There is a lot to do

And he also talks about these topics - on social media and on PETAJOULE, the Energy Agency's podcast. Within the company, he is regarded as an all-rounder whose training and professional experience make him ideally qualified for the position.

In the early 2000s, he completed what was then a diploma programme (now a Bachelor's and Master's programme) in International Business Relations at Burgenland University of Applied Sciences, where - as he emphasises - he acquired an extremely valuable basic education in business administration.

His entry into sustainability, energy transition and transformation ultimately came via an advanced degree in Urban Renewable Energy Technologies at the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien.

Christoph Dolna-Gruber started his career in the traditional field of management consultancy at PWC Austria. Even then, he worked at the interface between sustainability management and energy issues.

He then joined the Austrian Energy Agency as an expert in energy efficiency in buildings. He has been working there since 2010 - interrupted only by two paternity leaves and a year-long trip around the world, which he also describes as an intensive learning experience.

Back at the Austrian Energy Agency, he supported and monitored the implementation of the then new Energy Efficiency Act and set up the staff unit, which he still heads today.

And he concludes with an appeal to the younger generation: "This industry needs a lot of people because there is a lot to do. We need to put the entire energy system on a renewable and more efficient footing. The industry needs to be reorganised so that it can produce in a future-proof way and thus remain competitive. Our mobility will change fundamentally. We need people from a wide range of disciplines to drive this forward."