Welcome to CxO Connection – an exclusive invite-only gathering where meaningful exchange among top leaders across industries and functions takes center stage. This is not just a dinner. It is a curated experience where insight and conversation unfold course by course. In a trusted setting, perspectives are challenged, leadership questions are explored, and new clarity emerges around leading through pressure, uncertainty and change.

This edition features Erich Artner with his keynote “Barriers Exist Only in the Mind – From Adversity to the Ironman”, connecting mindset, resilience, inclusion and diversity management. A lifelong athlete, Erich played competitive handball for West Wien from the age of 11 to 15. As a young man, he was diagnosed with Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome and lost both lower legs. His response: “The only thing the illness got was my two lower legs. I was not prepared to give any more.”

Through his personal story, Erich shows how external challenges can become a catalyst for inner strength, perspective and growth. He opens a powerful conversation about resilience, self-confidence and the value of truly inclusive leadership.

Across focused 15-minute sessions, the evening explores how leaders can train their mindset, overcome assumptions, and recognize diversity not as a challenge, but as a source of strength, creativity and human richness. At the heart of CxO Connection is the belief that true leadership growth happens in trusted company — alongside peers who push you to reflect, rethink and lead better in a world that will not wait. In a space shaped by reflection and relevance, CxO Connection invites you to pause, grow and lead with greater clarity.