AUSTRIAN-KAZAKH CONNECTIVITY PLATFORM
AKCP
Executive Board
Prof. Dr. Karl JURKA
President
Karl Jurka has worked as a strategic political adviser in Vienna, Berlin, and Paris since 1990, advising governments and leading companies at the intersection of politics, business, and communications. He is regarded as a pioneer of professional public affairs in Austria and initiated the founding of the AKCP. As President, he shapes the Platform's strategic direction and represents it to political and business partners in both countries.
Wolfgang HESOUN
Vice President
Wolfgang Hesoun has served as Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber since 2022. Before that, he headed Siemens Austria from 2010 to 2023, and earlier led the construction group PORR as Chief Executive Officer. As Vice President, he anchors the AKCP in Austrian industry.
Dr. Alexander SCHIERHUBER, MA, MSc (LSE)
Vice President
Alexander Schierhuber is Managing Director of Verkehrsverbund Ost-Region (VOR), Austria's largest public transport association, and has many years of experience in the rail and mobility sectors. He serves as an independent member of the Board of Directors of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) and as Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Lower Austria. As Vice President, he represents the Platform's core focus: connectivity between Austria and Kazakhstan.
Gerald GERSTBAUER, MBA, MLE
General Counsel
Gerald Gerstbauer is Managing Director of Sprenger-Gerstbauer Consulting; before that, he was Senior Vice President at Atos IT Solutions and Services for nearly two decades, until 2020. Trained in business law, he has served as President of the Austrian-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce since 2013, contributing governance expertise and many years of experience in the Caspian region to the Platform. As General Counsel, he is responsible for the Platform's legal and compliance affairs.
Dr. Alexander DUBOW
Secretary General
Alexander Dubowy is an internationally active analyst of geopolitics, security policy, and international relations. Born in Kazakhstan and raised in Estonia and Austria, he studied law, political science, and economics in Vienna and Moscow and holds a doctorate in law. He publishes regularly in national and international media. As Secretary General, he leads the Platform's operational and analytical work.