Mag. Doris Tomanek, Head of HR Austria and CEE, Member of the Board, UniCredit Bank Austria
• Ms. Samantha Yarwood, Marketing Director, Switzerland & Austria, Starbucks Coffee Company

The invigorating and thought-provoking discussion was followed by a reception provided by Hilton Hotels Austria and Starbucks Coffee Company.