Online MBA in Executive Management
Prof. (FH) Dr. Tamás Csermely, MSc
Tamás Csermely has been the Director of Studies of the two on-campus Master programs, the online MBA and the online Executive MBA at the Lauder Business School as well as a Board Member of the Austrian Universities of Applied Sciences since 2018. He used to work as the Head of Procurement at Quantoras, an Austrian technology-based consulting company, where he was responsible for managing the purchasing team, leading dozens of large-scale supply chain projects. His team made a name for itself on saving 14.2% on average in several branches (base chemicals, metals, automotive, textile, pharmaceutical, foundry, construction, food and beverages, etc.) for dozens of mid-sized companies and international conglomerates – which, in several cases, were world market leaders in their segments. Tamás’ main area of expertise is optimizing the strategy as well as the operations/supply chain of businesses and thereby converting his efficiency-oriented mindset to measurable results. He also worked in the Emerging Markets/Quantitative Research/Asset Allocation division of Raiffeisen Bank International and as a research and teaching associate at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna) during his early career.
He holds a Ph.D. in operations management and logistics (University of Vienna), an M.Sc. in management and consulting (University of Pécs) and a Professorial bestowal (Lauder Business School). In addition, he attended Indiana University Bloomington – Kelley School of Business with a one-year full scholarship. He published several articles in scientific and professional journals and his research on managerial decisions in operations- and behavioral economics-related settings has also been featured in Die Presse. Tamás firmly believes in applied, case study- and experience-based teaching (Behavioral Economics, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Managerial Economics, Business Process Management, Management Consulting), which is his primary passion.
Tamás used to be an affiliate of the Microeconomics of Competitiveness Network of the Harvard Business School between 2017 and 2023. Moreover, he has presented his research at several renowned conferences, held talks at the Universities of Oxford, Toronto, Cologne, Cornell, Shanghai and taught MSc and MBA level courses at top universities (Bar-Ilan University, WU Vienna, etc.). He also serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Economic Psychology (JEP), the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (JEBO), the International Journal of Production Economics (IJPE), Applied Economics Letters (AEL), the Journal of Risk, the Journal of Business Economics (JBE) and the Journal of Risk and Uncertainty (JRU). He proved his stress resistance by answering 10 questions correctly in the “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” TV show.
Email:tamas.csermely[at]lbs.ac.at
Zvia Dem
Responsibilities:
- Information management of all academic issues
- Management and handling of all semester schedules
- Organisation and supervision of retake and commission exams
Phone:+43 1 369 18 18 764
Email:zvia.dem[at]lbs.ac.at
Prof. (FH) Mag. Dr. Donald Baillie
Donald Baillie completed both his Master’s degree and his Doctorate in Vienna. He is also certified as a Risk Manager (GARP FRM), Analytics Professional (INFORMS CAP), Business Analyst (IIBA CBAP), Project Manager (PMI PMP), as well as a stock and options trader (Vienna Stock Exchange). Dr. Baillie has more than 25 years of experience working internationally in Banking and Finance and is currently Managing Director of BDO Consulting GmbH, a subsidiary of the international Tax and Audit company. His activities include projects in the fields of Finance, Risk Management, Analytics and IT. He has taught extensively at various universities in Austria for the past 15 years and was awarded the title of Professor (FH) for his services to academia. His publications have been in the field of banking, corporate finance, derivatives, and behavioral finance.
Email:donald.baillie[at]lbs.ac.at
Dominik Berger, MA MSc (WU) BSc (WU)
Dominik brings over 14 years of experience in growth & digital marketing. His passion lies in building sustainable, growth-oriented marketing strategies that significantly enhance brand visibility and performance. His expertise spans various marketing disciplines, including conversion rate optimization, performance marketing, social media and content marketing, SEO, marketing automation, and email marketing.
As the founder of the digital marketing agency Attention Fox and an e-commerce venture, Dominik combines an entrepreneurial spirit with a deep understanding of the digital landscape. He is also a dedicated educator, sharing his knowledge and practical insights with students as a lecturer at several universities.
