Annette Mann (19.7.2026)

Welcome, I'm very pleased to be here.

Ah, it's very different. Actually, it's exactly the mix, because almost every piece in this room reminds me of some place I was. So, these wire flowers, I brought them from Milan. The coffee cups in front of us, I brought from Copenhagen, and the picture on the wall is a picture from New York. It's just beautiful and it somehow belongs to my life. It depends.

Yes, it was even worse in the first quarter. We were in the triple digits negative. And that doesn't shock me directly, because with us it's always a very cyclical business. We actually fly 40% less in winter than in summer. You have to get through every winter again, and in summer you have to catch up. And so, I'm glad, we're actually having a good summer right now, meaning despite all the uncertainty in the world, people's desire to travel is unbroken. What we are seeing is that many are booking later this year than they usually do. And you need a bit of good nerves, because when you look at the advance bookings, it always looks like there's a gap, but in the last two weeks it always fills up and the planes are full, and then I'm satisfied.

Yes, it was so hot a few weeks ago, and then it had to be. I think it's part of it. In our industry, it's always big ups and downs. We're in a very volatile world, and of course, if you want to manage that well in the long term, you have to find your moments where you relax. And I relax in the greenery. Nature is my thing. Whether I'm home in the evening or traveling. I'm satisfied in the summer when I look at the numbers in the morning. I get the operational numbers every day. When punctuality is good, when customer satisfaction is high, then I feel good in the summer and I can relax.

Absolutely. Yes. Yes, exactly.

Well, they are beautiful hot summer days, and I know that you always go a bit into the lives of your guests. I thought about what song represents summer and freedom and happiness for me. I often remember the summers just before my Abitur, we spent almost the whole class a lot of time at a forest lake, and that was in the 90s, one of those songs that played constantly. That's why it's the perfect summer, the perfect summer days, and a very beautiful memory.

Well, one thing is, I completely excluded districts 18 and 19, because I wouldn't put myself through crossing the city every day. That doesn't fit my idea of quality of life. And we're both not the types for big status symbols or having to live in some villa area. We both grew up very down-to-earth. I grew up in the countryside, and I like it here. It's very green, a lot of nature, that's how I relax in the evening, and I don't care if someone has prejudices when I mention the postal code.

Yes, we came out of Corona, and the predecessor had sublet half the office space, which I totally agreed with, so the question was how to arrange it all. And I don't need it. I need a room where I can close the door to make a phone call or have a meeting with a couple of colleagues, but I don't need it as a status symbol. And I think the world has changed, and Austrian Airlines has changed too. We're in a difficult industry, and I'd find it strange if on the one hand I'm going through the company and publicly towards politics or airports saying 'we have to be more efficient, we have to watch our costs,' and then I live in luxury with status symbols and big company cars. That doesn't fit my idea of authenticity and credibility, and that's why I wouldn't feel comfortable with that. I don't need it for my ego.

Actually, I really had no time, and I never eat breakfast. We never have breakfast at home even on weekends. So I don't have any jam jars or anything in the cupboard, and I thought, before I buy everything and end up wasting too much, this was the idea to have it delivered quickly. I hope it's okay.

Absolutely.

Yes, actually. Yes.

Yes, when I board an Austrian Airlines plane, I first look at the people, the colleagues at the entrance, and also at the atmosphere that awaits me. It's always very nice, because I usually stand in the jetbridge and see the colleagues and can observe how they approach the guests. That's a super important moment for the overall assessment. How do I feel on board Austrian Airlines? That first greeting.

My skin dries out extremely quickly, and that's the most important thing for me.

Oh, it's so varied. Maybe to give an example, it's really not easy to please everyone. For example, when I'm on the plane, someone says, 'I wasn't greeted by name today.' That's important for many frequent flyers, others are bothered by being greeted by name because they find it too indiscreet. Otherwise, it's often experiences from previous flights or delays, but nothing you wouldn't expect.

Well, the most important thing is always safety. And what I find difficult is when someone argues when it's really about safety, that's not allowed. When passengers don't want to buckle up or put things away. We also have the issue on long-haul flights of people bringing their own alcohol on board, which is forbidden. Things like that are not allowed because they go against flight safety.

