Dr Thomas Prietl is Head of Global R&D and Innovation at RHI Magnesita and is based in Leoben, Austria. He holds a Master's and a PhD degree, both from the University of Leoben, Austria. He has been with RHI Magnesita since 2007. He was responsible for the Technical Marketing and Furnace Integrity group within the Nonferrous Metals Division. In 2014, he moved from Technical Marketing and Sales to Operations and managed the RHIM plant Veitsch in Austria until 2021. Since January 2022, Thomas has been responsible for the Global R&D and Innovation Team.