MANAGEMENT

Born in 1974, Strohbichler became head of PALFINGER’s Legal department in 2000. He went on to hold numerous executive positions in several areas of the PALFINGER Group, most recently that of EMEA Area Manager in charge of Marketing, Sales and Service, and Finance and Controlling. From May 2015 to September 2017 Strohbichler was managing director of B&C Industrieholding GmbH. In his capacity as CFO of PALFINGER AG, he has been responsible for the areas of Controlling, Accounting, Tax, Treasury, Risk Management, Internal Auditing, Sales & Operations Planning, Process and Quality Management, and Information and Communications Technology as well as for the Tail and Passenger Lifts division since October 2017.

Born in 1972, psychologist Maria Koller began her professional career in 1998 as an HR expert at Alcatel in Austria. This was followed by a move to NextiraOne in Stuttgart, working as Human Resources Director for Germany from 2002. From 2004 to 2006, she acquired international experience in Paris as the Human Resources Director for Europe at Platinum Equity, the owner of NextiraOne. In 2007, she took over senior HR functions in the Danaher Group in the UK and Germany before moving to Magna in Germany in 2014 to assume roles that included Vice President HR Global Interiors. In 2017, she took over as Executive Vice President Global HR at JENOPTIK AG. Since January 2024, Maria Koller has been CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer) at PALFINGER AG. She is responsible for Human Resources, Governance & Compliance, Data Protection, and Corporate Security. 

As managing partner of the Walser Group, Gerhard Rauch has extensive experience in car body and vehicle construction and has been cooperating with the PALFINGER Group in this business area for decades. Rauch is also co-owner of Rauch Fruchtsäfte GmbH & Co. OG. He has been a member of the Supervisory Board of PALFINGER AG and 1st Deputy Chairman since 2016. 

Hannes Bogner is an experienced finance expert with a background in business administration. After completing his studies and passing the required professional examinations, he worked for several years as a certified public auditor and tax advisor for Austrian and international accounting and consulting firms. 

Following positions at Treuhand Salzburg and PwC, he assumed responsibility for the finance division of Bundesländerversicherung AG in 1994. From 1998 to 2016, he served as CFO/CIO and on the Management Board of UNIQA Insurance Group AG. He chaired the Accounting Committee and the Tax Affairs Working Group of the Austrian Insurance Association. In addition, he was a member of the Finance Committee of the European insurance association. 

Over the course of his career, Hannes Bogner has held numerous supervisory board positions in Austrian and international companies. He currently serves on the Supervisory Boards of Oberbank AG, BKS Bank AG, and BTV Vier Länder Bank AG. Since 2017, he has been a member of the Supervisory Board of PALFINGER AG and Chairman of its Audit Committee. 

Marianne Heiss is one of the most renowned managers in the German economy and serves on several supervisory boards.

Over the past 27 years, she has held various management and  leadership positions at BBDO Worldwide in Europe, most recently as Chief Executive Officer of BBDO Group Germany. Prior to her appointment as CEO, she significantly contributed to the success of BBDO Group Germany as Chief Financial Officer. She has also been a member of the international BBDO board in New York.

Marianne Heiss has extensive international experience. Since 2018, she has been a member of the supervisory boards of Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, and Porsche SE. For Volkswagen AG and also also active in the audit committee. On the supervisory board of Porsche SE, she serves as an ESG expert. From July 2023 to October 2024, Marianne Heiss was a member of the supervisory board of Flix SE and chaired the audit committee. Since September 2024, she has been a member of the supervisory board and audit committee of Paysafe (NYSE: PSFE). In January 2025, Marianne Heiss joined the advisory board of Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG (RitterSport Chocolate). The native Austrian studied economics and management. Marianne Heiss is the author of several books, including "YES SHE CAN – The Future of Management is Female”. 

Erwin Asen is a trained carpenter, experienced quality manager, and lead auditor. He has been with PALFINGER for more than three decades and brings extensive expertise in quality assurance. He began his career as a CNC milling cutter before moving into quality assurance, where he later served as Head of Quality Assurance for many years. He subsequently took on responsibility for the assembly of truck-mounted forklifts. Since 2002, Erwin Asen has been actively involved in the Works Council, and since 2010, he has served as Chairman of the Works Council in Köstendorf.