Directors

I’ve changed professions several times in different sectors since I graduated in history in Ljubljana in 2006. I worked in tourism as a tourist guide and as manager of a tourist information centre. I also went to Ireland for several months to gain some more experience in tourism. For several years I worked on rural development projects. In 2010, just by coincidence, I volunteered in Interpret Europe’s Foundation Assembly as a member of Young Project Managers. I believe it was the first time I’d heard of heritage interpretation. Ever since, my interest has been growing. The initiators of heritage interpretation in our country became my main source of inspiration and after some years I decided to follow my desires rather than the rational encouragement of having safe jobs.

In 2016, I attended the IE courses to become a Certified Interpretive Guide and Certified Interpretive Trainer and soon after I became actively engaged in the management of Interpret Europe. As a volunteer from the beginning, as a Training, Research and Country team member and later as Management Assistant and Office Manager.

Meanwhile, I initiated the establishment of Red Tree Heritage, a private NGO for heritage interpretation and sustainable development in Slovenia and opened up HVConsulting, my consultancy and training business. Besides running IE courses and workshops, I’ve been collaborating in planning for interpretive media production and copywriting.

I’m completing a postgraduate diploma in Interpretation: Management and Practice, at the University of Highlands and Islands in Scotland.

My inspiration and dedication to Interpret Europe is growing day by day, by seeing other inspired colleagues around Europe trying to achieve wonderful things together. Heritage interpretation has the power to change society and Interpret Europe has become recognised as a driving force of a new approach and philosophy in communicating common values. My wish is to continue to foster and encourage the fast development of the profession for the shared future of Europe.

Gerald Wagenhofer is a versatile business consultant based in Vienna, managing his own company since 2006. He earned a Master of Business Administration in Management from the University of Economics in Vienna. Gerald is also a certified management consultant, a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and a certified Trainer for Cultural Heritage and Sustainability Management. Over the past 30 years, he has volunteered as a board member for various NGOs, serving as chairman and treasurer in several associations.

Gerald’s expertise spans multiple sectors and fields, with over 30 years of experience in strategy development and implementation, accounting, and governance. He is an experienced trainer and coach, as well as a successful manager of (EU) projects. His clients include public service organizations, international companies, and private cultural heritage institutions. Notable examples include Burghauptmannschaft Österreich (a subordinate office of the Austrian Ministry of Economy), the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, the Climate and Energy Fund, Telefonica Germany, Deutsche Telekom, DB Schenker, Knorr-Bremse, the Esterhazy Foundation, and the City of Regensburg.

In addition to strategic planning, roll-out management, and governance, Gerald draws on technical expertise acquired at a technical school, giving him a deep understanding of traditional building materials, building physics, and measurement and control engineering. He has initiated and implemented several EU-funded projects, including Erasmus+, Creative Europe, Horizon 2020, and the FLIP2 Pilot Project of the EU Commission, INCREAS, which collectively secured around 4 million euros for innovative professional development and training.

Gerald has also been involved in the European Heritage Label application for the Imperial Palace Vienna, managing this project and the EHL@Network from 2019 to 2022. His work and training programs focus on cultural heritage, integrating sustainability and climate protection principles.

Known for his excellence in budgeting and project management, Gerald is equally committed to developing training programs for cultural heritage professionals. He is passionate about applying his extensive knowledge of EU programs and projects to protect and promote European cultural heritage.