Birgit Birnstingl-Gottinger, BSc
Managing Director and Shareholder
Birgit Birnstingl-Gottinger, Managing Director of Sekem Energy, focuses on comprehensive, sustainable energy concepts that include the establishment of regional value chains as well as the use of renewable raw materials and the implementation of sustainable energy technologies. She has gained many years of experience in this field and has realised numerous practical examples as well as R&D projects, the results of which shall be integrated into the ongoing work. In particular, the design of these systemic renewable energy solutions and models benefits from the cooperation between science and practice that she has established and intensified. She appreciates networking and is a trained energy consultant, farmer, and a graduate of the environmental systems science degree program. She has built up an international network of experts for recycling management and headed the research department of the Öko-Cluster for sustainable energy technologies, where she was deputy chairwoman for 8 years.
"Our innovative and comprehensive energy solutions demonstrate sustainable development by integrating environmental, cultural, economic and social factors. And these sustainable solutions are interesting and worth striving for."
Ing. Leo Riebenbauer
Shareholder
Renewable energy is life energy! With quality and passion, the managing director of Sekem Energy is committed to the realisation of a sustainable ecological energy supply, climate protection and sustainability. In his engineering office for renewable energy, Leo Riebenbauer, with many years of experience, is dedicated to the planning, project and quality management of biomass heat & power plants, biogas plants, solar & photovoltaic plants and eco-efficient building technology. All projects are based on tailor-made, holistic energy concepts. Leo Riebenbauer always strives for optimal energy solutions - by involving all stakeholders and taking into account all regionally available resources.
"As chairman of the Ökocluster and pioneer in the field of renewable energies, I have been involved in the planning and implementation of innovative, sustainable energy systems for many years. I am pleased to be able to contribute my experience and competence in the development of optimal energy concepts to SEKEMENERGY GMBH".
Dr. Reinhard Schanda
Shareholder
Reinhard Schanda is Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of WEB Windenergie AG and Chairman of the Advisory Board of IG Windkraft as well as of the Advisory Board of the Austrian Network for Business Ethics (OeNWE) and acts as international arbitrator. Schanda is also a founding member of Fair Money, an association that promotes ethical and ecological investments. With the help of his tenant, he also manages an organic farm in Styria. Sustainability at every level is his motto:
"The implementation of innovative ideas and concepts often encounters resistance, sometimes even legal resistance. Resistance, on the other hand, often leads to conflicts, sometimes even to legal conflicts. As a lawyer, I would like to play my part in eliminating resistance to renewable energy sources and settling conflicts in the interests of a more sustainable economy."
DI. Horst Striessnig
Shareholder
Horst Striessnig is an expert in the field of solar energy. On the basis of his many years of experience in the project planning of large-scale solar plants and the management of research and development projects, Horst Striessnig has focused his work on thermal cooling since 2009. Project development, research management and development of product packages are among his main tasks.
A further focus of his work is the development of energy concepts that are precisely tailored to the respective needs of his customers. In addition to his varied activities, this focus in particular has strengthened the technician's conviction that cooperation, good networks and, above all, a broad perspective are indispensable for the success of energy concepts:
"I like working in a team that wants to make the world a little better place to live. Sekem Energy has found the right approach through its holistic approach and comprehensive customer support. I am proud to be part of the team and to be able to help shape it."
Helmy Abouleish
Shareholder
Helmy Abouleish was instrumental in setting up the Sekem Initiative. With more than 20 years of management experience, he is Managing Director of Sekem Holding and Chairman of Sekem EcoTec, a holding company for the development, production and sale of ecological technologies. Helmy Abouleish also makes his knowledge and experience available to numerous political bodies in Egypt.
Helmy Abouleish is convinced that sustainability and a broad perspective also have a positive impact on economic success:
"Economists still have to investigate how this can be measured in detail. But many people are already approaching us, for example from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Economic Forum in Davos. They want to know what the effects are when a company sees itself as a learning, social and cultural community."
Ing. Harald Kaufmann
Shareholder
The local heating specialist already started in 2001 with the establishment of an Austria-wide network for the construction and operation of local heating networks. Following the establishment of many regional subsidiaries, Harald Kaufmann now has 41 plants in operation, making him Austria's market leader outside the established energy supply channel. In addition to the planning, construction, financing and operation of biomass local heating networks, the managing director of nahwaerme.at is also responsible for the integration of large-scale solar plants into these networks. Additionally, he is a quality representative in the field of biomass heating plants.
For Harald Kaufmann his occupation is his calling:
"Energy is a central and beautiful topic. For a long time I have been concerned with giving people sustainable energy. I have had success since I have been working in networks. The Sekem Energy network is thus a very important addition to my work."