No, what I can definitely promise is that we are not thinking like Michael O'Leary at Ryanair about increasing or introducing toilet fees. No, nothing planned.

Definitely. I can promise that.

On short-haul, I think you don't need big hacks. But for long-haul, especially when crossing time zones, it always helps me to ask myself the question about my biorhythm and adjust early to my destination. I adapt when I eat, drink, sleep, try to sleep. I think you can do a lot if you think about it.

You can never rule out anything 100% in life. Two things about that. Or do you have an idea how many people travel by plane per year?

5 billion. Yes. Then I ask the next question: When did you last hear of something like this happening? Never, I have to say honestly. And I think that alone shows that probably every other life risk is more relevant than the question of whether I should worry about being sucked out of the airplane window. That's an incredibly stupid coincidence where things come together. We don't know exactly what happened yet.

In aviation, when such an event happens, it is not only investigated by the airline but also by official authorities. That would be the same for us. And then it is shared openly with all other airlines and aircraft manufacturers worldwide so that everyone can learn from it.

That's a good idea anyway. Whenever you sit, please buckle up. There can be spontaneous turbulence, so just buckle up.

I'd say the main reason was the latter, the broad overview. Because I grew up in a small town in Lower Bavaria, Simbach, which is the border town to Braunau. I first had the need to go out into the world and see what's there. That was the reason I studied business administration, because I thought I could do a lot with that. I had to see what was out there. So during my studies I did many different internships in large and small companies, various industries, and at some point it became clear to me that I wanted to start in a large company. There was also a clear recommendation from colleagues in the internship: 'Try to get into a trainee program, because it's a unique opportunity to get a good overview that will help you for the rest of your career.' And that's how it was. The question of leadership position was not so central yet.

Yes, it really took a moment. At that time, I was probably around 30, and I had a coach who first made me understand that what I can do, namely quickly understand how things are connected, which string to pull to get a result elsewhere in the company, that is also a special talent. It's interesting that it almost caused a crisis.

Yes, it was in the phase after the first six or seven years of work where you ask yourself, 'How do I go on?' and 'What alternatives are there?' I actually dealt with that question and thought, 'If I didn't stay at Lufthansa for my next role, what would I write in my resume? What do I stand for? What am I special for that someone else could need?' That was the moment I thought, 'You did a trainee program, then a project management role for aircraft interior, the First Class for the A380. But I wasn't a designer or a controller; I was a generalist.' And that's when I asked myself, 'What can I actually do?' And to understand that not many people can do that, namely maintain that broad overview, efficiently drive things forward, achieve results by bringing together many different disciplines. I also call it a translation service, because the designer speaks a completely different language than the engineer. I only then realized that too is a talent and is very valuable, especially in management functions. And so I continued on my path.

I think it's more about saying who you are and how to find out what really suits you. That's what I tried to do through internships. I did different internships. I was in a bank, in personnel consulting, at Siemens. And the first time it really grabbed me was an internship at BMW in-house consulting. At that time, BMW had just bought the Mini brand and brought the first Mini to market. That was a project where many different threads came together, and I thought, 'Wow, great brand, large company, complex, with markets and customers, that was my thing.' I realized that's something that fits me, and I wanted to explore further. From that internship came the idea: I want a large company, a big international brand. But it's about listening to yourself, trying different things, and finding the moment where you say, 'Hey, something touched me, there's a spark, I can make something of it.'

I said yes immediately. But I was enormously surprised. Why did I say yes anyway? It's connected to a key experience I had relatively early in my career. We already talked about the project management of the First Class A380, that was a big deal, and I was the youngest in the team, mid-20s. The colleague who was supposed to do it had left the company, and my boss at the time said, 'Annette, you're doing it now.' That was a moment where I thought, 'I'm the youngest and have the least experience, why me?' And she said, 'Trust yourself. You'll do it well.' I thought, 'Okay, she knows what it takes. She's known me for a few months. If she says she trusts me, I'll just do it.' It was the same with the CEO role. I knew that the company had known me for 20 years and knew what I could do. I fully engaged and didn't doubt it. I think it worked well.

