I have been working in the area of sustainable development since 25 years and have been, during this time, employed at several institutions. Since April 2021, I am an independent sustainability consultant with my own company.
The first projects that I worked on where on topics such as environmental mediation, environmental supply chain management, regional sustainable development as well as sustainability and innovation: After my first job at the Austrian Society for Environment and Technology (ÖGUT), I worked as a Research Assistant in the School of Geography and Planning at Cardiff University, Wales, UK. After returning back to Austria, I was working for more than five years at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences (ICCR) in Vienna.
From 2006 to 2020, I worked as a project manager and senior scientist at the Institute for Managing Sustainability at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien). I was leading a team on “Governance for Sustainable Development” and was coordinating various EU-funded projects on sustainable development (European Commission research programs FP7 and Horizon 2020) as a project manager, dealing with topics like resource efficiency, sustainable raw materials production and value chain issues, sustainable production and consumption, etc. The projects’ budgets ranged from € 1.5-3 million with project consortia between 5-12 partner institutions coming from different countries from all over Europe.
Another important part of my work was the management of Europe’s largest network on sustainable development strategies and policies, the European Sustainable Development Network (ESDN). The ESDN has more than 400 members from over 40 European countries (coming from public administrations, businesses, civil society, research/think tanks, etc.) and has the main aim to foster the exchange of knowledge, information and practical experiences on sustainability strategies and policies in Europe and beyond. Besides the network activities, I have also organized and moderated numerous events (physical and online) for the ESDN. In addition, I have written, conceptualized and was responsible for the content of numerous studies on many different topics relevant for sustainable development.
My background: I hold a master degree (MA) in political science from the University of Salzburg, Austria and an MSc in Sustainability, Planning and Environmental Policy from Cardiff University, Wales, UK.
I have been working in the area of sustainable development for more than 20 years. The first projects that I worked on where on topics such as environmental mediation, environmental supply chain management, regional sustainable development as well as sustainability and innovation.
For the last 15 years, I worked as a project manager and senior scientist at the Institute for Managing Sustainability at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien). I was leading a team on “Governance for Sustainable Development” and was coordinating various EU-funded projects on sustainable development (European Commission research programs FP7 and Horizon 2020) as a project manager, dealing with topics like resource efficiency, sustainable raw materials production and value chain issues, sustainable production and consumption, etc. The projects’ budgets ranged from € 1.5-3 million with project consortia between 5-12 partner institutions coming from different countries from all over Europe.
Another important part of my work was the management of Europe’s largest network on sustainable development strategies and policies, the European Sustainable Development Network (ESDN). The ESDN has more than 400 members from over 40 European countries (coming from public administrations, businesses, civil society, research/think tanks, etc.) and has the main aim to foster the exchange of knowledge, information and practical experiences on sustainability strategies and policies in Europe and beyond. Besides the network activities, I have also organized and moderated numerous events (physical and online) for the ESDN. In addition, I have written, conceptualized and was responsible for the content of numerous studies on many different topics relevant for sustainable development.
My background: I hold a master degree (MA) in political science from the University of Salzburg, Austria and an MSc in Sustainability, Planning and Environmental Policy from Cardiff University, Wales, UK.
My main strengths, experiences and competences can be summarized as follows:
- Long-time experience in strategy, policy and process advice for different stakeholder groups (public administration, businesses, civil society, research, think tanks, etc.)
- More than 10 years of experience in leading a team on “Governance for Sustainable Development” at a research institute
- More than 10 years of experience in project and network management of large EU-funded projects and the largest policy network on sustainable development (European Sustainable Development Network)
- Long-term experience as moderator (physical and online) of various specialist events, like conferences, workshops, dialogues, peer learning events, round tables, etc., in English and German
- Organization and process design of specialist events
- Comprehensive and detailed knowledge of EU and Europe-wide policy processes due to my long-term experience in coordinating and implementing EU-funded projects and collaborating with European stakeholders
- Comparative studies on various sustainability topics, including governance aspects, good practices, transferability aspects, etc.
- English as my working language for more than 20 years
- Working with interdisciplinary and multi-cultural teams and project partners
- Extensive social and communication skill, including media training (e.g. with TV moderators), various rhetoric and speech trainings (with theater actors and directors)
This is my personal approach and my offer on how to collaborate with you:
- Trustworthy consultant and troubleshooter: I offer services of the highest quality to support you with important challenges, and to provide you with orientation and solutions for activities that are important or new to you. I have a vast experience in tackling difficult and complex topics, stakeholder constellations and processes, and solving them effectively.
- European mindset and networker: My university degrees and my work experiences have laid the basis for my European and international mindset. I have been using English as my professional language for mor than 20 years, have been working on large Europe-wide projects and networks, and have access to a network of experts from all over Europe and beyond.
- Expert and process designer: Due to my education and long-term work experience in sustainable development, I am a content expert on many sustainability and governance topics. In addition, I have a very rich and practical experience in process design and the moderation of specialist events, strategy processes, internal and external exchange mechanisms, and in network management. Therefore, I can perfectly combine expert knowledge with process design and moderation skills.
- High-energy approach: I have a high-energy approach to everything I do in order to achieve the most effective and positive results. Humor and creativity are an important factor in my work – they are extremely enriching and rewarding for achieving good results.
I offer advice and support for the design and implementation of sustainability strategies and processes in the area of sustainability. Let’s go on this journey together in a proactive, vibrant and effective manner!
I guarantee my best services for your endeavours.
Gerald Berger
