Born 3 September 1960 in Linz

Family status: married, one daughter

Education and training

Primary school in Allerheiligen from 1966 - 1971
Secondary school in Perg from 1971 - 1975

Apprenticeship as a machinist
Final apprenticeship examination in the trades of toolmaker and lathe
operator

Social

Academy of the Chamber of Labour, Vienna 1986 - 1987

Professional experience

1975 - 1979 Apprenticeship as machinist at Voest Alpine AG
1979 - 1986 Skilled worker
1986 - 2008 Secretary of the Austrian Metalworkers, Miners and Energy Supply Workers Trade Union, responsible for youth affairs, education, legal representation, electricity utilities, district of Gmunden, Upper Austria. 2000 District Secretary of the Metal and Textile Workers Union in Linz

Political functions

1977 - 1983 Youth Advisory Councillor
1982 - 1986 Chairman of the Youth Section of the Upper Austrian Trade Union Federation
1997 - 2006 Chairman of Education of the Urfahr District Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ)
Since 1997 local councillor in Gallneukirchen, Upper Austria; 2003 - 2008 town councillor
Chairman of the Audit Committee in the Urfahr District Social Welfare Association
2000 Elected as Councillor of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labour Since 2. December 2008 Federal Minister of Health

Offices held in the social insurance system

1995 - 2004 Acting Member of the General Assembly of the Austrian Miners’ Social Insurance Institution
2002 - 2004 Member of the Benefits Committee of the Upper Austrian Accident Insurance Institution
2005 - 2008 Member of the Board of Management of the Upper Austrian Regional Health Insurance Fund
2005 - 2008 Chairman of the Upper Austrian Regional Health Insurance Fund

Course in Supervision at the Federal Institute for Adult Education, St. Wolfgang 1990 - 1992
European Trade Unions Academy 1995 - 1996
Degree course in Social Practice at Marc Bloch University, Strasbourg and Linz 1997 - 2000
Graduated with the Diplôme des Hautes Etudes des Pratiques Sociales