In a time of multiple crises, ever shorter technology cycles and digital upheaval, controlling in particular must keep pace with developments in the environment in order to ensure sustainable competitiveness and profitability. At the invitation of o. Univ. Prof. Dr. Helmut Pernsteiner and Univ. Prof. Dr. Dorothea Greiling, Prof. Dr. Barbara E. Weißenberger presented her lecture entitled "Financial Management and Sustainable Corporate Success: Challenges in Times of Change" to the diverse auditorium of university members and practitioners on 8 May 2023, explaining the changes that these dynamics are causing for controlling and how it can continue to meet the constantly growing tasks in the future. Prof. Dr. Weißenberger also emphasised the social dimension of the topic in the context of increasing criticism of capitalism. Following publications by Prof. Vodrazkas and others, she postulated a more holistic concept of success that goes beyond the purely monetary approach and integrates sustainability into profitability. The integration of the dimensions of environmental, social and governance also has a positive effect on financial sustainability, as shown by the negative example of a German car manufacturer that had designed decision-making processes purely in monetary terms. However, this also meant new challenges for controlling as well as for business administration as a subject, e.g. the handling of key figures was still strongly characterised by a diagnostic understanding, which had to be further developed to an interactive understanding in order to sufficiently take into account non-financial key figures and generally difficult-to-measure non-financial factors.

This was followed by a lively discussion with the audience, which was later continued in an informal setting over food and drink.

The colloquium is held in honour of o. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Karl Vodrazka (1931 - 2016). Vodrazka was a professor at the JKU between 1971 and 1999, and also served for many years as head of the "Institut für Revisions-, Treuhand- und Rechnungswesen", as dean and rector of the JKU.