Dr. Birgit Niessner Appointed Secretary General of ÖVFA and Austrian
Representative to EFFAS TQC
21 April 2026 | Frankfurt am Main
The European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies (EFFAS) welcomes the appointment of Dr. Birgit Niessner as Secretary General of the Austrian Society for Financial Analysis and Asset Management (ÖVFA) and as Austrian representative to the EFFAS Training and Qualifications Commission (TQC).
Dr. Niessner brings extensive experience in central banking, financial markets and economic research. Most recently, she served as Chief Economist at the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB), where she led key areas including monetary policy, macroeconomic analysis and international economics, and contributed to the ECB Strategy Review.
Her professional background also includes senior roles in risk management at Raiffeisen Bank International as well as research leadership positions at Erste Group and the European Investment Bank, combining analytical expertise with strategic oversight of financial and economic developments in Europe and beyond.
“I am proud to become actively involved in the EFFAS family. Europe needs deeper capital markets, and EFFAS plays a central role in educating professionals across the continent. I look forward to contributing my experience and helping to bridge theory and practice.”
In her new capacity, Dr. Niessner will contribute to the work of the EFFAS Training and Qualifications Commission, which plays a central role in shaping professional standards, certification frameworks and education across the EFFAS network.
Her appointment reinforces ÖVFA’s strong engagement within EFFAS and supports efforts to further strengthen collaboration across member societies in the areas of education, capital markets expertise and professional development.
EFFAS looks forward to working closely with Dr. Niessner and ÖVFA in advancing its mission to promote high standards of professionalism and thought leadership across European financial markets.
About EFFAS
EFFAS is a not-for-profit organisation set up in 1962 with 15 national member associations in Europe, representing more than 18,000 financial analysts, asset managers, pension fund managers, corporate finance specialists, risk managers, treasurers among many other professional profiles from the investment profession. EFFAS is a leading certification body with over 27,000 certificate holders worldwide, offering prestigious designations such as the Certified European Financial Analyst by EFFAS, the EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst® (CESGA), and the EFFAS Climate Risk Analyst (ECRA).
For any further information, please contact:
Álvaro Wagener Díez | Marketing & Communications Manager
E-mail: a.wagener@effas.com | Phone Number: +49 69 98959519