I have that tendency too, that spark deep inside that makes me think, 'Oh, can I do that?' It's there, but I've learned to suppress it because it's pretty nonsense. You don't have to be able to do everything beforehand, because you're supposed to grow into such functions. You can also pass that on as a leader. Don't think you have to be able to do everything. You come into a position to grow into it. Exactly. In general, when such a question comes, but also specifically in my environment, I have such conversations where someone says, 'I don't know yet, are you sure?' And I try to bring people who maybe don't trust themselves yet into responsibility where I believe with my experience that it's challenging but not overwhelming. And that's important because no one benefits from being too early or too fast in roles; it can damage a career very early or severely. So it's a great responsibility to encourage someone. But I think it's also a very important task as a leader to think about these things: which position is challenging but not overwhelming, when is the right time? I do that very willingly. It's also a lot of fun.

All together. First, I grew up with the thought that nothing comes from nothing. Whoever believes they want to get to a top position, everyone I know has invested time and energy. But of course it's important to work on the right topics. In a corporation, you can quickly disappear if you have few visible topics. What helped me at first was more by chance, because I was interested. First Class on the A380 was very exciting, it was a chance. I didn't think at the time, 'If you do that, everyone will know you,' but over the years I realized how important it is. It's important to be known, but above all to stand for topics. That's easier if you work on topics that everyone is interested in and are really relevant to the company. So if someone wants to go that path, they should look at that.

Yes, posting wasn't such a big topic back then. But by thinking about when you change roles within a corporation, you should look at what is relevant at the moment in the company. For example, what has been relevant in recent years? We have a huge fleet renewal ahead. So everyone working in the context of fleet automatically has a topic that is highly relevant and gets discussed in board meetings. If you work on such a topic, you automatically have more visibility without having to be loud. And I think if you really want to move up, you need a broad range. I not only did prominent topics, but also very operational ones where you prove yourself in day-to-day business. Someone who can show they can manage large budgets, operations, that flights depart on time, that someone answers the phone when customers call, that too. Getting that mix is a good way to get ahead.

Absolutely. Network is important. And it's true, Christina Förster was the one who said, 'I trust you to do this' at age 26. In the article, she was rightly mentioned. But if I think about who the important people were in my network over time who contributed to where I am now, it's a long list, and it changes over time. I never looked for just one mentor, because I believe there are so many different things you need to be able to do in such a position, and no one can be best at everything. I think it's important to always look for role models in specific areas. Who is particularly good at analytical? Who is extremely good at project management? Who is a role model for employee leadership? There were many people in the past. I think the breadth and the different perspectives are what matter.

You feel that in every new role. That didn't surprise me nor was it anything new, right? Every time you move up, there are always people around who say, 'Yes, why her? Or what can she do that I can't?' or whatever it is. Yes, and whatever the motivation. But that's also something when you've been in such a corporation for 20 years or sometimes in the public eye, which is part of it, what you know and what I've really learned to deal with. So, that doesn't bother me.

Oh, there are certainly some who thought exactly that. Maybe they still think that today, and that's okay. I think what I've learned over the past four years is that things are often attributed to you, not because people think they know you, but simply because you've taken on a role. There's a history to the role, other people have been in the role before, and you have your own idea, and things are projected onto you. And the better you manage to let people get to know you, the person behind the role, and ultimately that's why we're sitting here together today, why I'm doing this? Because I really believe that trust in leaders only exists when you feel like you know at least a little bit about the person behind the role. Who is it? How do they tick? That makes it easier to be a leader and to create that, and that's worth a lot.