Email:dominik.berger[at]lbs.ac.at
Monika Brom, MSc
Ms. Monika Brom has been serving as Head of Team “Environment Assessment & Transformation of the Economy” and Deputy Head of Unit Sustainable Development at Umweltbundesamt (Environment Agency Austria) since April 2002. Her responsibilities include ensuring compliance with EMAS requirements, providing EMAS implementation expertise, and actively participating in EMAS Regulatory Committee and Competent Body meetings. She co-authored a guidance document on non-financial performance indicators and served as a jury member for the Austrian Sustainability Reporting Award. Monika has contributed to various EU projects focused on industrial pollution control and the establishment of the EMAS system. Ms. Brom played key roles in the Twinning Project IL/11 and the INTERREG Europe Project “ENHANCE.” Additionally, Ms. Brom serves as Chairwoman of the Works Council and is a member of the supervisory board, actively engaging in HR activities and implementing social initiatives. She is also a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien and IMC FH Krems GmbH. She previously worked as a consultant for environmental management systems and waste management. Ms. Brom holds an MSc in landscape planning and conservation.
Email:monika.brom[at]lbs.ac.at
Univ.- Doz. Mag. Dr. Claus Ebster, MSc, MBA
Claus Ebster has had a varied and widespread career in business and education. After studying in the US and Vienna, where he took his habilitation in Business Administration, he has taught extensively. Claus Ebster is associate professor (Universitätsdozent) of business administration at the University of Vienna and has extensive teaching experience at both the Vienna Medical University and Webster University. In addition to this, he is also the author of numerous academic articles and textbooks on marketing research, shopper marketing as well as the techniques of academic writing. Moreover, he is also the founder of Market Mentor Consulting.
Email:claus.ebster[at]lbs.ac.at
Mag. (FH) Birgit Engel
Birgit Engel heads the SAP team of PwC Austria’s Technology Consulting practice. She specializes in SAP project management, logistics process excellence and in delivering S/4HANA transformation projects. Birgit is covering the SAP modules SD, MM, LE, CS, PM, PP, WM and QM.
Since 2005 Birgit works as an SAP Consultant and was responsible for logistics process blueprinting, design and SAP implementations and Roll-outs in more than 30 international SAP projects in various industries. In addition, Birgit has hands-on experience in implementing SAP Cloud solutions.
During the past years, Birgit was focusing on S/4HANA transformation projects – both greenfield and brownfield as well as mixed approaches. She holds a master’s degree in International Economics and is a certified SAP Activate Project Manager as well as a certified SCRUM Master.
Email:birgit.engel[at]lbs.ac.at
Prof. (FH) Dr. Karl Knezourek, MBA
Karl Knezourek holds a PhD in Social and Economic Sciences from the University of Vienna, as well as a Master’s degree in Commercial Science from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. He has also taken his MBA at the University of Technology, Sydney. Having worked with numerous organizations including Austrian Airlines and the Bank für Arbeit and Wirstchaft, he is a specialist in Financial and Capital Markets as well as Financial Planning and Risk Management.
Email:karl.knezourek[at]lbs.ac.at
Jeannine Madeleine Oelschuster, BA MA
Jeannine Madeleine Oelschuster is an experienced international Business Economist, Labour Law Expert and Business Coach. Ms. Oelschuster holds a Master of Arts in Business Degree in International Management and Leadership from Lauder Business School in Vienna, Austria. In addition to that, she studied in the United Kingdom and in Salzburg, Austria, where she received another Business Degree in Innovation and Management in Tourism. With a career in international hr management, at the age of 27, with the position of the Head of HR, she became the youngest leader at the Austrian Headquarter of an international industrial corporation, where she contributed to global HR projects, which were created for around four thousand employees. Today, she shares her experience with her company JM Oelschuster and provides training, coaching, consulting, keynotes and lecturing in leadership and career topics. While doing so, she is known for her professionality, trustworthiness and engagement.
Email:Jeannine.oelschuster[at]lbs.ac.at
Luka Petek
Luka leads PwC Austria’s Agile Transformation consulting, which he helped build up since 2019. He specializes in leading and designing agile transformation programs across all industries, agile coaching and trainings, as well as managing complex engagements for clients, both national and international, where he has already supported over 20 clients on their agile journey. Prior to his management consulting role, he was a project portfolio manager in Sberbank Europe, responsible for strategic alignment of company’s several project portfolios. Following the completion of his political sciences studies at Uni Wien, he started his career in diplomacy as a policy advisor to the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations and OSCE.
Luka holds a Professional Certified Scrum Master as well as an Agile Leader certification, has been a renowned and awarded trainer and mentor in various training programs on PM & business agility. His further interests lie in the future of work, leadership and innovation in business, which is where he sees agile values and principles will play a significant role in the future.
