About Matthias Schickhofer

After 17 years working with Greenpeace (Austria, CEE, International) I started my freelance consultancy and photography career in 2007. Empowerment for justice and freedom and safeguarding nature and life on earth has been my predominant motivation from the very beginning – as an activist against nuclear power and nature destruction through roads. My focus as a consultant is on campaigning, communication/PR and photography. In my 17 years with Greenpeace (starting in 1990) I had the chance to learn professional skills as a Campaigner (climate, air pollution, transport, genetic engineering…), Campaign Director (Greenpeace Austria), Communication Director (Greenpeace Austria), Programme Director (Greenpeace CEE), Communication Manager (Greenpeace International) and Campaign Coordinator (Genetic Engineering and Toxics, Greenpeace International).

In 1996 and 1997 I was one of the initiators of the “Gentechnik Volksbgegehren” (Genetic Engineering Public Petition Campaign) in Austria (1997) – which gained more than 1,2 millions signatures and made Austria de facto GMO-free.

In the years with Greenpeace I had the privilege to  develop and implement a large number of campaigns, including the international Genetic Engineering Campaign of Greenpeace.

I was involved in the establishment of Greenpeace CEE (regional office comprising opening and developing Greenpeace offices in Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Romania).

As a creative mind with social competencies and sensitivity (background: studies on psychology, University of Vienna) I can build on a vast experience in all sorts of campaign and communication needs. I am also skilled trainer and mentor with a focus on strategy making, campaign and communication techniques, project work and team collaboration.

Among my clients in the recent years there are EuroNatur, WWF, Vier Pfoten/Four Paws International, Club of Rome, Greenpeace International, Greenpeace Germany, Greenpeace CEE, Greenpeace Med,  “Europe for Tibet” (Tibet solidarity rally with H.H. the 14. Dalai Lama), Grüne Wirtschaft/Green Entrepreneurs (Austria), Erwin Wagenhofer / Prisma Film, FOE Austria / Global 2000, SLOGA-Platform Slovenia, Fundraising Verband Austria, IÖGV, Österreichisches Sendengütesiegel, VCÖ-Verkehrsclub Österreich, Ökobüro, World Awards Media.

Photography is my special passion. I am an experienced (artistic) nature and press / reportage photographer. My images can be searched and purchased also with my Agency partners ASAblanca and neuebildanstalt (Hamburg).

In April 2022 my newest (photography) book about unexpected wilderness next door Wildes Waldviertel  was published with Brandstätter publishing house.

My earlier books Schwarzbuch Alpen (2016, Brandstätter publishing house; ITB award 2015), “Unser Urwald. Die letzten wilden Wälder im Herzen Europas” (2015, Brandstätter publishing house) and “Urwald in Österreich” (2013, Brandstätter publishing house) are sold out.

In the year 2000 I published the book “Planet der Wälder” (Echo, Wien; together with Wolfgang Pekny).

In 2010 I co-authored the book “Der Grüne Guide” (Prima-Vista, Wien; together with Georg Kindel).

Among others I published articles and photo-features in “Datum”, “33% Waldmagazin”, “Universum Magazin”, “Biorama”, “Der Standard”, “profil”, “Salzburger Nachrichten”, “Kurier”, “News”, “ACT” (Greenpeace magazine) and “VCÖ-Magazin”.
Photographs were also published by Geo and the Süddeutsche Zeitung, among others.

I am a global nomad at heart and thus I love traveling and mountaineering/trekking.