The Management

Dr Mario Bernhart (MB), COO for "Software Engineering and Very Large IT Core Systems". As an end-to-end engineer and program manager for very large corporate infrastructure topics, MB has exceptional expertise in "software engineering in the large" and in SW product construction.

Univ. Lect. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. techn. MB is an outstanding IT specialist in the field of research and development (R&D) of information and communication technology as well as in the optimisation of IT delivery. He is also head of "Global ID Services" and "Software Technology Infrastructures". In terms of research, MB is one of the driving forces behind BUSY (Building Systems), a teaching and research group set up by Thomas Grechenig in the field of software engineering, which is one of the core brands of RISE. BUSY is one of Europe's leading education and industrial research groups. On the RISE Board, MB is responsible for overseeing those business formats that have platforms and system components as their core business. This includes companies/products such as 4strat, COMPRISE, EUSG, ERP SE and Acquedus Business Services.

Parallel to the strategic co-development of RISE, MB can look back on a profound academic career, which led him from studying computer science at the Vienna University of Technology to a doctorate in software engineering. The title of his dissertation: Towards differential-based continuous code reviews. The thesis was completed at MIT in Boston. During his career, MB has held various management positions, including the management of very large IT projects in the areas of banking, insurance, eHealth, ID, mobility and airports. His activities as a planner and consultant for large organisations cover the entire industrial and public spectrum. MB has written more than 60 scientific papers, co-supervised more than 40 diploma theses, supervised numerous research projects and is still a lecturer at technical universities in the DACH region.

As Software Engineering COO of RISE and a leading dual personality in his field, MB is committed to the creation of well-structured, easy-to-maintain and efficient IT systems. His goal is to drive the digital revolution of the 21st century in such a way that the technical-strategic momentum of large software systems remains vital and does not "age away". Applied to the major IT integration and migration problems in the everyday industrial life of companies, this aims to turn software technology into a genuine engineering discipline in the classic sense: creating predictability and adherence to budgets. Dr Bernhart understands and encourages the drive of strong and ambitious software engineers, trains excellent software project managers and knows all the twists and turns of large software projects. Together with TG, he is seen as the optimist and opportunity provider on the RISE board. Apart from the CTO, MB is the only "real Viennese" on the RISE board.

Dr Karin Kappel (KK), CEO with focus on "Minister of the Interior" at RISE (Finance, Controlling, HR, Sourcing, M&A). As an end-to-end engineer and technician, KK has strong expertise and large-scale project experience in interactive systems and digital consumer products.

Univ. Lect. Dipl.-Ing. Mag. Dr. techn. KK is an outstanding IT specialist in the field of research and development (R&D) of information and communication technology with a high level of knowledge and interest in the construction of new user-centred digital systems. In addition to her nominal role in the RISE parent company, she is active in the management of RISE's subsidiaries in Brazil and India, as well as its specialist subsidiary LIMA ZULU, a digital innovation, community logistics, retail and smart city company. KK helps drive relevant RISE subsidiaries including RISE Germany, COMPRISE (RISE technology components) and the Swiss RISE brands Sports-ID and Sport-Data.

In parallel to her work in the strategic co-development of RISE, Dr Kappel has had a profound academic career, which after high school in Graz led to studies in telematics at the Graz University of Technology, a degree in computer science at the Vienna University of Technology, a master's degree in information management and finally a doctorate in computer science and interactive systems at the Vienna University of Technology. The title of her dissertation: Persuasive Technology: Ambient Information Systems for Residential Energy Awareness. During her career, KK has held various management positions, including leading a research group at the Vienna University of Technology (DECO, Designing Comfort), managing large projects in the field of mobility, and advising governments and large companies in various areas of information technology (e.g. MoI, MoF, MoD, ÖBB, Swarowski, Bank Austria, Porsche). KK has authored more than 30 scientific publications and co-led more than 20 research projects.

As CEO of research and development companies and as a leading figure in RISE, Dr Kappel is committed to strengthening technology partnerships between India and Brazil with Europe. Her goal is to work with European and transcontinental partners to drive the digital revolution of the 21st century through close collaboration and overarching digital concepts in the areas of industry, technology, IT governance and culture. Discretion, usability and human dignity in the digital world are very personal concerns for KK. Dr Kappel promotes strong IT women and IT men equally and is regarded internally as an excellent people developer.

Dr Christian Schanes (CS), COO for "IT Security and IT Infrastructure Systems Engineering". As an End2End engineer and program manager of exceptionally large delivery projects, CS has strong expertise in the development and operation of high-security systems.

