New dean of the WU Executive Academy

Under her deanship, WU Vienna's business school is to continue its successful track record. Moreover, the WU Executive Academy will further strengthen its position as both a leading player in the international MBA market and Austria's top executive-education provider.

The WU Executive Academy's new dean, Prof. Barbara Stöttinger (WU Vienna, Institute for International Marketing Management), is highly qualified and has not only a wealth of marketing knowledge with a sound academic underpinning but also years of experience in MBA and executive education. 

"For ten years, the WU Executive Academy has been WU Vienna's one-stop shop when it comes to career development. Today, it is a leading executive-education provider, offering a wide range of training programs tailored around the latest job-market requirements. Over the coming years, we want to further strengthen the WU Executive Academy's position at the international level, grow our network and continue to ensure that we meet the highest quality standards. Barbara Stöttinger is the best choice to achieve these goals together. She became an academic director at the WU Executive Academy in 2007, has won many (inter)national awards as a lecturer and has acquired a wealth of business experience before and during her academic career. It is a privilege to appoint her as the WU Executive Academy's new dean," says Edeltraud Hanappi-Egger.

An Austrian success story that is set to continue

When WU Vienna founded the WU Executive Academy in 2005, MBA graduates were few and far between, both in Austria and abroad. Today, WU Vienna and all of the WU Executive Academy's MBA programs hold a "triple-crown" accreditation (AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS). The Global Executive MBA is one of the world's top 100 MBA programs. Barbara Stöttinger, who is a native of Upper Austria, intends to continue this track record of success: "I appreciate the confidence that the new rector of WU Vienna has placed in me. My predecessor, Bodo Schlegelmilch, has set the bar very high—I am perfectly aware of that and more than happy to accept the challenge. In the future, even greater emphasis is to be put on some points, e.g. on the international profiles of our programs. Our faculty of internationally renowned academics from both WU Vienna and WU Vienna's global network, the international field & study trips, which form an integral part of many curricula, and, above all, the international make-up of our classes are some of the USPs that will play a key role in setting the WU Executive Academy apart from its numerous competitors. Ensuring that we meet the highest quality standards on a long-term basis will undoubtedly be particularly important in this context. Our triple accreditation is a significant milestone, and we have to make sure we will keep this hallmark of excellence. Furthermore, I plan to put special emphasis on the continued development of our portfolio in those areas where WU Vienna and the WU Executive Academy are international trailblazers. These include, inter alia, finance, energy, entrepreneurship & innovation and our Master of Laws programs."

"We want the WU Executive Academy to be not only a leading international player but also Austria's number one provider of the sort of high-quality, university-based executive education that WU Vienna has been known to offer for decades."

About Barbara Stöttinger

Barbara Stöttinger holds a doctoral degree from WU Vienna. In 2003, she earned her post-doctoral lecturing qualification in international marketing. Before joining the Institute for International Marketing Management, Barbara Stöttinger worked in the marketing department of an international consumer goods manufacturer (consumer electronics) and as a consultant. As part of her research, she has spent considerable amounts of time in the USA and in Canada. Moreover, she has lectured on marketing and international marketing in Europe, Asia and North America for many years and has won several teaching awards. Since 2007, Barbara Stöttinger has been the academic director of the WU Executive Academy's Professional MBA Marketing & Sales.