Webster Vienna Welcomes U.S. Ambassador to Austria to Palais Wenkheim

From left to right: Michael Zettel, Victoria Reggie Kennedy and Samuel Schubert at the EmpowerHer Event held at Webster Vienna Private University.

On Sept. 4, Webster Vienna Private University (WVPU) hosted the kickoff and closing event of the EmpowerHer initiative in Austria. Victoria Reggie Kennedy, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Austria, was the guest of honor and spoke at the event, following welcome remarks by Webster Vienna Associate Director Samuel R. Schubert.

Samuel Schubert gives opening remarks at the event.

EmpowerHer is a U.S. Commercial Service partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce dedicated to take action to advance in the workplace and women-led entrepreneurship.

Ambassador Kennedy thanked Webster Vienna for hosting the event, calling the campus, “a little slice of the US here in Vienna.” The Ambassador shared remarks about genesis of the EmpowerHer initiative, highlighting the fact that there are clear positive effects of the inclusion of women in upper management. Yet there is still work to be done to advance women’s economic empowerment. “This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Kennedy said.

Victoria Reggie Kennedy speaks to the crowd during the event. 

Michael Zettel, country managing director for Accenture Austria and president of AmCham, provided remarks, sharing the fact that Amcham Austria is the first chamber of commerce with an EmpowerHer type of program in German speaking countries, and this year there is a significant increase in the number of new members for the EmpowerHer initiative and its MentorUS mentoring program and ConnectUS networking program.

Nathalie Karré provided remarks related to her new book “Der Power Effekt,” which focuses on leaning into one’s strengths to meet life goals. “Those who bet on women, bet on success,” Karré told the audience. 

Webster Vienna, which offers American higher education in the world’s most livable city, is pleased to be able to support both American and Austrian efforts to mentor working professionals in the Vienna region. WVPU’s Career Services team offers a mentoring program for current students and alumni.

WVPU, one of the longest operating private universities in Austria, became the first university in the country to offer degree programs entirely in English; the first to offer an accredited MBA degree in 1985; and one of the first to receive full accreditation as a private university in 2001. 

More than 40 years from its founding, WVPU is an integral part of the Austrian higher education landscape. Well known for its rigorous teaching excellence and student mentorship, its roster of research faculty guarantees the indivisibility of teaching and research in the classroom while delivering practical real-life skills.