Thomas Arnoldner appointed CEO of Austrian state holding ÖBAG

Thomas Arnoldner, currently the deputy head of A1 Telekom Austria, has been appointed as the new sole CEO of the Austrian state holding company, ÖBAG. The decision by the ÖBAG supervisory board was unanimous following a three-month selection process that included 46 applicants.

Arnoldner is scheduled to begin his five-year term on February 1, 2027, succeeding Edith Hlawati. His professional background includes leadership roles at Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent, and T-Systems Austria. Economic Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer praised Arnoldner’s expertise in digitalization, AI, and capital markets, noting his suitability for current location-policy challenges.

ÖBAG manages the Republic of Austria’s holdings in various companies, including OMV, Post, Telekom Austria, and Casinos Austria. The new leadership is expected to align ÖBAG’s strategy with the federal government’s industrial strategy.