art of life

What art of life does

Art of Life is an Austrian-based leadership development and executive education company founded in 2015 by Mag. Werner Sattlegger, operating as a sole proprietorship with offices in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Vienna, and San Francisco. The company curates highly selective, invitation-only executive programs — most prominently the five-day Silicon Valley Executive Learning Journey capped at seven participants — that connect European industrial owners and CEOs with AI strategy, technology ecosystems, and leadership maturity frameworks. Its core products include the Silicon Valley Executive Learning Journey, the Circle of 7 confidential peer network, the Leadership Maturity Review, Executive Sparring (1:1 coaching), Masterclasses (The Art of Conducting, On Stage), Keynotes, and a Silicon Valley Corporate Learning Journey for teams. The company also publishes books on mature leadership and produces a podcast, online talks, journal content, and a newsletter.

The underlying "technology" of Art of Life is its curated program design, cohort methodology, and the founder's personal network of Silicon Valley AI founders, investors, and operators — not proprietary software or AI systems. The business model is professional services, with high-value, undisclosed program fees for the invitation-only journeys (multi-year contracts), supplemented by 1:1 sparring, keynote fees, paid and free online content, and modest book sales (€25 and €13 hardcover titles) through an owned e-commerce shop. Go-to-market is relationship-driven and founder-led: there is no public booking, no paid advertising, and acquisition flows through personal invitation, confidential pre-conversations, and Circle of 7 peer referrals.

Art of Life serves a tightly defined segment — owners, CEOs, and managing directors of European industrial world market leaders (Mittelstand/Hidden Champions) — addressing organizational and leadership readiness for AI-driven transformation rather than the technology itself. The company claims 190 executives from 70 companies served since 2015 (as of the 2020 Yearbook), with named testimonials from WINTERSTEIGER Holding AG, WINTERSTEIGER Seedmech GmbH, and HIRSCH Servo. It is founder-owned with no disclosed venture capital, institutional investors, or parent company.

Name

art of life

Legal name

Mag. Werner Sattlegger

Website

https://the-art-of-life.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Art of Life provides invitation-only executive learning journeys, leadership advisory, and AI-focused programs for European industrial owners and CEOs, anchored by a five-day Silicon Valley program capped at seven participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Leadership Development

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)

Keywords

• Executive education programs
• Leadership development services
• Industrial transformation advisory
• Executive coaching services
• Organizational development consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Klagenfurt am Wörthersee

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Executive Learning Journeys: High-value executive education programs in Silicon Valley for European industrial leaders. Revenue generated through program fees (travel and accommodation typically separate). Not publicly priced; invitation-only model.
2. Executive Formats & Masterclasses: Ongoing programs including Executive Sparring (1:1), Masterclasses (On Stage, The Art of Conducting), and Leadership Maturity Review. Revenue from individual program fees.
3. Online Talks & Webinars: Free and paid online content covering AI, leadership, and digital transformation topics. May include premium webinar registrations.
4. Book Sales: Sale of published books: 'Die Kunst reifer Führung' (€25) and 'Wenn die Sehnsucht über die Angst hinaus wächst' (€13). Physical books sold through the company's shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Art of Life provides invitation-only executive learning journeys and leadership advisory programs for European industrial owners and CEOs. The flagship offering is a five-day Silicon Valley Executive Learning Journey limited to seven participants, combined with ongoing confidential peer group work (Circle of 7), executive sparring (1:1 coaching), leadership maturity reviews, masterclasses, and keynotes, all focused on preparing industrial leaders for AI-driven transformation. The company also sells leadership books through its own online shop.

Product overview

Art of Life is a leadership development and organizational culture consultancy that connects European industrial world market leaders with technologies shaping the next industrial era. The core offering is a portfolio of executive learning formats centered on leadership maturity and organizational transformation, including the flagship Silicon Valley Executive Learning Journey (5-day confidential program for European industrial CEOs, limited to 7 participants, leading to Circle of 7 peer group), Leadership Maturity Review, Executive Sparring, Keynotes, and specialized Masterclasses (The Art of Conducting, On Stage). The company also publishes books on leadership including 'Die Kunst reifer Führung' and 'Wenn die Sehnsucht über die Angst hinaus wächst', and produces digital content through Online Talks and Podcast. Programs focus on developing mature leadership, managing resistance to change, and preparing organizations for AI-driven transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 7-figure savings through shorter cycle times, higher quality, and reduced complexity from AI implementations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Singularity University: Singularity University runs executive and leadership programs on exponential technologies (AI, biotech, etc.) for senior leaders, often using intensive cohort formats and Silicon Valley exposure. It is the closest analogue to Art of Life's Silicon Valley Executive Learning Journey in terms of audience (executives), subject (emerging tech, particularly AI), and experiential cohort design.

Broad incumbents

• IMD Business School: IMD is a Switzerland-based business school with a strong executive education portfolio serving senior leaders of European industrial and family-owned firms. It is comparable to Art of Life because it targets a similar Mittelstand/owner-CEO audience and competes for the same discretionary executive education budget, though at much larger scale and broader topic coverage.
• ESMT Berlin: ESMT Berlin is a German-language business school in the European Mittelstand corridor with executive education programs targeting senior leaders of German industrial companies. It overlaps with Art of Life's core segment (European industrial owners/CEOs) and competes for similar learning journey and leadership program spend.
• University of St. Gallen Executive School: The University of St. Gallen Executive School serves German-speaking executives, with a strong franchise among Mittelstand and family-owned industrial companies. It competes with Art of Life for the same buyer profile on leadership and management development programs, with a much broader curriculum and brand footprint.
• Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Education: Stanford GSB Executive Education runs premium Silicon Valley-grounded programs for global executives, including on technology strategy and leadership. It overlaps with Art of Life on Silicon Valley-as-classroom and AI/technology strategy content, though at a much larger scale and with a broader, less industrially-narrow audience.
• MIT Sloan Executive Education: MIT Sloan Executive Education offers senior leader programs on technology strategy, AI, and organizational transformation. It is comparable to Art of Life on subject matter (AI and leadership) and audience (senior executives) but operates as a global, scaled university brand rather than a boutique curated experience.
• INSEAD Executive Education: INSEAD runs a large executive education portfolio with programs on leadership, digital transformation, and AI aimed at senior executives globally. It competes with Art of Life for European CEO-level learning journeys, with broader geographic reach but a less industrially specialized curriculum.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG): BCG, particularly through BCG X, BCG Henderson Institute, and its Industrial Goods practice, advises European industrial leaders on AI strategy and organizational transformation. It is comparable to Art of Life on the AI strategy + industrial Mittelstand intersection, though it operates as a global generalist consultancy rather than a curated experiential program.
• McKinsey & Company (including QuantumBlack): McKinsey, especially through QuantumBlack and its Operations practice, advises industrial CEOs on AI adoption and organization redesign. It competes with Art of Life on the AI strategy for industrial owners value proposition but delivers it as fee-for-service consulting rather than curated executive learning.
• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm with deep leadership development and executive advisory practices serving senior industrial leaders. It is comparable to Art of Life on the leadership advisory / executive coaching surface (Executive Sparring, Leadership Maturity Review) but at much larger scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/art-of-life

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 art of life