I think, well, there is of course a limit for me and for everyone in terms of what I reveal and what should really remain private, right? But I've had very, very good experiences over the last few months. I actually have an Instagram channel, it's private, not public. You have to request access and I only allow contacts who work at Austrian. What do I do? I share about 95% and I really do it myself. Just quick short insights via photos or a 5-second video clip about what she does all day. Yes, here I am in a meeting, here I am at the ministry. There was even a photo of breakfast, about our breakfast in a story [laughter] and these are not intimate insights, they are banal everyday work situations, and even then you notice how much it hits a nerve in the sense of 'hey, I now feel like I'm getting to know you better and I have a better idea of what you do all day, and I had no idea.' Yes, but I think it's becoming increasingly important for leadership roles to at least let people feel a little bit what kind of person it is and not just a role. And that's part of it for me, and it doesn't feel weird, but just the feedback you get from it and the conversations, even in the morning when you meet someone for coffee, standing at the same coffee machine, they have a different quality when you talk about something concrete because people know you better.

Yes, I have over the years, there are also a few dresses and skirts in my closet, but a pantsuit is just really practical. It's a role, I think, that requires a certain appearance. And also our colleagues in customer contact wear a uniform. So I think an appearance in a role is relevant. Accordingly, I don't walk around the office every day in jeans and a striped sweater, but for breakfast I do.

Markus and I, I think we liked each other personally from the start, but we actually had big differences in leadership. Yes, and from my background, I am an extremely systematic, logical person. Yes. I firmly believe that the larger a company, the larger the structures, the more systematics are needed to manage it well. That means no rigid rules, but a fish structure. And I encountered an Austrian Airlines that has a great strength, which I respect to this day and which I didn't want to abolish, that is this very pronounced pragmatism, and all of this naturally in a situation after a great uncertainty, this truly existential crisis of Corona. Yes, where at times it was really unclear whether Austrian would still exist in the future. And I approached it very, very systematically and said, well, if we want to be a good service provider in the future, yes, service is people business, yes, it starts very systematically with the question of how we go out with a job advertisement? What's in it? What's the tone? Do we use 'du' or 'Sie'? What does your employment contract look like? Yes, I was so clear that all of that is somehow relevant if this strength of Austrian is to endure in the future. Yes, and I met Markus Christel, who said, 'Yes, that doesn't matter at all, it doesn't matter what's in it. Nobody reads it anyway.' I pushed back a bit and said, 'No, it's important to me. I want things to fit together. I want things to build on each other, because I believe that in the long run, that's what makes the strength.'

Oh yes, well I don't know how many times I painted it, but yes, the table is part of it. It also came along from the trip, not in hand luggage [laughter] with a container. There was actually a good shipping option and yes, exactly.

Yes.

Mhm.

It was on the Hamburg-Frankfurt route. Now you could say that's not that far. And yes, that's true, but it was a thunderstorm afternoon in summer and so there were a few holding patterns over Frankfurt. So you had a bit of time. He was a frequent flyer. I was just working on the A380 topic. That was such a hype at the time, this new double-decker plane. And so we immediately had a lot to talk about, and then we met for coffee many times later. Well, and then over time one thing led to another.

Mhm.

Yes, I think back when we met, we didn't realize how practical that is. Yes, I think many women can't claim that they have a partner who is so flexible when it comes to where you live and work. And that of course made our lives very, very easy. So whenever it was time for me to take on a role in another place, we never had to ask ourselves, 'Oh, okay, how will commuting work? How often will we see each other?' And I am incredibly grateful for that, because it also contributes to us, even though we both work a lot and travel a lot, having a very good, predictable private life with one residence.

Each knows what the other can do and what they are not so good at. [laughter] Yes, honestly, we have a fairly classic division of roles. So I cook and, I don't know, he repairs the lawn robot when it's broken, and so there are no big conflicts.

[snort] [sigh] The only thing is, at the beginning of my career I always planned to change continents. Yes, and I actually had the professional opportunity to work in New York or Singapore for a few years. I didn't do that, simply because Toni travels a lot, but his office is in Germany. And so, if I had gone to New York, it would have been a situation where we might have seen each other only every four weeks and one of us would always be jet-lagged. I wasn't willing to pay that price, because the quality of my relationship was more important to me than such a step. And so I wouldn't call it a compromise, but it's the only thing where I think it would have been really nice.

