Creative momentum for the city center
Advent in Graz, Graz Gutschein and the active support of the city center businesses are among the priority tasks of the City Management. Following the Corona restrictions, the City Management team is working to make the shopping and enjoyment experience in the center of Graz as unique as possible for customers and visitors and to increase customer frequency.
Since the takeover by Holding Graz, Citymanagement has recorded great successes. The record turnover in 2021 of € 12.6 million (2019: € 5.9 million) in the sale of the extremely popular GrazGutschein vouchers underlines the right decision. In addition, 2021 also saw the implementation of the much-noticed new Christmas lighting of downtown Graz.
Due to the operational retirement of Heimo Maieritsch, Holding Graz advertised the position of City Manager within the Marketing management area. Economic City Councillor Günter Riegler: “Graz’s city center, with its shopping opportunities and diverse offers, provides an extraordinary experience for the many visitors:inside. For the optimal interaction of the traditional economic enterprises, the innovative young enterprises and the popular catering trade enterprises an experienced and in the house Graz well connected management of the city management is particularly important. With this today’s decision for Verena Hölzlsauer this succeeded optimally”.
Synergy concept convinces hearing commission
50 applicants applied for the vacant City Management position, and four candidates were shortlisted. On Friday, the hearing commission decided in favor of Verena Hölzlsauer as the best qualified candidate. Based on her expertise as managing director of the agency achtzigzehn, Hölzlsauer presented clear goals for analog and digital services and creative processes. This will also mean new synergies at Haus Graz in the future.
Graz will have a city manager for the first time
Wolfgang Malik, Chairman of the Board of Holding Graz: “We are pleased that the team of Holding Graz will be upgraded from July onwards by the dedicated manager, who is well networked within the city, and that Verena Hölzlsauer, a colleague from the Holding Group, prevailed in the hearing. I am convinced that the creative spirit of the economically successful and multiple award-winning Haus Graz agency will at the same time sustainably enliven the future projects and actions of the City Management.”
From the Styria Group via the Holding to the Citymanagerin
After her professional beginnings in the agency “Eventmedia” and in the Styria Group, 45-year-old Verena Hölzlsauer from Graz has been working for Holding Graz since 2009. During this time, the Graz native succeeded first as creative director and then as managing director in developing the agency achtzigzehn from a pure graphics agency for Holding Graz to a full-service provider for conception, creative services and social media in the house of Graz.
Hölzlsauer will take up her new position, which will remain in the Marketing management area, on August 1, 2022, but will already be taking on some agendas such as organizing the “Advent in Graz”. She remains seconded managing director of the agency achtzigzehn, which brings further economic advantages. Within the agency a restructuring takes place. Hölzlsauer is relinquishing operational management of production and graphics – as of July, two art directors and a production manager will take over these tasks internally.
Photo: Holding Graz CEO Wolfgang Malik, Verena Hölzlsauer, City Councillor Günter Riegler, Holding Marketing Director Richard Peer (from left).
