WdF - Wirtschaftsforum der Führungskräfte

What WdF - Wirtschaftsforum der Führungskräfte does

WdF - Wirtschaftsforum der Führungskräfte is Austria's largest independent and non-partisan executive network, operating as a membership-based non-profit association (Verein) founded on 16 January 1979 and headquartered in Vienna. The organization serves approximately 3,000 executives and managers across all nine Austrian states via nine regional groups (Landesgruppen) and three sub-networks: the Young Leaders Forum (YLF, founded 2004), the Woman Leadership Alliance (WLA, integrated 2025), and ASEP – Austrian Senior Experts Pool (1989), the latter for retired executives.

The core product is the WdF membership subscription, which bundles access to a member portal (hosted on SiteGround with Google Cloud infrastructure), the LEADERSHIP magazine, the annual Einkommensstudie (Austria's longest-running executive compensation study, now in its 44th edition), additional member-only studies (health, mobility, sustainability), a mentoring program (since 2012, 64 tandems in 2026), an expert pool, an internal job board, and a podcast series distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and YouTube. Revenue is generated through annual membership fees, paid event registrations (e.g., expert breakfasts, company visits, Frühjahrsempfang at €40), study and publication sales with member discounts, and advertising in the LEADERSHIP magazine.

WdF operates with 1–10 employees and is governed by a Präsidium, Bundesvorstand, and Beirat, with the Bundesvorsitzender role held by Roman Teichert since December 2024. The organization maintains an advocacy function in Austrian politics and is a member of the Confédération Européenne des Cadres (CEC). No AI/ML capabilities, funding rounds, or M&A activity are disclosed; the technology stack is conventional web and email infrastructure, and growth is driven primarily by member engagement, sub-network expansion, and partnerships such as the 2026 cooperation with Club 20.

Name

WdF - Wirtschaftsforum der Führungskräfte

Legal name

Wirtschaftsforum der Führungskräfte (WdF)

Website

https://wdf.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WdF - Wirtschaftsforum der Führungskräfte is Austria's largest independent, non-partisan executive network, a Vienna-based membership association (Verein) serving approximately 3,000 leaders across all nine Austrian states through networking events, regional groups, mentoring, and the long-running annual Einkommensstudie compensation benchmark.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Executive Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Remote/Hybrid Leadership & Distributed Team Management (EDABAAAN), Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK)

Keywords

• Executive networking
• Professional association
• Leadership development
• Executive compensation studies
• Mentoring programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wien, Wien

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees providing access to all network benefits, events, publications, and member services
2. Einkommensstudie (Income Study) Sales: Annual income study publication sold to members (30% discount) and non-members; 44th edition conducted with TRICONSULT
3. Event Fees: Registration fees for various events including workshops, expert breakfasts, company visits, and networking gatherings
4. Leadership Magazine (LEADERSHIP): Magazine provided free to members; advertising rates available for partners (Anzeigentarife)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

WdF is an Austrian membership-based executive network providing nearly 3,000 executives with networking events across 9 regional state groups, mentoring programs, the annual Income Study (Einkommensstudie, conducted since 1982), the LEADERSHIP magazine, an internal job board, expert pool access, and advocacy representation in politics and society. It is governed as an independent, non-partisan association (Verein) headquartered in Vienna.

Product overview

WdF - Wirtschaftsforum der Führungskräfte operates as a professional membership network for Austrian executives rather than a traditional software product company. The organization's service portfolio centers on membership in Austria's largest independent executive network, which includes access to the Leadership Magazin (exclusive member magazine), the WdF-Einkommensstudie (annual income study conducted since 1982), the WdF-Mentoring-Programm (mentoring initiative running since 2012), and the WdF-Jobbörse (internal job exchange platform). Supporting services include the WdF-Expertenpool (expert database), WdF-Podcast (leadership interview series), WdF-Studien (member surveys on health, mobility, sustainability), and WdF-Blitzumfragen (rapid topic surveys). Sub-brands include the Young Leaders Forum (YLF) for emerging executives and the Women Leadership Alliance (WLA) for advancing women in leadership. The portfolio is delivered through the WdF-Veranstaltungen (events program) spanning expert breakfasts, company visits, panel discussions, and networking sessions across all nine Austrian states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young Leaders Forum (YLF): The network for young executives under the WdF umbrella, targeting junior and aspiring leaders.
• Women Leadership Alliance (WLA)

