Elisabeth Zehetner

Elisabeth Zehetner has been State Secretary for Energy, Startups and Tourism within the Federal Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism since 2025.

2022–2025: Managing Director of oecolution austria – an initiative for sustainable regional development; founded, established and managed the NGO with a focus on pragmatic energy and climate policy
2019–2022: Head of the Target Group Management Department at the WKÖ, and Federal Managing Director of Gründerservice and Junge Wirtschaft
2007–2019: Head of the joint secretariat for Young Business / Start-up Service / Women in Business / Sole Traders at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ), and National Managing Director of Start-up Service and Young Business
2017–2019: additionally Head of Communications Management at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ)
2003–2007: National Managing Director of Women in Business at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ)
2003–2005: Lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences for Business (FH der WKW), Communication Management degree programme
2001–2003: Senior Project Manager for strategic communication and lobbying on behalf of GPK – Gruber und Partner Kommunikation
1999–2000: Organisation of PHARE Multi-Country Programme seminars and conferences: ‘The European Dimension of Institutional Quality Management in Higher Education’ on behalf of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Information, Open University, UK; and organisation of accreditation workshops on behalf of the CRE (Association of European Universities – Geneva, Paris)
Education
2000–2000: Basic Management Skills, LIMAK, Institute of the J. K. University of Linz (including leadership, MBO, accounting, strategic management and marketing)
2000: Graduated from the University of Vienna, majoring in French and combining political science, Italian studies and Arabic studies