People from next door

From banker to landlord after 30 years

Gerhard Rauscher started his career all over again at the age of 48.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Viktoria Graf)

Gerhard Rauscher (53) worked in finance for 30 years until he became disillusioned and switched industries. He tells "Krone" whether it was worth it.

"Krone": Mr. Rauscher, how did you get into banking?
Gerhard Rauscher: I knew at the age of 15 that I wanted to work and earn money. That was also my upbringing, even as a child I had to do something for my pocket money and then make ends meet. I just didn't know what I wanted to do. As my father was already a banker, I started this apprenticeship.

And your career was successful?
Yes, I was promoted to branch manager at the then Creditanstalt at the age of 23. At the age of 27, I was responsible for 10,000 employees as a central works council member and also played a key role in the merger with Bank Austria as a member of the supervisory board until 2002. After that, I held many different management positions until 2018.

What was it like as a Works Council member during this major change?
I was involved in the merger phase for four years. You could see that people and traditions were falling by the wayside, even for customers, things were changing. My job was to keep the economic interests of the bank and those of the employees in harmony.

Gerhard Rauscher runs the Panigl at Josefstädter Strasse 91 and the Cantina Friulana (1st, Bartensteingasse 3). He has turned his passion for Friuli into a profession.

(Bild: privat)

Did you succeed?
The pressure and stress were enormous. I saw fates that were subjectively dramatic for the people involved. Objectively, from a bird's eye view, however, it happened in a humane environment. In contrast to retail, for example, there were generous severance payments. I fought and campaigned for that.

Nevertheless, you eventually left the industry.
I was happy for many, many years, but then no longer. I made the leap at the age of 48. But looking back, that was too late.

Why gastronomy?
I met the then owner of Cantina Friulana near the town hall and discovered my love for the Friuli region in Italy. I used my vacation to work in the business. In 2018, I finally took the catering license exam and took over the restaurant. I now also run the Panigl in Josefstadt.

From banker to landlord - was there a culture shock?
I fell into a lot of traps that you wouldn't imagine in banking. For example, not keeping agreements with suppliers. I had to learn to stand firm in everything and always have a plan B.

Have you ever regretted the change?
Economically, it would have been easier if I had stayed at the bank. But on the whole, it's quite clear: no. But you have to be honest: it's relatively more relaxed when you've already established a certain financial background than starting from scratch.

What did you learn in the restaurant business?
That you can somehow manage all major and minor disasters. This belief also helps enormously in life, that things always work out somehow.