Vorarlberg Chamber of Labour chief withheld candidate assessment from board
Tuesday 3rd November 2026 on 17:30 in
Austria
The president of Vorarlberg’s Chamber of Labour did not tell its board about an external assessment of candidates for director, prompting criticism from a board member, ORF reported. President Bernhard Heinzle said he had the right to propose a candidate and did not consider the assessment important.
Manuel Ganahl took up the director’s post on 1 October 2026, with Franz Valandro appointed as his deputy. The criticism centres on Heinzle’s failure to share the assessment, conducted by a recruitment consultancy, or its main findings with the board.
Board member Michael Koschat told the Wirtschaftspresseagentur (wpa) that the president had given board members the impression at a decisive meeting in May 2026 that Ganahl was the best-qualified candidate and Valandro should become deputy director. The board accepted that proposal, Koschat said, but later learned from a member of the audit committee that an assessment had been commissioned by the former director and Heinzle.
Koschat said the board had made its decision on incomplete information and might have decided differently if it had known about the assessment and its results. He also said internal information suggested the assessment had not clearly favoured Ganahl.
Heinzle confirmed to the wpa that he had not informed the board or other members of the executive committee about the assessment or its results. He said only he, former director Lampert and the two candidates knew about the assessment, while Ganahl and Valandro still did not know its findings.
Heinzle said discussions within the executive committee had been under way since autumn 2024 to determine what leadership arrangement would work for the Chamber of Labour. He commissioned the assessment in April 2025 to check whether external experts agreed with that view. He declined to give details of its results, saying the final arrangement reflected several factors.
Heinzle said it had long been clear internally that Ganahl would become director, and staff were informed of the timetable in September 2025.