Cllr (Ret.) Col (CSLI) Oliver M. GRUBER-LAVIN, FRSA MBCS MRHistS MRI KJ KLJ, (*24.9.1963, Vienna/Austria)
After attending Piarist Order Grammar School and earning his higher education entrance qualification, Gruber-Lavin studied political science and communication studies at the University of Vienna.
Military
1985 he completed his recruit training, and served 1985-1994 as a regular soldier in the Austrian Armed Forces (Österreichisches Bundesheer), including a tour of duty 1990/91 during Gulf War I to Syria as a logistic officer to UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force), supplying a.o. “Hermon Hotel”, the highest permanently manned UN position in the world. For his distinguished service he was awarded amongst others the United Nations Medal “In the Service of Peace” and others.
Politics
1993 Gruber-Lavin was appointed Chief Organization Officer of the Austrian Liberal Party (Liberales Forum) in Vienna, and served 1994-2000 as Parliamentarian Assistant and Consultant in the Austrian Parliament.
1996 he was elected district councillor in Vienna and was reelected 2001 and 2005. For the Viennese state parliament elections 2001 he was top candidate in his constituency. For several years he was chairman of the district Cultural Commission.
Professional Experience
After his military service Gruber-Lavin collected excellent expert knowledge in the public and private sector as IT- and office trainer as well as a consultant. He has comprehensive teaching experience as a lecturer in Vocational Training Institutes and was awarded the professional Membership (mbcs) of the British Computer Society, the only Chartered Professional Institution for Information Technology in the UK.
As a member of the Austrian Journalists Club he collected profound journalistic experience as photojournalist, amongst others during the war in the former Yugoslavia and as radio presenter for several years. Extensive study travels to South East Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Balkan followed.
2004 he started to work as a consultant and member of the management committee for Austrian and German mining companies in East Africa (Uganda, Kenya & Ruanda) and the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo).
Since begin of 2013 Gruber-Lavin acts as senior expert instructor in an institution of adult education in Vienna. He is personally certified (ISO/IEC 17024.
2015 he began his work as a managing partner in an agency for PR and social media.
He also is member (MRI) of the Royal Institution of Great Britain the oldest independent research body in the world (Patron: Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth II.) and furthermore he is a member of the British Science Association, (founded 1831), a learned society with the object of promoting science, directing general attention to scientific matters, and facilitating interaction between scientific workers.
Gruber-Lavin was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts 2014 and Member of the Royal Historical Society 2016.
