About IMIA

The IMIA develops and maintains thought-leadership engagement with central banks and governments, consumer and merchant associations and supranational entities and other cash advocacy organisations. The IMIA develops global policies and positions through collaboration and consensus-building and gives the mint industry a strong and dependable voice by establishing itself as a trusted content-led partner through in-depth dialogue and well-researched position papers.

Board

President

Gerhard Starsich

(CEO of the Austrian Mint)

The commercial science graduate began his career in the accounting department at Austrian Airlines. As of 1988, he worked for the audit firm Arthur Andersen. In 1991, he transferred to the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), from where he was appointed, in 1994, to the European Monetary Institute, today’s European Central Bank, as head of controlling and organisation. Back in Vienna he worked as of 1997 as Director for finance and controlling at the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity. In 1999, he worked again for the Oesterreichische Nationalbank as deputy head of the payments division. As of 2002, he was, as Managing Director, responsible for the successful restructuring of APSS GmbH (Austrian Payment Systems Services) and Austria Card Plastikkarten und Ausweissysteme GmbH.
Since he joined the Austrian Mint in 2008, he held several positions within national and international committees like the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, the Mint Directors Working Group (MDWG) and the Mint Directors Conference (MDC). Since 2022, he is president of the International Mint Industry Association (IMIA).

Vice President

Marc Schwartz

(Chairman and CEO of the Monnaie de Paris)

Marc Schwartz started his career as an Auditor at the Cour des Comptes in 1988 and joined the Treasury Department in 1992 before his appointment as Economic and financial Counsellor for South-East Asia at the French Embassy in Singapore in 1994.
He was advisor to the Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry and the Secretary of State for the Budget from 1997 to 2000. He then joined France Télévisions, as Chief Financial Officer before being promoted to Deputy Chief Executive Officer. In 2010, he became a partner within the audit and consulting firm Mazars, in charge of Public Sector and Media. He returned to the Cour des Comptes in 2014 and has carried out numerous official missions. From May 2017 to January 2018, he was Chief of Staff to the French Minister of Culture.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Public finance (Sciences Po Paris) and a master’s degree in Corporate finance. He also graduated from Ecole Nationale d’Administration the French School for Public administration.

Secretary

Benjamin Hechler

(Director of the State Mints of Baden-Württemberg)

Benjamin Hechler's career encompasses diverse roles in the newspaper industry, marketing, and public sector finance and administration. Prior to entering the minting industry, he served at the Ministry of Finance in Baden-Württemberg. In 2021, he began his role as Director at the State Mints of Baden-Württemberg, responsible for two of Germany's five minting facilities. Notably, the State Mints of Baden-Württemberg are among the six founding members of the International Mint Industry Association (IMIA). Since the end of 2023, Hechler has been serving as Secretary of the IMIA, succeeding Günther Waadt in this position.

Managing Director

Martina Horakova

Martina Horáková in her role as the managing director is leading the association strategically and operationally with vision, and leads policy research and news/media analysis and development of IMIA’s key advocacy agenda, position papers and educational stakeholder projects.
Ms Horáková has produced numerous analytical articles, as well as a book ‘Financial independence and accountability’ for central banks. She studied economics at FU Berlin and holds an MSc in development economics from SOAS University of London.