Annual General Meeting: Günther Ofner elected new Chairman of the Supervisory Board

At today’s Annual General Meeting of Österreichische Beteiligungs AG, Günther Ofner, who is Chairman of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG, was elected to the Supervisory Board and subsequently to Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Österreichische Beteiligungs AG at the constituent meeting. He succeeds Helmut Kern who resigned from his position today, as had been announced.

Minister of Finance Magnus Brunner: “Günther Ofner has been doing an excellent job for many years as Chairman of the Management Board of Flughafen Wien AG and his work is widely recognized. With his experience in numerous supervisory board functions, he is a perfect match to lead ÖBAG into a strong future together with the Chairwoman of the Management Board Edith Hlawati. The aim is to secure and strengthen Austria as a business location and create sustainable value.” The Minister of Finance thanked Helmut Kern for his personal commitment: “He provided stability and calm for ÖBAG in difficult phases. The new strategic orientation combined with the new structure of ÖBAG puts the state holding company in an excellent position to master the challenges that lie ahead and enhance Austria’s appeal as a business location.

In addition to the Supervisory Board elections, the Annual General Meeting also approved the Management Board’s proposal for dividend distributions for the year 2021. On 8 July, EUR 580 million will be transferred to the Ministry of Finance as the 100% owner of ÖBAG. Together with the EUR 186 million from Verbund, the Republic of Austria will receive a total of EUR 766 million from the companies managed by ÖBAG. Compared to 2021, in which EUR 653 million in dividends were paid out, this is an increase of +17%

“Sustainable dividends is one of ÖBAG’s most important goals,” said ÖBAG’s Chairwoman Edith Hlawati. “Stable dividends make it possible for Republic to finance the state’s diverse tasks in the different areas.”  The amount of the dividend reflects the excellent performance of the holding companies, even during the turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic added Edith Hlawati.

The annual report for the year 2021 is available for downloading at www.oebag.gv.at/newsroom.