Products and services

• WdF Membership
• LEADERSHIP Magazin
• WdF-Einkommensstudie (Income Study)
• WdF Mentoring Program
• WdF-Jobbörse (Internal Job Exchange)
• WdF-Expertenpool (Expert Pool)
• WdF-Podcast
• WdF-Studien (Studies)
• Young Leaders Forum (YLF)
• Women Leadership Alliance (WLA)
• WdF-Blitzumfragen (Quick Surveys)
• WdF-Veranstaltungen (Events Program)

Quantifiable outcome

• 44th annual income study provides objective benchmarking data for Austrian executive compensation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Club 20coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cooperation between Club 20 and WdF for joint events such as the 'Die Macht des Möglichen' panel discussion held at InterContinental Vienna in June 2026, bringing together high-profile executives for dialogue on leadership in times of geopolitical uncertainty.
• Woman Leadership Alliance (WLA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025In 2025, the Woman Leadership Alliance was integrated as the official women's network of WdF to promote women in leadership positions. WLA organizes networking events including Brain Food breakfasts and Lounge events, focusing on diversity, equal opportunity, and supporting female executives through structural support and active male ally engagement.
• TRICONSULTminorOthersMarket research institute commissioned for conducting the annual WdF Income Study. For the 44th edition in 2025, TRICONSULT collected and analyzed data from 598 executives.
• Drachsler-Linzer Law FirmminorOthersNotarial accompaniment provided for the WdF Income Study to ensure objectivity and credibility of the annual executive compensation survey.
• VBV Group (Vorsorgekasse)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVBV Group (led by former WdF Chairman Andreas Zakostelsky) partners with WdF for the annual VBV Sustainability Discourse series, now in its 10th season. The online event series discusses topics at the intersection of democracy and sustainability.
• APA (Austria Press Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with APA for joint events such as 'Was zeichnet einen Leader aus?' and APA OTS press release distribution for WdF announcements.
• WU Executive AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing to WLA Brain Food events and discussions on leadership and gender equality in business.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Confédération Européenne des Cadres (CEC): Pan-European executive federation representing 1M executives across EU member states. WdF has been a full member since 1993. CEC is the closest direct peer because it operates the same executive-representation model, just at the European level rather than nationally.
• Junge Industrie: Austrian young-industry leaders network within the Industriellenvereinigung. Directly comparable to WdF's Young Leaders Forum (YLF), targeting next-generation executives with networking, mentorship, and policy-engagement programming.
• Wirtschaftsrat Deutschland: German business advisory council representing entrepreneurs and executives, with regional chapters and policy advocacy. Highly comparable to WdF in structure (executive-led, dues-funded, policy engagement) but at significantly larger scale in Germany.
• Managerkreis der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung: German executive network within the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung that convenes senior managers for policy dialogue and networking. Closely mirrors WdF's model of executive-led advocacy, regional events, and member publications.
• Club 20: Exclusive executive business network spanning Austria and Southeastern Europe, holding invitation-only gatherings such as the joint 'Die Macht des Möglichen' panel with WdF in 2026. Comparable in audience (C-suite executives) and event format, though more regionally focused.

Regional players

• VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau): Germany's mechanical engineering industry association with regional chapters, member services, and policy advocacy. Comparable association structure but sector-specific (machinery) rather than cross-industry like WdF.
• Wirtschaftskammer Wien (WKW): Vienna Chamber of Commerce, a statutory business association with mandatory membership and broad service offerings. Comparable in providing executive-level networking and representation in Austria, though much larger and statutory rather than opt-in.
• Industriellenvereinigung (IV): Austria's leading industry federation representing industrialists and top executives, with strong policy advocacy. Overlaps with WdF in executive audience and policy stance but is sector-specific (industry) rather than cross-sector like WdF.

Broad incumbents

• BDI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie): Germany's main federation of industrial associations, providing policy advocacy and executive networking at the large national level. Much broader portfolio and scale than WdF, but overlapping in representing executive interests to policymakers.

Others

• Forum Alpbach: Austrian interdisciplinary forum convening leaders from science, politics, business, and civil society. Comparable audience and content (high-level executive dialogue, leadership themes) but operates as an annual event/conference rather than a continuous membership network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI0hHyhd8NFN2lOUtAOSkJw
• Facebookfacebook.com/wdfat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wdfat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WdF - Wirtschaftsforum der Führungskräfte