[snort] Yes, that's true. So, just as I like to live in the green here, many trips we have taken have led us far out into nature. Whether in Yukon, Mongolia, New Zealand. I think it's a really beautiful ritual to come out of your small camper van or tent in the morning and then have a good espresso and cappuccino. And so I actually have almost all variants of a coffee pot that you put on a gas flame or plug into an outlet. Yes, so at least when we go camping, it's always in my luggage.

Um, yes, but that wasn't the reason we don't have children. I simply never had a strong desire to have children, and neither did my husband. And so it was actually our joint decision not to have children. Yes, I think it would not have been easy, especially in our constellation, because he was always an entrepreneur and couldn't just say, even if he had wanted to, 'Okay, I'll do half the time and we'll share it,' that simply wouldn't have been possible. So if I had wanted children 10 or 15 years ago, it would indeed not have been easy. Especially because I wouldn't have had grandparents at the place where I work. And still, I see it with many women, it's a huge challenge, but in Germany and Austria it's still a challenge with childcare. There's still a lot to do. And have you ever regretted it in retrospect, or is it just that was the decision back then and yes, we now live a wonderful life, both with great careers. No, I haven't. I am a person who is systematic and very planned. I remember well that in my mid-30s I really tried to question it again. Do you really have no desire for children? Are you just telling yourself that? And I tried to observe myself, what does it do to me when I meet with friends and their babies? And also a partner, does he only say it to please me, 'I don't want children, it's okay,' does he really not want any? I also observed him, did his eyes light up when he passed a playground or watched children? And it simply wasn't there. And because what I absolutely did not want, and I have unfortunately seen it happen again and again, is that you overlook it. I got married when I was 30, and the stupidest thing that can happen, I think, is that you wake up at 40, realize you really want children, and then it doesn't work, and you end up in a fertility clinic or something. I absolutely did not want that, and I wanted to be sure that I wouldn't regret it. So it was a very planned process, which made me very happy. My brother is four years younger and got married relatively late and now became a father. I was incredibly relieved because I always knew how much my parents wanted to become grandparents, and I always felt a bit sorry that I couldn't give them that because it didn't fit for me, and then I saw how happy it made them, but even then, I think I did everything right.

Yes, I see that in my role I can do a lot to ensure that flying becomes more sustainable. Because flying has become so normal, so we have to see how it can be done better. Sustainable fuel is where I believe that during my lifetime and my time in responsibility, that is one answer, because everything towards hydrogen aircraft or other technologies, I think will come but only in the second half of the century. And there is, for example, a technology where they produce seaweed. For example, in Chile there are such projects. They extract CO2 from the air through seaweed, which grows 6-7 times faster than a tree on land. So it absorbs CO2 very quickly, and then they use this seaweed as a carbon source to develop sustainable fuels with renewable cheap energy in Chile via solar or wind. So there is actually a connection between the oceans and marine ecology and then renewable energy and flying. I am still deeply involved in that.

Well, on one hand, I feel a stronger cultural closeness to Austria than to Frankfurt, for example. So, I am of course aware of the criticism that the German corporation is sending a German manager again. I understand all that. What is important to me is that I really live here for the job. Yes, so it's not like, 'Oh, they sent her to Austria,' but I feel a deep connection to my role here. I really like being here, I'm not a mercenary, but this place means something to me. And that's also why I fight for the location with everything I have. Because I really think that Austrian, the brand, the people behind the company, but also the location, really need and deserve it, right? This year, the company will be 70 next year. And it's not a given that it will continue into the future. The competition out there is fierce. And that is also part of Austria, right? How much is that recognized or maybe ignored? And if you ignore for too long that something needs to be done, that's dangerous, and I try to raise awareness for that because I feel this responsibility beyond the 6,000 employees. Such an airline is simply relevant for the economy, for tourism, and yes, that's why I get up every day.

Well, I see looking forward how we are falling behind in competitiveness year after year because taxes and fees here are very, very high. And I just don't want us to overlook it, because in the end it happens quickly. We earn about 5 euros per ticket. The air traffic tax is 12 euros. It's often said, 'Hey, but those 12 euros really make the difference.' Yes, in relation to 5 euros per passenger, 12 euros is a lot. And if you add many other things, when the plane takes off here in Vienna, about 45 euros go in some form to taxes and fees here in Austria, and maybe 5 to 10 euros are left to cover our own costs, which of course doesn't cover them. Yes, and simply understanding that and developing a plan together, what is needed? But to say something positive, I am actually quite satisfied with how it has developed over the last half to three-quarters of a year. The dialogue is good, so keep your fingers crossed that we make good progress.

