It is a pleasure to see how much the Young Chemists Network in Austria has developed over the last 10 years. Having been involved in the founding of the regional representatives in Innsbruck at the very beginning, I also had the honor of co-chairing the first Young Chemists Summit in 2020.
Now I am delighted to be part of such a great organizing team which is hosting this conference as the closing event for the 10th anniversary of the Austrian Young Chemists Network.

I had the honor to be involved in the founding of the regional representatives in Salzburg and be part of the federal representative of the Austrian Young Chemists Network. Not only did I acquire major soft skills, but also I got to know people, who I became friends. Therefore, I am pleased to be part of the organizing team of the Young Chemists Summit, especially since the Austrian Young Chemists Network is celebrating its 10^th anniversary.

The Austrian Young Chemists Network has developed to be an important institution for chemistry students and young professionals over the past 10 years. As former member of the national leading board, I already had the chance to gain multiple experiences in the field of organizing events, managing small to mid sized teams and communication with industry partners.
Today, I am very thankful for having the opportunity to work in the organizing committee alongside highly skilled, reliable and fun colleagues. With the 2^nd Young Chemists Summit in Salzburg, we intend to create an event, which brings together people from different places in the world, to celebrate the beauty and diversity of chemistry.

I am thankful to be a part of the organization team, as I think this event offers great opportunities for scientific exchange, pointing out the variety and beauty in the field of chemistry.
Moreover, as I'm native to Salzburg, I was delighted when the historic old town was suggested as venue, since the city to me is a beautiful place of culture in the middle of Austria.

I joined the Austrian Young Chemists Network in Graz during my PhD studies in 2018 and since then have held different positions including delegate for its European counterpart, European Young Chemists network. Within these networks I appreciated to support broadening the education of students beyond the common curriculum, while benefiting in my personal development for my PhD and my following professional career in the life science industry.
The 2^nd Young Chemists Summit represents only a small part of what the Austrian Young Chemists Network has become over the last 10 years and I am glad to contribute to this celebration event.

I'm delighted to see how well the Austrian Young Chemists Network has developed since my time as chair, and I believe the 10-year anniversary of the network presents a wonderful opportunity to gather and celebrate both the passion and commitment of its members, as well as the field of chemistry itself. As such, I was honored to contribute to the organization of the event.