Your conference dedicated to leadership success –
today, tomorrow and beyond.
Your conference dedicated to leadership success –
today, tomorrow and beyond.
Leadership Horizon returns on May 5th. 2026
We are still shaping what 2026 will bring: the theme, the panels, and the people who will take the stage. But one thing is already certain: we’ll meet again — in Vienna and across the globe. This event brings together international leadership professionals, HR decision-makers, innovators and strategists from all sectors to explore what it means to lead in times of rapid change, transformation, and emerging technologies.
📣 Theme: Thriving in complexity and speed.
New Leadership skills in the AI Era.
Speakers to be announced later this year — because the future is still unfolding.
1 full day of development | ~ 9 am - 5 pm
International leadership experts and practicioners
Top-notch leadership tools & strategies
In Vienna - the heart of Europe or join online
Join us online or @ our stunning location SO/Vienna
Mark your calendars, Join like-minded leaders and discuss success strategies for Leadership for today, tomorrow and beyond and be ready to delve into the dynamic interplay between human connection and artificial intelligence.
SO/Vienna is a vibrant lifestyle hotel that surprises with contemporary and memorable impressions. It captures the authentic atmosphere of Austria’s capital city, Vienna.
Address: Praterstrasse 1, 1020 Vienna
Leadership Horizon 2025 Highlights –
Browse the Inspiring Speakers and Topics That Shaped the Previous Event:
Dr. Ayesha Khanna
AI Advisor, Forbes Groundbreaking Female Entrepreneur, LinkedIn Top Voice for AI
Dr. Ayesha Khanna is the Co-Founder and CEO of Addo, a global artificial intelligence (AI) solutions firm. Ayesha was recognized as a trailblazing female entrepreneur in Southeast Asia. She provides strategic advisory to on artificial intelligence, smart cities, and the metaverse.
Future of Work: Amplifying Human Potential in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Dr. Khanna will explored how AI (+ agents) are reshaping leadership, focusing on the synergy between technological innovation and human-centered strategies.
Hamza Khan & Bailey Parnell
Entrepreneurs, Educators, Speakers
Hamza Khan and Bailey Parnell are award-winning speakers and entrepreneurs shaping the future of leadership. With expertise in workplace culture, digital resilience, and AI-driven growth, they returned to Leadership Horizon 2025 to introduce SAIGE, their AI-powered leadership coach.
Beyond Keynotes: What We’ve Been Working on for Leadership Development
The Power Duo Returns: Hamza Khan & Bailey Parnell at Leadership Horizon 2025
In 2023, Hamza Khan took the stage. In 2024, Bailey Parnell followed. In 2025, they returned—together.
For the first time at Leadership Horizon, this dynamic duo shared what they’ve been working on behind the scenes: SAIGE—an AI-powered coach designed to support leadership development.
Malcolm Werchota
Business Strategist & AI Evangelist
Malcolm is an AI strategist specializing in driving transformation. With extensive experience across industries, he co-founded Coating AI and advises organizations on integrating AI. He is known for promoting ethical AI use, fostering data-driven cultures, and preparing leaders for the evolving role of AI in business.
Co-Leading with AI – How Humans, Voice, and AI Agents Shape the Future Together
In a world where artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly and modern voice technologies are fundamentally transforming workflows, leaders are challenged to rethink “co-leading” from the ground up.
This keynote explored how AI agents and voice interfaces can work hand in hand with humans to drive innovation, productivity, and true collaboration—always keeping the human factor at the center.
4 Core Points:
- Understanding New Roles
Why the workforce of the future is no longer exclusively human and how leadership roles are evolving in co-leading with AI agents. - Voice as an Adoption Accelerator
How voice interfaces break down barriers, accelerate processes, and make everyday work seamless and intuitive. - Balancing Efficiency and Humanity
How AI systems not only save time and costs but also create space for empathy, creativity, and interpersonal exchange. - Responsibility and Security
How organizations can uphold ethical standards, data protection, and compliance while unlocking the full potential of AI solutions.
