Born in 1963 Salzburg, Austria. She studied Special Needs Education in 1989 at the University of Vienna and in 1994-1995, she did a General Management Programme at the University of Salzburg. She worked at Lebenshilfe Salzburg between 1989-2009. From 1989-1996, she was Head of the Special Needs Education Department. Between 1996-2000, she was responsible for the development and installation of programmes to train disabled people to enable them to take responsibility for their own lives. From 2000-2007, she was Head of the Organisation and Administration Department. In 1995-1996, she was appointed expert for the HELIOS II Programme, the EU’s third action programme to assist disabled people. She was a member of the Salzburg municipal council from 1999-2004. She was Head of the ÖVP bloc in the Salzburg municipal council from 2004-2009. And from 2009-2014, she was a Councillor for building and construction in Salzburg. MEP since 2014.