Email:luka.petek[at]lbs.ac.at
Prof. (FH) Dr. Hanno Pöschl, MSc, MBA
Hanno Poeschl gained his PhD in Business Administration and Economics from the University Trier/GER and holds Master degrees in International Finance and Accounting as well as Business Administration (MBA) from the OUBS/UK and is a Certified International Controller. Before joining Lauder Business School/AUT in 2014 he has been Research Professor for Strategic Management and Corporate Finance at Webster University/US since 2008, where he also served as area coordinator for Business administration and Management. In 2014 the professorship was bestowed by Lauder Business School upon him. He served as Director of Studies of the two master programs “International Management and Leadership” and “Banking, Finance and Compliance” at LBS until 2018.
He holds/has held positions as lecturer at prestigious English, American and Austrian Universities, where he teaches/taught Strategic Management, Corporate Finance as well as Accounting and Controlling courses at Bachelor and Master level in the UK, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. He serves/served as Senator of the faculty senate, member of the Council, member of scientific advisory boards and as standing member in examination boards.
He has also been involved in corporate training at C-level for international companies in various sectors. Before entering his academic career, he accumulated senior management position experience in the private sector, public administration and in politics as Member of Parliament.
Email:hanno.poeschl[at]lbs.ac.at
Prof. (FH) Dr. Christian Reiner
Christian Reiner studied economic geography, history, and economics at the University of Vienna and the University of Salzburg. He has a doctoral degree in economic geography (University of Salzburg) and experience in basic and applied empirical economic research (Vienna University of Economics and Business, Joanneum Research, Institute for Advanced Studies). Christian Reiner works as a senior scientist at the Lauder Business School and as a lecturer in economics, economic geography, and statistics at the University of Vienna, Modul University Vienna, University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna and the FHWien University of Applied Sciences of WKW. His fields of interest include regional economics and industrial organization. Mr. Reiner’s research has added insights into the following topics: Structural change, growth policy, innovation, human capital mobility, industrial policy, green growth, and policy evaluation.
Publications and Presentations
Email:christian.reiner[at]lbs.ac.at
Ing. Andreas Schachenhuber, MA
Andreas Schachenhuber is a Manager at Accenture Strategy and also lectures at the University of Applied Sciences in Krems (IMC). In the past, he worked with the Würth Group responsible for Strategic Purchasing as well as for an Austrian Winery as Business Development Manager. He holds an M.A. from the University of Applied Sciences in Krems (IMC) in Business Administration, an Engineer in Chemistry, Biotechnology & Biochemistry and completed an executive training at INSEAD Business School, Fontainebleau. His main focus is in the field of Procurement, Sourcing, Supply Chain Management and Managerial Accounting.
Email:andreas.schachenhuber[at]lbs.ac.at
Gilbert Silvius, PhD, MSc, MBA
Gilbert Silvius is professor of project and programme management at LOI University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, visiting professor at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa and fellow at Turku University of Applied Sciences in Finland. He is considered a leading expert in the field of sustainability in project management and is a frequent and inspirational speaker on project management and sustainability events.
As a practitioner, Gilbert has over 20 years’ experience in organizational change and IT projects and is a member of the international enable2change network of project management experts. He has published several books and numerous studies and articles. Gilbert holds a PhD degree in information sciences from Utrecht University and masters’ degrees in economics and business administration. He is also a certified project manager, scrum master and product owner.
:gilbert.silvius[at]lbs.ac.at
Steven Tracey, MA
Steve Tracey is a Professor of Practice in the supply chain and information systems (SC&IS) department at the Smeal College of Business at The Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA, USA.
Professor Tracey also served from 2014-2024 as the Executive Director for the Center for Supply Chain Research® (CSCR®) and served the college from 2017-2021 as the Executive Director for Penn State Executive Programs, also within Smeal. He continues delivering award-winning, for-credit, open enrollment, and customized executive education programs in the classroom and, most recently, through leading-edge virtual platforms.
He is one of the founders of the Chief Learning Officer award-winning Supply Chain Academy, a best-in-class digital supply chain curriculum portfolio offered through Penn State’s partnership with Udemy for Business.
As a Professor of Practice of Supply Chain Management in the Supply Chain and Information Systems Department within Smeal, Tracey delivers a curriculum reflecting his extensive background in both operations and finance to Penn State Smeal College of Business undergraduate and graduate students. He also connects with broad industry and public sector audiences by teaching in Penn State Executive Programs and representing the university at industry events and conferences.
He has served on the Smeal College of Business’s management and leadership committees and was a member of the university’s Executive Committee for Strategic Procurement Transformation.
During COVID, he served as co-chair for the Health Resources Task Force, a group responsible for designing and implementing the University’s planning, testing, and contact tracing response to the Covid-19 pandemic, along with Dr. Kevin Black, Dean of the College of Medicine here at Penn State.
