Philipp Gaggl

Who are you and where do you work?
Since 2008 I work as sustainability/corporate responsibility manager at PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) Austria. My team and I provide sustainability advisory and assurance services to Austrian companies such as strategy workshops, analysing risks and opportunities, supporting sustainability reporting or conducting CR audits. Before I worked at DuPont in safety consulting and studied environmental system sciences and business administration in Austria, India and Japan.

How and why were you involved with oikos as a student?
Only very late in my student career I got active with oikos Graz, but since I am an alumni this has changed. The reason why I became involved with oikos is that at oikos I met some of the most innovative, motivated and intelligent people I know – seriously! Every time I am with oikos I see the creation of new ideas, solutions and real impact!

What do you care about in sustainability?
There are huge challenges: the world and the aspects relevant for our survival - food, resources, water, energy, temperature, population etc. – are changing to the worse. My future personal life and lifestyle as well as the fate of the human population is depending on what we do about these issues! Through our innovations and solutions our generations probably have the biggest impact on the development of humans ever in our history – this is a big driver and motivator why I care about sustainability.

How do you make a difference for sustainability in your job?
Through highlighting the risks and opportunities about the sustainability challenges I try to create awareness and knowledge about the value that lies in the sustainability and responsibility agenda. Thus I believe I can support the necessary change towards sustainability in the business and corporate perspective.

Which hurdles did you overcome in your job?
One mayor and repeating hurdle is the one of short term thinking and disbelieve in the ability to make a positive change and create impact as an individual, as a company or a small country (such as Austria). I overcome this by believing in myself and the impacts I already created, by being patient (change takes time) and by connecting to the people who also want to drive change (such as oikees).

What would you like to make happen in the oikos network in 2012?
In the coming year I want to connect more with local chapters and help to link oikees and alumni much more. I also want to energize the Austrian oikos alumni network.

Can you give one hint for the current oikos students that aim to make a difference?
Know your vision, goals and what you as an oikos chapter are unique for, then try to bring your goals into reality by networking and cooperating with like minded people, organisations and companies – focus on the value you can create for others today – it will come back tenfold.