Oberbank board member

An appeal for the end of perfectionism

Oberbank CEO Franz Gasselsberger with the Managing Directors Isabella Lehner (left) and Romana Thiem (right) and Barbara Kneidinger from the "OÖ-Krone".(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

The event organized by Oberbank and "OÖ-Krone" to mark International Women's Day at the Donau-Forum in Linz featured rousing music by the Schick Sister with the Opus Band as well as moving words. An evening that will certainly resonate for a long time.

"Live is life", sang the Schick Sisters Katharina, Christine and Veronika with the Opus Band led by Ewald Pfleger. "Nana, nanana" came back from the throats of the guests, who could no longer hold on to their seats. They clapped, danced and sang, soaking up the atmosphere of the evening, to which Oberbank and the "OÖ-Krone" had invited on the occasion of International Women's Day.

Almost 30 percent of all management positions at the Linz-based financial institution are held by women, revealed CEO Franz Gasselsberger: "We fill 90 percent of our management positions from our own ranks."

One example of this is Romana Thiem, who has been a member of the Management Board since October. She started working in corporate customer advisory services at Oberbank in Salzburg in 2005. "My line manager challenged and encouraged me," she recalls and encouraged the women to "break out of the perfectionism trap": "We don't always have to be over-perfect."

There was much applause in the hall, which was also filled with fellow board members Isabella Lehner, Martin Seiter and Florian Hagenauer, "OÖ-Krone" business department head Barbara Kneidinger, Deputy Governor Christine Haberlander and Margit Angerlehner from Frau in der Wirtschaft, Sabine Weiler (Weiler Shows) and Petra Wögerbauer (Kreditschutzverband von 1870).