“Where future happens”: Greiner innovation forge has new boss from Steyr

Change at the top of Greiner Innoventures, the Vienna-based innovation hotbed of the globally active plastics company based in Kremsmünster: Steyr-based Roland Riepl has been the new managing director since Monday, succeeding long-time boss Hannes Möseneder, who helped to set up Greiner’s company-wide innovation hub and significantly influenced. Michael Wurm, who has been co-managing director of Greiner Innoventures since the end of 2022, will be retiring from management in a few weeks in order to devote himself entirely to his position as Vice President Corporate Strategy & Business Development at Greiner.

“In his 24 years at Greiner, Roland Riepl got to know the group of companies from many different perspectives and brings with him comprehensive expertise in the areas of research, development and innovation management,” says Axel Kühner, CEO of Greiner AG.

One of the central tasks of the innovation hub is to deal entrepreneurially with topics, business ideas and start-ups that are not currently on the agenda of the core business, but could be decisive for success in the future. “In the future, the focus will be even more on identifying and developing innovations and business models for a functioning circular economy. I look forward to being able to help shape these future topics,” says Riepl.

With Greiner for 24 years

The 50-year-old from Steyr joined Greiner Automobiltechnik in 1999 before moving to Greiner Technology & Innovation in 2012, a forerunner of today’s Greiner Innoventures. There he already managed cross-divisional innovation projects and evaluated new business areas and technologies. From 2014 he worked in the medical technology division of Greiner Bio-One, where he developed locations in Hungary and Germany.

Riepl began his career with an apprenticeship as a car mechanic at Steyr Nutzfahrzeuge AG. He later completed the HTL evening school as well as various training and further education courses for managers, including the Greiner General Management Program. The 50-year-old has two sons, lives with his family in Steyr and is a passionate cyclist and mountaineer.