Willibald Ehrenhöfer grew up in Eastern Styria. Born in Feldbach in 1972, his educational path first took him to the Edelsbach Elementary School, then to the Feldbach Sports Middle School, and from there to the HTL Weiz, until he finally moved to Vienna after graduating from high school. There, Ehrenhöfer first earned a degree in forestry and wood science at BOKU before expanding his expertise with a university course in ecodesign at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien). His professional career took him from the Styrian Chamber of Agriculture to Mayr-Melnhof Holz and on to management consulting and the energy sector. Before joining the state government, he served, among other roles, as Forestry Director and Head of the Forestry Group, as well as leading other companies within the Franz Mayr-Melnhof-Saurau Group. Since March 2025, he has served as Styrian State Councilor for Economy, Labor, Finance, Science, and Research. Ehrenhöfer is married and the father of three children.

Provincial Councilor of the Province of Styria