The Big Interview

Schultz: “I’m not a politician—I’m a businesswoman”

First woman to head the Chamber of Commerce: Tyrolean Martha Schultz (62)(Bild: Mario Urbantschitsch)

An “Alpine Queen” is the new president of the Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Association: In a major “Krone” interview, Tyrolean entrepreneur Martha Schultz (62) talks about women in leadership, lunches with her staff, and how she plans to “definitely” make mandatory membership more cost-effective for 590,000 members.

The headquarters of the powerful Chamber of Commerce on Wiedner Hauptstraße, Vienna’s 4th district: On the 10th floor, Martha Schultz welcomes us to the office that has been occupied by presidents for 42 years. The first female president in 80 years wears a blue pantsuit by Schella Kann, paired with pearl earrings and a cheerful smile. The walls glow in warm shades of green, blue, and earth tones, but are still bare. Most recently, they were adorned with striking portraits of women by her predecessor, Harald Mahrer, “but I’m a strong woman myself, so I’d rather hang the Zillertal mountains there,” she explains, “we only picked out the photo this morning.” From the long conference table, where she takes a seat right in the middle, you can see all the way across Vienna to the Schneeberg. It’s late Thursday afternoon; her train to Tyrol leaves in two hours.