From September 14–17, 2025, our second Learning Journey with the Data-Driven Business MBA cohort from Porsche Holding took place in London. We kicked off at Advantage Austria London (Austria’s international trade organization) with a briefing by Dr. Peter Pesl, Head of Technology & Innovation, and Mag. Michael Müller, Austrian Economic Delegate to the United Kingdom. Their insights set the stage for understanding the role of economic diplomacy and the specific dynamics of the UK business ecosystem during and after Brexit.

Data-driven business students at Advantage Austria London.
 

Data-driven business students at Advantage Austria London. 

The first full day began at King’s College London with Dr. Robyn Klingler-Vidra, who lectured on innovation in the local context, success factors, and foundational economic theory. A visit from members of the Oasis founders’ community illustrated London’s international, founder-led energy. Jonathan Crook complemented the session with an overview of the UK’s current trade and innovation priorities.

Back at King’s, Peter Shearman (former Head of Cisco’s Innovation Center) deepened our perspective on the mechanics of innovation. In the afternoon, we visited the Data Observatory at Imperial College London, where Prof. Mark Kennedy presented data & AI applications in HR, the future of work, and talent implications – an optimistic outlook that closed the day on a high note.

The students were fascinated by the Data Observatory at Imperial College.
 

The students were fascinated by the Data Observatory at Imperial College. 

On day two, Prof. Paolo Aversa explored digital transformation and business models – an ideal runway to our site visit at Meta, where students learned about data-driven advertising models. Markus Reinisch, Vice President Public Policy, EMEA, provided an inside view of the public policy function and its intersections with data.

We then turned to Wise, where senior leaders showed how customer-centric product decisions are powered by responsible, long-horizon data use, positioning Wise as a category-defining player.

Exclusive insights into Wise's business model

Exclusive insights into Wise's business model

The final day focused on the future of global business with Dr. Johann Fortwengel. After a short walk across King’s scenic Strand Campus, we headed to Gallup at The Shard, where Andreas Dobler and Ellie Beech shared evidence-based insights from Gallup’s workplace and HR analytics. Our last stop, Antler – a leading startup accelerator – offered success stories and a clear view of how Antler fits into London’s venture ecosystem.

We concluded with a wrap-up by the Academic Director Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Güttel, helping participants synthesize the key takeaways:

• Strategy: How data reframes business models, policy, and market entry.
• Organization & Talent: Data-literate leadership, future skills, and evidence-based HR.
• Innovation: Founder ecosystems, corporate–startup bridges, and responsible AI adoption.

Thank you to all our academic and corporate partners for opening their doors and sharing candid insights. The Learning Journey translated London’s multiple faces of data into concrete leadership capabilities our participants can apply immediately across Porsche Holding.

The students and Prof. Güttel on the roof terrace of King's College at Strand Campus 

The students and Prof. Güttel on the roof terrace of King's College at Strand Campus