Officers & Trustees
Gerfried Brunner
Gerfried Brunner is a proven executive with over 25 years of experience in corporate finance, public administration, and funding. He began his career in the Austrian banking sector, holding senior positions at Österreichische Volksbanken AG, Investkredit Bank AG, and HYPO NOE Gruppe Bank AG. His work focused on corporate banking, project finance, and the development and financing of small and medium-sized enterprises. He also served on the supervisory boards of several regional banks.
In 2016, he joined Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft mbH (aws), the Austrian Promotional Bank, as Head of the Soft Loans and Cofinancing business unit. In this role, he was responsible for the strategic design and implementation of national and EU funding programs to support SMEs, innovation, and industrial policy. His responsibilities included managing ERP loans, grant schemes, and EU instruments. He oversaw initiatives including Important Projects of Common European Interest, the European Chips Act, energy transition programs, and the development of primary healthcare infrastructure. He also coordinated support programs for non-profit organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis.
Since Dezember 2024, Gerfried Brunner has served as Managing Director of aws. In 2025, he was also appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation. He holds a degree in Business Administration from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and has completed numerous further education programs.
"In times of global economic and geopolitical uncertainty, fostering transatlantic academic collaboration is essential to strengthening resilience, innovation, and democratic values. The Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation plays a key role in enabling this exchange and supporting the long-term competitiveness of knowledge-based societies."