| 1985 | Graduation, branch of study: agriculture, plant production, Studies at Vienna University of Natural Resources and Applied Live Sciences |
| 1991-2005 | Delegate to the Provincial Parliament of Burgenland |
| since 1991 | Deputy Head of the Provincial parliamentary group of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) Burgenland |
| 1998-2000 | General Manager of the Provincial ÖVP group |
| 2002-2005 | Head of the parliamentary fraction of the ÖVP's Provincial parliamentary group |
| 2005-2008 | Member of the Provincial Government of Burgenland |
| since 2005 | Member of the Chief Executive Department of the Austrian Farmers' Federation - Federal Secretary |
| since 2006 | Head of the Farmers' Federation of the Province of Burgenland |
| 2008-2013 | Agriculture and Environment Minister of the Republic of Austria |
| since 2013 | Member of Parliament |
| 1975-1983 | Union of Municipal Employees (Gewerkschaft der Gemeindebediensteten - GdG), responsible for youth affairs |
| 1983-1998 | Secretary General, Expert on organisational questions, Union of Municipal Employees (GdG) |
| 1990-2007 | Member of Vienna's Provincial Diet and City Council |
| 1995-2007 | First Chairman of Vienna's City Council |
| 1998-2001 | Chairman of the "Landesgruppe Wien" (Vienna's faction at the GdG) |
| 2001-2007 | (Executive) Chairman of the Union of Municipal Employees (GdG) |
| 2003-2006 | Chairman of the Social Democratic Trade Unionists (Fraktion Sozialdemokratischer GewerkschafterInnen - FSG) |
| Vice President of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund - ÖGB) |
| 2006-2008 | (Executive) President of the ÖGB |
| 2008-2009 | Minister of Social Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Republic of Austria |
| 2009-2016 | Minister for Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Republic of Austria |
| since 2016 | President, Austrian Sports Organisation (Österreichische Bundesport-Organisation - BSO) |
| 1966 | Founding Chairman, European Youth |
| 1973 | Ph.D., Economic and Social Sciences, Johannes Kepler University Linz |
| 1990-2000 | Member, Government of the Federal State of Upper Austria with portfolio for Economy, Finance and European Affairs |
| 1995-2000 | Member, Committee of the Regions (CoR), SME Division |
| 2001-2005 | President, Eurochambres (Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry) |
| 2005-2009 | President, European SME Union |
| since 2006 | Honorary President, Eurochambres |
| Chairman, Global Chamber Platform |
| | |
| | Academic Posts |
| | Visiting Professor at the WU Vienna University of Economics and Business (International Trade Department) |
| | |
| | Guest Lectures |
| | Princeton University |
| | Fudan University, Shanghai |
| | University of Cape Town |
| | T.C. Istanbul Commerce University and Marmara University |
| | MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| | Harvard University |
| 1974-1980 | Studied Law in Linz (Dr. iur.); he also completed a post-graduate course in association management, Fribourg |
| 1980-1992 | Worked for the Upper Austrian Economic Chamber, where his last position was Head of the Marketing Department |
| 1991-1997 | Local Councillor, Ahorn |
| 1992-2000 | Secretary General, Austrian Economic League (Wirtschaftsbund), Vienna |
| 2000-2008 | Member, Austrian Parliament |
| Deputy Secretary General, Austrian Economic Chamber |
| 2001-2008 | Chairman, Economic and Industrial Affairs Committee of the Austrian Parliament |
| 2008-2013 | Federal Minister of Economy, Family and Youth of the Republic of Austria, Vienna |
| since 2013 | Federal Minister of Science, Research and Economy of the Republic of Austria, Vienna |
| since 2014 | Vice-Chancellor of the Republic of Austria |
| 1973-1978 | Studium der Rechtswissenschaften und der Volkswirtschaft, Universität Wien |
| 1977-1979 | Vorsitzender der Hochschülerschaft, Universität Wien, Gerichtspraxis |
| 1979-1980 | Auslandsstudium an der Johns Hopkins University, Bologna |
| 1981 | Volontariat, Europäischen Kommission, Generaldirektion Erziehung und Wissenschaft, Brüssel |
| 1982-1984 | Redakteur, Fernsehen Ausland, ORF |
| 1984-1985 | Korrespondent, Studio Bonn, ORF |
| 1985-1986 | Redakteur, Fernsehen Inland, ORF |
| 1986-1987 | Studioleiter Brüssel, ORF |
| 1987-1991 | Studioleiter Bonn, 1990 auch zuständig für DDR, ORF |
| 1991-1995 | Hauptabteilungsleiter Politik und Zeitgeschehen, ORF |
| | Moderator "Auslandsreport", "Inlandsreport", ORF |
| 1995-1997 | Sendungsverantwortlicher Moderator "REPORT", ORF |
| 1997-2003 | Geschäftsführer und Chefredakteur n-tv, Der Nachrichtensender, Berlin |
| 2003-2004 | Geschäftsführender Gesellschafter der Puls-TV GmbH |
| | Produktion der ProSieben Austria News |
| 2005-2010 | Geschäftsführender Gesellschafter der Brandstätter Business Communications - Agentur für Strategie, PR und Coaching GmbH. |
| seit 2009 | Member of LEADING Advisors Group GmbH |
| seit 2010 | Chefredakteur, Kurier |
| | Agenturenverbund von: Brandstätter Business Communications GmbH, brainbows Informationsmanagement GmbH, Ecker & Partner Öffentlichkeitsarbeit & Lobbying GmbH, Institut für Strategieanalysen und Kommunikationsforschung, Public Interest - Lobbying Consultants GmbH, Sophie Karmasin Market Intelligence GmbH, Wolfgang Rosam Change Communications GmbH |
