Vienna has quietly become one of Europe’s most consequential cybersecurity hubs. Home to global manufacturers, major financial institutions, critical infrastructure providers, and national-level public sector organizations, the city sits at the crossroads of industrial resilience, regulatory pressure, and digital transformation.
The CISOs operating here aren’t just defending networks. They are shaping how security integrates into governance, risk management, and executive decision-making, often in environments where failure has real-world consequences. From energy and mobility to banking, manufacturing, and government, these leaders are redefining what modern cybersecurity leadership looks like.
The following list highlights CISOs and senior security executives in and around Vienna whose influence, scope, and strategic impact make them worth watching right now.
Heidelinde Rameder — Chief Information Security Officer, Borealis
With more than a decade of hands-on experience across cybersecurity leadership roles, Heidelinde Rameder has built a reputation as a pragmatic strategist who treats security as an organizational capability rather than a technical function. As CISO at Borealis, her focus spans governance, ISMS implementation, and enterprise-level cyber risk management, with a strong emphasis on awareness and culture. Rameder is known for aligning operational execution with long-term resilience, leveraging a continuous education mindset to adapt security programs to evolving business realities.
Werner Kaiser — Chief Information Security Officer, Porsche Holding
Werner Kaiser brings a results-driven leadership approach to one of Europe’s most complex automotive and mobility groups. With a long-standing career in information security, Kaiser combines program leadership, strong analytical thinking, and executive-level communication to drive security initiatives that scale across a global enterprise. His ability to connect technical risk with business outcomes has made him a steady force in embedding security into Porsche Holding’s operational decision-making.
Richard Thron — Director Information Security & CISO, Doka
As CISO at Doka, Richard Thron has emerged as a strategic security leader recognized well beyond his organization. Awarded CISO of the Year 2024, Thron is known for shaping forward-looking security programs that balance industrial innovation with risk discipline. His work reflects a clear focus on long-term security architecture and organizational readiness, positioning information security as a driver of stability in a globally distributed manufacturing environment.
Bettina Thurnher — Director Information Security (CISO), Zumtobel Group
Bettina Thurnher is leading the integration of information security into the core operating model of the Zumtobel Group. Since stepping into the CISO role, she has focused on embedding security into both IT and OT environments, ensuring risk management becomes part of the company’s DNA rather than a parallel function. Her work centers on building sustainable security foundations that support industrial operations while meeting growing regulatory and resilience demands.
Marcel Lehner — Chief Security Officer & Head of Group Security, Wiener Stadtwerke
Marcel Lehner operates at the intersection of cybersecurity, regulation, and critical infrastructure. As Group CSO/CISO for Wiener Stadtwerke, he is responsible for securing energy, mobility, and essential city services across a highly regulated, multi-entity environment. Lehner consistently frames security as a board-level capability, particularly in contexts where failure is not an option. His focus on NIS2, ISO 27001, and operational resilience positions security as a competitive advantage rather than a constraint.
Thomas Schober — Chief Information Security Officer, Allianz Group Austria
With a career spanning more than three decades, Thomas Schober represents institutional memory and evolution in Austrian cybersecurity leadership. From engineering roots through consulting and large-scale transformation projects at Allianz, Schober has helped shape security programs through multiple technological eras. His recognition with the CISO of the Year – Lifetime Achievement Award reflects not only longevity, but sustained impact in aligning security with complex financial and insurance operations.
Daniele Sangion — Chief Security Officer & CISO, UniCredit Bank Austria
Daniele Sangion brings more than 25 years of experience leading international digital transformation and security programs across Europe’s financial sector. At UniCredit Bank Austria, he oversees cybersecurity, anti-fraud, physical security, business continuity, and resilience, connecting risk management across people, processes, and technology. Beyond his executive role, Sangion is deeply involved in shaping European cyber and tech-risk discourse through board memberships and advisory positions, reinforcing his influence at both institutional and industry levels.
Christian Zec — Head of Cyber Security & Crisis Data Center, Austrian Federal Chancellery
Christian Zec operates at the center of Austria’s national cyber defense and crisis response framework. As Head of Cyber Security and the Crisis Data Center at the Federal Chancellery, and as National Cyber Certification Authority CISO, he plays a critical role in aligning public-sector cybersecurity with national resilience and regulatory mandates. His work reflects the growing convergence of cyber risk, crisis management, and government-level decision-making.
Johann Schlaghuber — Chief Information Security Officer, Siemens Austria
Johann Schlaghuber combines deep enterprise security leadership with active engagement at the national level. As CISO for Siemens Austria and a board member of the Kompetenzzentrum Sicheres Österreich (KSÖ), he bridges corporate cybersecurity with broader public-private security collaboration. His background across IT and OT security, auditing, and regional cyber leadership positions him as a key figure in Austria’s industrial and critical-infrastructure security landscape.
Boris O. — Head of Global Information Security (CISO), Gebauer & Griller
With more than 18 years of global cybersecurity and privacy experience, Boris O. leads a business-centric security program at Gebauer & Griller. His work focuses on aligning security strategy with operational realities, spanning compliance, incident response, and enterprise risk management. Known as a trusted advisor to business leadership, he emphasizes practical adoption of security controls, team development, and continuous alignment with evolving threat and defense trends.
Why Vienna’s CISOs Matter Now
Vienna’s security leaders operate under a unique set of pressures: tightening European regulation, increasing geopolitical risk, and the convergence of IT, OT, and physical security across critical systems. What unites the CISOs on this list is a shared shift away from reactive defense and toward long-term resilience.
Many are elevating security to the board level. Others are embedding it directly into organizational culture, operational continuity, and transformation programs. Collectively, they reflect a broader evolution in the CISO role, from technical gatekeeper to strategic leader responsible for trust, stability, and sustained execution.
As Austria continues to play an outsized role in Europe’s industrial and financial landscape, these CISOs are not just protecting systems. They are helping define how secure, resilient enterprises will be built in the years ahead.