office@vidc.org | +43 1 7133594 | Möllwaldplatz 5/9, 1040 Wien
The management, our back office and the board introduce themselves!
Under our names you will find information about how we like to be addressed and which pronouns we use. With this we want to set a good example and point out that the gender identity of people cannot be determined by their names or their outward appearance. Gender-appropriate language is important and in this spirit we are looking forward to a lively, respectful communication with you!
Sybille Straubinger
Pronouns: she/her
Managing Director of the VIDC
Tel.: +43 1 713 35 94 - 81
straubinger@vidc.org
has been Managing Director at the VIDC since 2018.
She studied political science in combination of subjects with development policy and economics at the University of Vienna and earned a master’s degree General Management MBA at the TU Vienna/DU Krems. She was a member of the provincial parliament, has worked as a provincial managing director, senior consultant in a PR agency, parliamentary assistant and at the beginning of her career also as a freelance journalist.
Franz Schmidjell
Pronouns: he/him
Deputy Management
Tel.: +43 1 713 35 94 - 82
schmidjell@vidc.org
responsible for Africa policy at VIDC Global Dialogue.
Initiator of the VIDC department kulturen in bewegung. Organises information and cultural festivals (Sura Za Africa, Onda Latina, Ke Nako Africa, moving cultures), exchange programmes, tours, exhibitions and workshops; supervises cultural projects in Africa.
Studied commercial sciences at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration with several trips and research stays in South East Asia and South Asia.
Sabine Manek
Pronouns: she/her
Tel.: +43 1 713 35 94 - 58
manek@vidc.org
is responsible in the administration of the VIDC for bookkeeping, payroll accounting and various project settlements.
After studying business administration at the Business University Vienna, she gained professional experience in the audit business and the private sector.
Faai-Irène Estelle Hochauer-Kpoda
Pronouns: she/her
Tel: +43 1 713 35 94 - 69
hochauer-kpoda@vidc.org
works at the VIDC in the administration as well as in the VIDC Global Dialogue department as an event manager - as such she is responsible for the organisation of conferences, panel discussions and workshops.
She was a radio and TV presenter and editor at Radio Afrika TV. Since 2009, she has been deputy chairwoman and co-founder of the association BARKA BARKA, an aid organisation for the town of Foroteon in Burkina Faso. Since 2018 she has been the special representative of the Burkinabè Diaspora in Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and the Czech Republic. Since 2019 she has been an integration ambassador for Zusammen: Austria.
She earned a master's degree in tourism and hotel management at the Institut Supérieur International du Tourisme-Tanger in Morocco as well as a master’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management at the Institut for Tourism and Hotel Management in Salzburg. She also has a diploma in Project and Event Management from Vienna Media in Vienna.
Lisa Bucksch
Pronouns: she/her
Tel.: +43 1 713 35 94 - 60
bucksch@vidc.org
works at the VIDC in the administration as well as in the VIDC Global Dialogue department as a project assistant. Among other things, she is responsible for the social media presence of the VIDC Global Dialogue department. Currently on maternity leave.
She has a bachelor's degree in Cultural and Social Anthropology and a master's degree in International Development with focus on inequality, economics and natural resources at the University of Vienna. Her Master's thesis was on forced resettlement in Chile.
Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek
President. Former Federal Minister, Member of the National Council
Michael Ludwig (i.V. Kurt Stürzenbecher)
Mayor and Governor of Vienna
Peter Jankowitsch
Diplomat, former Foreign Minister, former European State Secretary (Integration and Development Cooperation)
Erich Andrlik
Head of the VIDC for many years, employee at the Austrian Mission to the United Nations
Ulrike Lunacek
Former State Secretary for Arts and Culture , former Member of Asutrian Parliament, former MEP and former Vice-President of the European Parliament
Astrid Zimmermann
Secretary General of the Press Club Concordia for many years, journalist, co-founder of the Frauennetzwerk Medien (Women's Media Network)