Gilbert Rukschcio

Meet PANTARHEI'S “Mister Europe”. After living and working in Brussels for a decade, Gilbert Rukschcio knows the European stage and the rules of the game inside out ­– and better than anyone else on the Austrian public affairs scene. His expertise and his talent for building bridges between business and the EU has benefited organisations such as BASF, Österreichische Post AG, EVN AG, the Building Materials Association, the German Medicine Importers Association (VAD), Greiner AG and Raiffeisen Bank International. His public sector track record includes advising the European People’s Party group in the European Parliament on the reorganisation of its communications structures. With the establishment of the Verpackung mit Zukunft (“Packaging for the Future”) initiative, he launched a new platform for the entire plastics industry value chain.

Gilbert also dedicates lots of time and thought to the future of digital public affairs and corporations’ political responsibilities in their role as corporate citizens. His key focuses include the circular economy, the European Green Deal and the strategic significance of raw material industries.

Gilbert Rukschcio has been advising organisations on how to enhance their strategies and professional communications with stakeholders (including policy stakeholders) –  a topic he is deeply passionate about – for over 15 years. Previously he established and built up the European Affairs division of Pleon Publico, Austria’s leading public affairs and PR agency at the time, as head of its Brussels office. He then went into business himself, starting peritia communications with his partners, and opening offices in Vienna and Brussels. Gilbert set up PANTARHEI ADVISORS in 2013 and has been a Managing Partner since then.

He studied politics in Vienna, majoring in history and economics, and at the renowned Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Aix-en-Provence.

Gilbert Rukschcio is married with two children. He lives and works in Vienna and Brussels.