The fine wines were accompanied by culinary delicacies from the Kasses bakery and the cheese makers - both Waldviertel businesses that have just been taken over by the next generation of daughters. A photo exhibition by Burgenland photographer Sabine König rounded off the evening.
The entire entrance fee was donated to the Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters for the prevention of violence against women and the protection of victims - a total of 1,350.50 euros was raised by the guests and increased to a total donation of 3,000 euros by BILLA on the same evening. Among the other guests were Marcel Haraszti (CEO REWE International AG), Alexandra Draxler-Zima (Managing Director of REWE International Dienstleistungs GmbH), Markus Kuntke (Head of Trend and Innovation REWE International AG), Sandra Edelmann (Diversity & Inclusion Manager REWE International AG) and many more.
REWE Group focuses on promoting female managers
"REWE Group in Austria is a company with over 46,000 employees. With around 80 percent women, it is also a female company. Over 60 percent of our BILLA stores are already run by female store managers. However, like many other companies, we are also confronted with an imbalance of women and men in top management positions. We are working against this with various measures with the aim of achieving a balanced gender ratio at all levels. When we talk about women's empowerment, however, this applies beyond our team. We also focus on promoting female-owned businesses in our collaborations with local companies. Female entrepreneurs, farmers and women in management positions are still in the minority - they need to be brought to the fore," says Marcel Haraszti.
In order to counteract the imbalance between women and men, particularly in management positions, various measures are implemented within the Group: For example, the "Women's Drive" program has been in place since 2017. It specifically strengthens women in management positions and runs for one year. The program consists of four seminars and accompanying mentoring from internal managers. Based on this program, a new group management position was developed at BILLA last year in the area of goods flow control with a woman at the top. Promotions, for example from group management to divisional management, were also successfully initiated with the help of mentoring. In addition to "Women's Drive", "f.ernetzt", an internal network for women, gives female employees the opportunity to regularly exchange ideas and empower each other. Transparent career paths are also designed to ensure that women can realize their full potential as managers in the long term and at all levels of the company.
Outstanding winegrowers offer BILLA customers fine wines
Katharina Baumgartner from Untermarkersdorf in Lower Austria is known for her internationally award-winning "Orange Wine" and her musical wines. In doing so, she brings innovation to the traditional Domäne Baumgartner company, which is over 300 years old. She says: "It is a great honor for me to be the managing director of Austria's largest winery at the age of 25 and that my innovations have already been awarded the Liese Prokop Women's Prize for Business and Entrepreneurship by Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria. My 'Orange Wine by Katharina Baumgartner', which was awarded 96 points at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London as the world's best 'Orange Wine', marks the start of my collaboration with BILLA, which I am really delighted about!". The wines Grüner Veltliner Schatzberg Reserve Weinviertel DAC (0.75 lt. for €10.99), Grüner Veltliner Rosenprinzessin (0.75 lt. for €6.99), KTI Cuvée Reserve (0.75 lt. for €8.99) and Orange Wine by Katharina Baumgartner (0.75 lt. for €8.99) are available at BILLA Corso in the Vienna Ringstrasse Galleries.
Silvia Heinrich from the winery of the same name in Deutschkreutz in Burgenland is the best red wine producer in the country and focuses on natural cultivation in central Burgenland. The single mother of two children presses wines of the highest quality with great sensitivity and manages the balancing act between family and work. She explains: "I fulfilled my dream of becoming a winemaker in 2002 as a career changer. Before that, I worked in Vienna for 10 years and gave up my job in the news industry - which I really enjoyed, by the way. I took over our family winery in Deutschkreutz in 2010. Blaufränkisch is our most important grape variety and is planted on around 70 to 80 percent of the vineyard area. In the mid-2000s, our Blaufränkisch Vitikult was listed at BILLA and this wine can still be found in every store today. Quality is our top priority, which is why we rely on 100 percent hand-picking. We therefore also value good partners and are very grateful for the cooperation on an equal footing, as the BILLA stores stock a sophisticated range." The wines Blaufränkisch Burgenland (0.75 lt. for € 9.99), Blaufränkisch Vitikult 2021 (0.75 lt. for € 13.99) are available at BILLA and BILLA PLUS. Alpha 2022 (0.75 lt. for € 10.99), Siglos 2021 (0.75 lt. for € 13.99) and Maestro 2020 (0.75 lt. for € 19.99) are listed in all BILLA PLUS. Terra O. 2019 (0.75 lt. at € 34.99) is available in selected BILLA PLUS stores.
Marion Ebner-Ebenauer from the Ebner-Ebenauer winery in Poysdorf, Lower Austria, presents the essence of the Weinviertel vineyards through white wines with a strong character. Their wines reflect the strengths of the energetic winemaker in combination with the strengths of her level-headed partner: "Sometimes life brings opposites together to create something new and powerful. That was the case with us. Manfred, the calm, level-headed tinkerer with a love of Burgundy, who loves to work in the cellar and think about the wines, feeling them with all his senses. The perfect combination with my energy and zest for life, always on the lookout for new challenges. This exciting contrast can also be felt in our wines," says Marion Ebner-Ebenauer. The wines Grüner Veltliner Poysdorf Bio 2022 (0.75 lt. for €11.99) and Grüner Veltliner Weinviertel DAC Bio 2022 (0.75 lt. for €12.99) are available in all BILLA PLUS stores.
.jpg){kind=link}