Sonja Horner

Sonja Horner helps individuals and organizations remain clear, credible, and effective in complex, sensitive, and often highly visible communication situations. For more than 20 years, she has worked at the intersection of strategy, communication, and public impact - with composure, precision, and a keen sense of context and people.

Her experience spans all levels of strategic communication: consulting, business, and politics. She has held several leadership roles, including Deputy Head of Corporate Communications at ÖBB and spokesperson for the CEO, as well as spokesperson for the President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, where she also served as Deputy Head of the Communications Department. In these roles, she was responsible, among other things, for establishing a corporate newsroom, leading crisis communication projects, and managing complex communication issues at the intersection of business and (interest-based) politics.

She also has extensive leadership experience on the agency side: as Managing Director at Pleon Publico in Carinthia and Styria, she managed clients from the business, industrial, and public sectors.

Her work is characterized by strategic foresight combined with a holistic understanding of integrated communication - ranging from traditional media relations to crisis communication and public affairs. Her particular strength lies in providing direction even in crisis situations and under pressure: with a clear vision, a structured approach, and a working style that combines clarity with empathy.

This experience is complemented by her training as a service designer and systemic coach. Sonja Horner lives and works in Vienna.