Ernst Balla
HR Director – Voestalpine Metal Forming
Dr. Ernst Balla, is an experienced HR leader and coach. He joined voestalpine AG in 2008. Since 2021, he has been the HR Director of the Metal Forming Division, overseeing 12,000 employees in 16 countries. He also lectures at universities, contributes to publications on leadership and change management.
Insight into Voestalpine’s AI-Driven HR Transformation"
Ernst Balla, HR Director at voestalpine Metal Forming GmbH, shared insights from their in-depth field study, analyzing AI’s potential in HR across different groups.
Gernot Winter
Founder of Superintelligenz.eu
Gernot Winter is an Austrian entrepreneur and expert in artificial intelligence (AI). He co-founded Superintelligenz.eu, a platform dedicated to AI advancements, is a active founding Member of the AI Circle in Austria and serves as a publisher of TRAiNiNG magazine, which focuses on professional development and training.
Stop Hiring Humans! How, Why, and When AI Agents Will Replace Us in the Workforce
This future-focused keynote delved into how AI agents are set to revolutionize the workforce, redefining roles and challenging traditional concepts of hiring.
With insights that reflect the rapid advancements, this session offered more than just talk—it was a live demonstration of what AI agents can already achieve today, setting the stage for what’s next.
Kirstin Zellmer
Leadership Ambassador at PwC Germany
Kirstin Zellmer is an experienced expert in People & Organization at PwC Germany, driving innovative solutions for leadership development. With a strong focus on coaching, leadership upskilling, and AI-powered tools, she helps organizations shape a future-ready leadership culture.
People Manager Guide – an PWC AI-driven knowledge tool
At Leadership Horizon 2025, she introduced the People Manager Guide – an AI-driven knowledge tool designed to support self-reflection and coaching in everyday leadership. The PM-Guide provides leaders with curated resources, proven methodologies, and structured reflection processes—right when they need them. In her session, Kirstin Zellmer showcased how this smart tool serves as a practical companion for leadership challenges and how AI can enhance leadership development.
DI Patrick Ratheiser
CEO, Founder, Board Member AI Austria
Patrick is a recognized AI expert & founder of Leftshift One, specializing in Gen AI. In 2022, Forbes named him one of the top 22 managers shaping the year. In 2024, he was ranked among Austria’s leading AI experts. He is also a board member of AI Austria & regularly shares his insights on AI’s business potential as a speaker.
F2F Workshop 5 AI-H.A.B.I.Ts - Habits for Companies That Want to Succeed with AI
Patrick Ratheiser led a one-hour workshop before lunch on AI-H.A.B.I.Ts – The 5 Habits for Companies That Really Want to Succeed with AI. This in-person only session offered practical insights on how businesses can effectively harness the power of AI.
To keep things as accessible as possible, we’ve tailored the session with a mix of language options – the workshop was in German, followed by individual 1-on-1 sessions in English in the afternoon at SO/Vienna.
Katharina Stadtler
Specialist Personnel Development
Katharina is Specialist Personnel Development at Bechtle Management GmbH, where she leads initiatives across Austria & Europe in onboarding, building expert communities, knowledge management & leadership training. Alongside her professional role, she is an experienced freelance author, trainer & speaker.
F2F Workshop: How to Find Your AI Spark - A Hands-On Learning Lab for HR & L&D
Five years into the AI-craze and your organisation is still struggeling with the basics? Maybe you are still sceptical?
You might not be a first mover, but it is never too late to embark on a learning journey. So, let’s push the limit of our AI comfortzones together.
In this workshop they used basic open source AI tools to collaboratively create an AI-challenge concept you can use to enlighten your own and your organization’s spark for AI.
Marina Begic
Chief of Innovation & Technology Officer
Marina is redefining leadership development with AI, ensuring it evolves as fast as technology itself. She focuses on AI-driven learning, personalized development, and smart knowledge transfer, leading MDI’s AI Leadership Lab in collaboration with experts, clients, and thought leaders.
Online Only Workshop: Bringing AI into Your Organization – Tips, Tools & Exchange
🚀 How can AI truly add value to your organization?