Univ. Lect. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. techn. CS is an outstanding IT specialist in the field of research and development (R&D) of information and communication technology with a focus on secure systems. He also heads the Telematics Infrastructure and IT Security departments. CS is the Spiritus Rector of ESSE, a world-renowned leading teaching and research group in the field of IT security. On the RISE Board, he is responsible for all company formats related to the RISEC (RISECurity) concept, i.e. all companies involved in consulting, planning and building highly secure, robust, certified and resilient systems.

Parallel to his work in the strategic co-development of RISE, Dr Schanes has had a profound academic career, taking him from south-eastern Styria to the Vienna University of Technology, where he studied Computer Science and Interactive Systems. The title of his dissertation: Automated Security Testing in Security Critical Infrastructures. During his career, CS has held a number of management positions, including leading a research group at the Vienna University of Technology (ESSE, Establishing Security), managing very large projects in the areas of payments, banking, eHealth, IT security, TelCo, critical infrastructures. His activities as a planner and consultant for large companies and governments cover the entire industrial and public spectrum. The area of system hardware construction is part of his Board of Directors. CS has authored more than 40 scientific publications, co-supervised more than 30 doctoral theses and initiated numerous research projects. CS still lectures at several technical universities.

As IT Security COO of RISE, as a leader of research and development companies, and as a leading dual personality in his field, CS is committed to the creation of secure and integral IT systems with the goal of advancing the digital revolution of the 21st century in such a way that the information integrity of individuals, institutions and companies is preserved in a future world that will be extensively and densely digitally networked. **Dr Schanes promotes technological no-nonsense in the form of strong IT talent, strong project managers and realistically achievable IT projects.

Jürgen Herburger (JH), CFO of RISE and Head of Controlling. Although the only "non-technician" in the immediate management team, JH has a profound knowledge of technology management and is a specialist in strategic know-how and knowledge management in large organisations.

Univ. Lect. Mag. JH is an outstanding specialist in the field of finance, controlling and corporate management of technology companies. He also has extensive experience in the economic management of universities and the economic bootstrapping of service and sales companies for technology components. Within the RISE Group, his responsibilities include managing the service and technology sales companies telekonnekt and medkonnekt. JH is also a native mentor of RISE's controlling and accounting-related business formats such as freefinance.at, meetadam.io and DasFinanzbuch.

Alongside his work in the strategic co-development of RISE, Mr Herburger can look back on an exciting asynchronous career that took him from the tranquil town of Dornbirn to motor racing and then to a degree in business administration. His drive to reach the top as a racer is now fuelled by RISE's ambition to prove to the world that cutting-edge digital technology from Europe is feasible for the world. On the way to becoming a champion in digital technology service and sales.

As RISE's CFO, "number cruncher" and "work quality neurotic", and as a leader of strong people in his field and its extended environment, JH is committed to producing information technology that serves people and advances society as a whole. The future of the digital community, the preservation of a humane culture and civil society with strong digitalisation and AI-fication, is one of his personal credos.

Dr Thomas Grechenig (TG), management spokesman, founder of RISE, IT architect with many years of global experience in large IT projects, information technology "craftsman".

Prof. Dipl.Ing. Dr. techn. TG, architect for very large, complex, innovative and globalised information technology. R&D and digitalisation personality who, in addition to IT planning and project work, works in Berlin, Paris, Vienna, the Arab economic area and India, among other places, wherever exceptional solution, restructuring or implementation expertise is required. TG's strong personal interest in innovation cultures around and from information technology, combined with decades of responsible experience in large-scale IT projects and the associated industrial delivery knowledge, results in a constant quest for sustainable long-term European digital independence.

TG has played a leading role in some of the most complex IT projects in Europe. These range from the overhaul of 40 year old core systems in the government sector with many millions of LoC, to building global platforms (ID, Payment, GovTech, IIoT) for tens of millions of users. TG has seen the evolution of AI technologies from the inside for 30 years. The personal combination of a habilitated software engineer and an experienced large scale IT architect is an important part of RISE's genes and is rare worldwide as a driving creative core for an IT company of rank and relevant size.

Thomas Grechenig grew up in Mölltal in Carinthia, attended grammar school in Spittal/Drau and was a member of the Austrian national team at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO, bronze medal in London) in 1978 and 1979. TG habilitated at the Vienna University of Technology in 1994, specialising in "Software Engineering and Interactive Systems". He then continued his dual career as an architect for very large and national IT projects. He has held a long list of academic positions and has founded more than 20 research groups in the field of software and information technology, which are now active at several universities. Despite two decades of intensive company development, TG has published more than 250 relevant academic papers. Thomas Grechenig is a promoter of the evolved culture of a digitally self-determined Europe, its communal, intellectual, spiritual, legal and political principles, its tolerance and respectful basis of "live and let live". TG promotes and challenges young engineers with curiosity, heart and courage.