1. Who have you worked with that has most inspired you in your career, and how?
I had the honour of working alongside the former President of the Austrian Supreme Court of Justice, Irmgard Griss, in the Austrian Parliament. Her dedication and eloquence in everything she does continues to inspire me. Despite already having achieved so much in her life, she entered politics because she wanted to make people’s lives better.
2. What is the smallest change you have made in your career that has had the biggest positive result?
As a politician, you are only as good as the team around you. Building the right team that you can trust 100 percent to do their job well makes my day-to-day work easier and brings better results in my political work.
3. Is there anything you have personally achieved or done that would surprise people?
I once went to Comic-Con in Vienna dressed as the character ‘Death’ from the DC comic book ‘The Sandman’.
4. What do you do in your free time to relax and unwind?
Nature is the one thing that helps me recharge for the days ahead. I love hour-long mountain hikes in my home Bregenzerwald – which for me is the most beautiful place in the world. I usually listen to podcasts while on the trail.
5. What was the most inspirational and influential book you have read and why?
I am a big fan of graphic novels and comic books; Alan Moore’s ‘Watchmen’ in particular inspired me. Despite being set in an alternate timeline, it manages to capture the pressure and depression of the 1980s better than any traditional book ever could.