Dr. Christoph Leitl, President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber   Born: on 29th March 1949 in Linz, Austria Status: married, two children

Education:

• 1971 Degree in Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz
• 1973 PhD in Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz
• 1974 Hernstein Management Academy
  
  

Management:

• 1977 - 1990 Managing Director, Bauhütte Leitl-Werke (Brickworks)
  
  

Political Career:

• 1966 Founder of "Europajugend" (Youth of Europe), Linz
• 1976 Chairman of the European Federal Movement Upper Austria and Vice Chairman of the European Federal Movement of Austria
• 1982 - 1990 Chairman of the "Young Industry Austria"
• 1985 - 1990 Member of Parliament of the province of Upper Austria
• 1990 – 2000 Member of government of the province of Upper Austria (in charge of economy, tourism, technology, energy, vocational training, regional planning and Europe)
• 1995 – 2000 Deputy-Governor and Treasurer of the province of Upper Austria
• 1995 – 2000 Member of the Committee of the Regions (COM); SME–division
• 1990 to date Deputy Chairman of the Upper Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) 2000 to date Executive, Federal Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP)
  
  

Austrian SME Union (Wirtschaftsbund):

• 1999 to date Chairman of the Upper Austrian SME-Union
• 1999 to date President of the Austrian SME-Union
• 2005 to date President of the European SME-Union
  
  

Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ):

• 1980 – 1990 Member of the Executive Committee of the Austrian Association for Building Materials and Ceramic Industry
• 2000 to date President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
• 2002 to 2005 President of EUROCHAMBRES (Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry)
• 2005 to date Honorary President of EUROCHAMBRES
  
  

Other:

• President of OIER (Organisation for International Economic Relations)
• President of the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO)
• Member of the Board: MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG, Oberbank AG, ALAS AG
• Chairman of the Social Insurance Institution for Trade and Industry
• Member of the National Olympic Committee
  
  

Honorary tiles/Awards:

• Honorary Senator of the Johannes Kepler University of Linz
• Honorary Citizen of New York
• Grand Decoration of Honour in gold of Upper Austria
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of the Kingdom of Jordan
• Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star, Sweden
• Mérite Européen in gold (2003)
• Officer of the French Legion of Honour
• Gran Croce dell’ Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana
• Order pro Merito Melitensi of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
  
  

Lectures:

• Princeton University
• Fudan University Shanghai
  
  

Languages:

• German (Mother tongue)
• English
  
  

Hobbies:

• Gardening
• fishing
• photography
• hiking and
• skiing