As always, the IMC Alumni Awards ceremony was one of the weekend’s highlights. IMC Krems Chair of the Academic Board Dr. Martin Waiguny was joined by CEO Dr. Karl Ennsfellner, Deputy Head of the International Department Dr. Maximilian Schachner and programme directors Dr. Harald Hundsberger and Christopher Schwand to present four awards to former students in the categories of Achievements in professional careers, Achievements in academic careers, Outstanding service to IMC Krems, and Corporate social responsibility.
The 2019 Alumni Awards
This year, the IMC Alumni Awards were presented in honour of graduates’ outstanding achievements for the sixth time. The awards were divided into four categories and the ceremony served as a curtain raiser for the Campus Ball. The awards are intended to acknowledge and spotlight remarkable professional accomplishments or exceptional commitment, as well as emphasising the important role that the winners play as stakeholders of the university.
Winner in the Achievements in professional careers category
Gerhard Resch is a graduate of IMC Krems’ Business Administration and E-Business Management degree programme. He is the managing partner of METAFLEX Metallprofile GmbH & Co KG, which he founded in 2005. In 2016 Gerald set up nulT GmbH, where he is still CEO following its acquisition by CIDAN Machinery Group in 2018. The successful entrepreneur also gives regular presentations and interviews on Industry 4.0 and digitalisation.
Winner in the Achievements in academic careers category
Johannes Passecker is a Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology graduate. During his degree he did an internship at the Flanders Institute of Biotechnology in Antwerp, where he developed an interest in the human brain and neuroscience. His PhD at Trinity College Dublin focused on brain activity patterns. After completing his PhD, Johannes began working at a leading laboratory in Vienna. There, he and his team identified basic mechanisms by which the brain processes information and also directs it between different parts of the brain. In their latest project they discovered important neural mechanisms for decision making, which enabled them to alter choices by manipulating specific brain cells. Johannes is now attempting to apply these findings to schizophrenia models as part of a large-scale collaborative project. He is currently working at the National Institutes of Health in Washington DC as well as Columbia University in New York.
Winners in the Outstanding service to IMC Krems category
Andreas Schachenhuber is a graduate of the Export-oriented Management programme. He has been lecturing at IMC Krems for seven years, where he teaches business strategy, supply chain management, strategic management, process and quality management, and organisational theory and development. He also supervises bachelor papers and master theses. As well as lecturing, Andreas hosts his own successful podcast, which focuses on business strategy and this year made it into the top 50 on iTunes.
Winner in the Corporate social responsibility category
Nina Poxleitner studied on the Export-oriented Management programme. In 2016 she co-founded the social enterprise More than one perspective and made it on to the Forbes 30 under 30 list of young pioneers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Nina also spent a year working as a Teach for Austria teaching fellow.