This was an interactive ONLINE Barcamp-style session with MDI’s Chief Innovation & Technology Officer, Marina.
- With practical tips & tools from MDI’s AI expertise
Basti Koch
Business Owner & Product Director
Basti is a specialist in e-learning and business owner of several digital learning solutions at Haufe Akademie. He has supported organizations such as a U.S. secret service & the London police in enhancing their training. He firmly believes that with the right learning culture and development strategy, employees can drive their company’s future.
Leading Beyond Limits: Foster Growth & Drive Successs
In this engaging keynote, digital learning expert Basti Koch, who has successfully guided transformation initiatives in complex environments—including a U.S. intelligence agency— shared actionable insights on how to embed a growth mindset into your leadership DNA.
Ruben Hetfleisch
AI Expert | Founder | Researcher | Lecturer
Ruben Hetfleisch is a leading voice in Generative AI, heading AI Austria’s board, founding Klartext AI, and researching trustworthy AI at Fraunhofer Austria, particularly in LLM applications and sustainability reporting. As a lecturer at WU Wien and TU Wien, he educates professionals on AI’s impact.
Panel Guest
At Leadership Horizon 2025, we had a panel discussion on AI’s transformative role in leadership and learning.
Barbora Dörflinger
Innovation & AI Lead @ UNIQA
Barbora Dörflinger is the Innovation & AI Lead at UNIQA, focusing on personal insurance and asset management. With over 10 years of experience in corporate innovation, customer experience, and digitalization, she drives future-oriented initiatives. Her work always centers on delivering tangible value—for customers, the business, and the teams alike.
Panel Guest
Barbora Dörflinger took part in this panel exploring the question: “How much leadership can we hand over to AI (agents) – and how much of a human touch does leadership still absolutely require?”
Gunther Fürstberger
CEO & Leadership Expert
Gunther Fürstberger is a seasoned leadership trainer, author & CEO of MDI, a global company specializing in leadership development. With over two decades of experience, he has collaborated with many organizations. His expertise lies in guiding leaders through digital transformation & the integration of AI in leaderhip practices.
Opening Insights
European headquartered companies need to find their place in the global economic world again. To regain a leadership role and growth, they need to embrace the potential of AI with passion and responsibility. The vast amount of innovation potential of AI applications in all industries and the enormous productivity potential of AI agents is only just getting started. Leaders in European companies need to change their mindset now to stay relevant.
Gunther Fuerstberger explained why we chose the topic of ““Leading with AI Agents: Navigating the Future of Human-AI Leadership” for Leadership Horizon 2025 as the most important challenge for today’s leaders and gives an overview of the composition of the day.
Steffi Bärmann
Academic Expert & Lecturer
Steffi Bärmann is an Academic Expert & Lecturer at FHWien der WKW, specializing in HR Development, Training & Coaching. Her research interests are centered on the integration of artificial intelligence in human resources, particularly concerning trust between employees, managers, and AI-supported systems in HR development.
Community Garden Exchange
Community Garden Exchange: AI vs. Humans – Who Do We Trust in Skill Management?
The use of AI in skill management is a hot topic. Even when ethical principles are followed, getting leaders and employees on board remains a challenge. In this open discussion round, Steffi Bärmann shared insights from a qualitative study on how companies implement AI in skill management. She explored the needs of employees and leaders, the skills required, and how to foster trust in AI-driven processes.
Anita Berger
Change & Dialogue Catalyst
Anita is an executive coach, consultant & trainer with a strong focus on leadership development, transformation processes and organizational culture. She brings over 25 years of leadership experience. Her expertise spans agile change management, virtual & hybrid leadership and strategic talent development.
Pause for Transformation
As the Change & Dialogue Catalyst, Anita guided participants through thought-provoking breakout discussions, providing practical coaching tools and key insights to support change leadership.