Um, not concretely now, but abstractly it's always something where you say, well, if you don't manage it, what are the alternatives, right? And so my task is clearly to ensure that the location has a future. That includes making common cause with our, we call them system partners, politics, airport, air traffic control, and suppliers, so that we all have a good future together.

I would have wished it for the Norwegians. [laughter]

Exactly, [clears throat] I'm neutral. [laughter]

Yes, actually, but this effect is totally overestimated. Yes, fans fly, but at the same time normal tourists often stay away during such times. So for us, large sporting events are usually not a plus business. Many people don't know that.

I really like being here in Vienna and I still have a lot planned. So from my side, no need to think about other jobs. [laughter][snort]

Um, my 14-year-old self, what would it say about the path that you are sitting here today as a 48-year-old as the boss of Austrian? I think my 14-year-old self would be very impressed. I am very grateful for how my path has developed, and I have already achieved more than I would have imagined at 14 or maybe in my 20s, and that gives you the nice feeling that from now on everything is bonus, you can enjoy it. But it also frees you because there is no pressure. I don't have to go anywhere because I have already achieved a lot, and that's a good feeling. It makes life very satisfying. So my 14-year-old self would be very satisfied, and my 100-year-old self would sometimes admonish me to slow down a bit. I don't think slower, but I think my 100-year-old self will tell me to pay even more attention. Especially because I am not so rooted in one place over life, that you take enough time to take the encounters, the people who were important to you at the individual places, truly with you through life and take care of them enough. Because I think that is ultimately a relevant part of life, not to rush through it. That's what my 100-year-old self will tell me.

Ah, I'm not really a beach person. But one of my happy places is, we talked about it, we fly to Croatia again, go sailing. There is on the island of Sveti Clement a small bed and breakfast with a very charming restaurant called Fisherman's House near Vis, where I can really unwind. Really great people who take care of this place and develop it further, and yes, that would be my recommendation. It used to be a secret, now it's not anymore. [laughter]

I am curious. I want to discover and I want to develop further. My mother always said, [laughter] no step is wasted. So, if you go from the dining room to the kitchen, then please [laughter] take the plates with you. Exactly. That was so prominent that even my husband now says it. I didn't know what to say next. Once on a trip. We were traveling in the Yukon and in bear territory alone with a canoe, one beach after another where we could have camped at night, there were many bear tracks, and then I thought, God, I can't stand it, I have to keep going, and then we paddled through the whole night. That was in Canada. Yes, my last declaration of love [music] I made, well, to whom else but my husband, right? In what [laughter] situation? Um yes, [music] we unfortunately had a few weeks where we didn't see each other much when I flew out of Düsseldorf last Sunday. The formula for a happy [music] relationship is to take care of each other in the sense of investing time, investing attention [music]. My most excessive party was, back then it was customary that we took a dance class together [music] as a class group, and that was the time of party awakening at 15, 16, and we were very excessive at all the fire department festivals and handball festivals and I don't know what else in our small town, and it got wild. My recipe for success is: Always try to take different [music] perspectives to judge things well, and then it doesn't matter whether you make decisions for yourself personally [music] or when you lead a company or make personnel decisions. This book shaped me by Frank Doppheide. God [music] is more creative, not a controller. But it's a nice book about how the world works and what really matters in the business world. And it has a lot to do with interpersonal relationships and psychology, and not so much with rationality as you think. The most important advice I ever [music] received is: 'Live your life independent of the question of what others expect of you.' In 10 years I want [music] to be pretty close to my Atlantic crossing. [music] We have planned that when we no longer work, in sailor's language it's called going on a long voyage, so really live on a sailboat for a year or two and explore the world a bit, and that will include the Atlantic crossing. So that's the long-term goal. I can't imagine ever not wanting to do something new or discover something new.