Dr. Peter J. Friedl is a media and technology entrepreneur with extensive international experience.

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He grew up in a bicultural environment split between Austria and Germany.

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He completed his studies in economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration. In addition, he studied at Harvard University (Boston), the Sorbonne Université (Paris), the School of International Banking (London), Columbia University (New York City), ESADE (Barcelona) and the London Business School.

He gained professional experience working for the Anglo-Alpha Group of Companies (Johannesburg/South Africa), Creditanstalt-Bankverein (New York City) and the Treuhandanstalt (East Berlin). 
 
He completed his doctorate at the University of Vienna with the distinction summa cum laude. His dissertation in the field of corporate accounting and auditing dealt with the topic “Cash flow statements and liquidity analysis”.

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In 1994, he undertook a six-month trip on a round-the-world ticket, which took him across five continents and through fifteen countries.

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In 1997, he moved to Shanghai in the People's Republic of China. He assisted German and Austrian companies from the construction supply sector in entering the Chinese market and connecting with Chinese business partners. Over the course of ten years, he developed an online store for market studies and digital business information. In cooperation with 40 Chinese partner companies, up to 5,000 different market studies were marketed to international customers, primarily from the United States, Germany, Great Britain and Japan. Customers included Accenture, American Express, Astra Zeneca, Credit Suisse First Boston, Deloitte Emerging Markets, Economist Intelligence Unit, Ernst & Young, FedEx, Gallup Research, Goldman Sachs, Harvard Business School, Mars & Co, McKinsey & Company, Inc, Roland Berger & Partner, Siemens AG and Walt Disney.

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Having worked successfully in China for ten years, he returned to Austria for personal reasons.
 
Back in Vienna in 2008, inspired by his Chinese business model, he launched the exclusive English-language information service “Vindobona - Vienna International News” to serve decision-makers in the international community. It aims to provide the foreign expatriate community in Vienna, especially diplomats, with relevant diplomatic, political and economic information and thus promote their work and networking.

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Vindobona's readers include employees of some 125 bilateral and 200 multilateral representations, 50 international and quasi-international organizations and their sub-organizations (such as the UN, IAEA, UNIDO, CTBTO, UNODC, OSCE, OPEC, NGOs), 300 subsidiaries of foreign companies, 130 foreign friendship societies and international service providers (chambers of commerce, think tanks, headhunters, lawyers, auditors, consultants, media outlets, tourism companies, trade fair and conference organizers, investment and relocation agencies).

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Advertising clients and partners include embassies, real estate companies, private hospitals, automobile and luxury goods manufacturers, educational institutions, tourism, gastronomy and hotel businesses, airlines, industrial relocation agencies, event organizers, consultants, lawyers and other service providers.

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The Vindobona newsletter, which is sent to subscribers several times a week, now reaches more than 100,000 unique clients and generates over 2.5 million page views annually. The portal reaches a remarkable 80-90 percent of the relevant diplomatic target group in Vienna.
 
As a teenager, Peter J. Friedl competed in athletics and was one of the top 7 middle-distance runners in Germany, winning the State Championship of Hesse several times. He later went on to prove his athletic endurance with over 20 marathons and two Ironman triathlons.