Peter Grabuschnig
Trainer, Coach & Mindset-Speaker
Peter is a leadership trainer, coach, and speaker specializing in L&D, communication and hybrid leadership. As the founder of Businessmindsetter, he drives mindset-focused growth. As a MDI Partner he has trained participants from over 40 nationalities. His work earned the Corporate Vision Award 2024.
Meet Your Moderation Power Duo
Peter Grabuschnig and Marilena Maris were the dynamic moderation team leading through Leadership Horizon 2025!
Bella Volen
Interdisciplinary Visual Artist
Bella Volen is a Vienna-based interdisciplinary artist, curator and instructor blending classical and digital art. She paints, bodypaints, photographs and creates immersive AR experiences. She has won 18 global awards, lectures at the World Bodypainting Academy and opened her own gallery in Vienna in 2021.
AI Vision Lab – Turning Ideas into Images
Leadership Horizon 2025, the AI Vision Lab invited you to explore how AI can support visual creation. With the guidance of the professional painter Bella Volen, you’ll experiment with AI tools and discover how words, concepts, and abstract ideas can be transformed into compelling visuals.
Marilena Maris
International Learning & Development Expert
Marilena is a Member of the Shareholder Council and leadership expert at MDI. She specializes in leadership development, innovation, creativity, and emotional intelligence, focusing on sustainable performance and achieving results. Since 2008, she has trained leaders and experts in over 30 countries through workshops, keynotes, coaching, and international programs.
Meet Your Moderation Power Duo
Peter Grabuschnig and Marilena Maris were the dynamic moderation team leading through Leadership Horizon 2025!
Connect with Cozy Juicy Real
Beyond Networking:
Cozy Juicy Real is the winner of the Sparks Play Award for Connection 🏆 They are trusted by teams at Google, IKEA, Adobe, HubSpot and many others, and proud to be one of the top-rated networking and team-building experiences worldwide.
Beyond Networking: Connect with the Community
At the 2025 event we played a deceptively simple board game and easily connected with others in the Leadership Horizon community – no awkwardness or forced fun.
Rafael Ungvari
Artificial Intelligence Specialist
Rafael is an AI Specialist at MDI, working with the AI Taskforce to build the MD AI Lab, leveraging roleplay chatbots and avatars to transform learning and development. His innovative work at MDI draws on skills honed during his volunteer experience with the European Union, where he led dialogues on topics such as climate change and EU career opportunities.
MDI AI LAB: real, usable & practical
Rafael, AI Specialist at MDI, is all about turning ideas into action. Instead of just talking about AI, he’s making it real, usable, and practical—experimenting, adapting, and improving as he goes. Together with Günther Fürstberger, he kicked off the day by showcasing AI agents in action live on stage. Throughout the event, Rafael was at the MDI AI Lab Desk, guiding anyone interested through the MDI AI Lab.
Who will join us in 2026?
More to come
#staytuned
Tickets:
🚨 Ultra Early Bird Tickets available for Leadership Horizon 2026
NGOs, students, and AI community members are invited to contact us directly for special discounted ticket options –
we’re here to make your participation possible! We believe in making learning accessible – let’s grow together!
Ultra Early Bird Tickets
Full day F2F access (incl. online link for more flexibility.)
€ 269 (excl VAT)
ONLINE ONLY - Ticket
€89 (excl VAT)
Tickets with invoice
If, due to your company’s rules, you can only purchase tickets with invoice
Please note that the program incl. content, speakers, & session times, are tentative & subject to change leading up to the event.
Want to know how the LH25 went?
Check out all the amazing LinkedIn Posts HERE.
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Outtakes of our past Leadership Horizons
#LH25 #LH24 #LH23 #LH22:
Meet Your Hosts
MDI & HAUFE AKADEMIE consisting of consultants, project management, solution development, trainers, partners and marketing attend to the entire organization and all your needs. Apart from event organization we support you with tailor-made solutions, virtual skills and agile methods for sustainable leadership development with highly experienced trainers and consultants. Worldwide!
We empower your leadership development journey
Unique services to support future company development
Event Cooperations 2025
It’s quite a while until the next Leadership Horizon
Let’s stay in touch & join our network!