Tracey is also on the advisory board for the Penn State Center for Medical Innovation (CMI), on the strategic core team for the newly formed Industrial Biotechnology Institute, and was formerly on the board for the Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research (MCOR)
Outside of his duties at Penn State, he sits on the boards of StorytellerFx and Chainparency (innovative blockchain technologies), a subsidiary of the GoChain Foundation.
He served seven years on the Advisory Council for DISCOVER ( https://discover-org.us/ ), a cross-industry organization that serves as a catalyst for the advancement of people of color in the supply chain. He was the 2022 Lighthouse Award recipient as advisor of the year.
He served on the Board of Directors of West Chester Protective Gear from 2011 until its acquisition by new ownership in 2018.
He is also an active member of AASCM and CSCMP, where he is on the research strategies committee.
Tracey has a diverse global background directing operations with full P&L responsibilities in more than 14 countries and is considered a commodity market expert in the Textile industry. Before joining Penn State Smeal, Tracey was the senior vice president of Global Supply Chain at Standard Textile Company, Inc., the world’s largest marketer and manufacturer of institutional textiles.
For over three decades, the CSCR has successfully built a community of researchers and leading organizations in the private and public sectors to further the supply chain discipline and provide the best in research, executive education, symposia, and talent development. In Tracey’s CSCR leadership role, he was responsible for the vision of one of Smeal’s premier research centers as an ambassador and spokesperson for supply chain activities at Penn State. As executive director, he has elevated CSCR’s sponsor partnerships with public and private sector organizations, representing over $2.3T in private sector revenue. Through collaboration with the nationally top-ranked Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems faculty within Smeal and CSCR Corporate supporters, Tracey promoted meaningful and progressive supply chain research for industry-specific applications and defined research strategies and programs.
He is widely published. [ Faculty BIO – see ‘publications’]
While in industry, Tracey’s teams at Standard Textile were responsible for the company’s global sourcing, procurement, manufacturing, distribution, customer service, and logistics operations. As a champion for developing talent and creating high-performing teams, his group was instrumental in implementing forward-looking processes to manage Standard Textile’s service levels and operations to world-class standards. His teams were consistently recognized as one of the best-in-class textile industry providers.
As an enterprise strategist, he designed and implemented the organizational structures needed for a high-performance, integrated global supply chain. He also developed an elite leadership team for the company’s rapidly expanding global operations. During his tenure at Standard Textile, the company had a CAGR of more than 12%.
Before joining Standard Textile, Tracey was the director of Materials and Distribution for American Tool Companies, Inc., a global market leader in manufacturing hand tools and hand tool accessories.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Penn State and a graduate degree in global business from Duke University. He is a retired U.S. Army officer who served from 1986 to 2002 in both active duty and reserve positions.
Expertise:
- Supply Chain Strategic Planning and Implementation
- Research and applications of the intersection of Strategy and Technologies in the Supply Chain space, focusing on emerging tech (i.e., Blockchain, AI, etc.).
- Global Enterprise Leadership
- Senior Executive Coaching and Development
- Succession Planning
- Distribution/Operations/Planning
- Process Improvement/Efficiency – Lean Manufacturing, 5S+1
- Process and Product Innovation
Email:steven.tracey[at]lbs.ac.at
Gordon Van Der Veen, MA (MGT) PGDBA
Gordon F. van der Veen is an international management consultant to major blue chip undertakings and international organizations such as the European Central Bank, the European System of Central Banks, IBM, Tomra Sorting, Electrolux and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. He has extensive international management, strategy, supply chain management, finance and accounting, consultancy and teaching experience in businesses as diverse as turnkey project management, information technology, auditing, energy conservation, construction, development consultancy, management consultancy, and management education consultancy.
He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Van Der Veen Management Services and a Senior Adjunct Professor for Business and Management at Webster University, Vienna. His qualifications include a Masters degree in Management, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Commerce. He is published on such subjects as Meso-Finance and Industrial Restructuring.”
Selected Publications
Email:gordon.vanderveen[at]lbs.ac.at
MMag. Michael Walzek
Michael Walzek studied at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and holds degrees in Business Education and Commercial Science. From the beginning of his professional career, Human Resource Management has always been his favorite interest and passion. Over the last 25 years, he covered different HR positions in various industries, thereof more than 15 years as HR Director in the pharmaceutical industry.
After being such a long time in corporate business, he decided to return to his educational roots and to share and pass on his knowledge and experiences. In addition, he works as a systemic coach and provides consultancy service in the field of HR and change management.
Email:michael.walzek[at]lbs.ac.at