A Trusted Executive Network for Leaders Across Central and Eastern Europe
The wiiw Executive Network brings together senior executives with regional responsibility across Central and Eastern Europe for structured peer exchange, independent research, and practical discussion of strategic challenges. Membership is by invitation or enquiry and is designed for executives who value open, experience-based dialogue supported by high-quality economic and business analysis.
About wiiw
The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) is one of Europe’s leading research institutes for economic analysis and forecasting across Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe.
Its analytical foundation underpins the wiiw Executive Network by providing independent, data-driven insights that support senior executives in their strategic decision-making.
Who Participates
Roles represented in the network include:
- CEOs and Managing Directors
- Regional and Country Managers
- CFOs and Finance Directors
- Strategy, Transformation, and Operations leaders
- Senior executives responsible for CEE markets
The network brings together leaders from different industries to enable peer exchange and the transfer of practical approaches across sectors.
Consumer Goods Retail Professional Services Technology Manufacturing Pharmaceuticals Medical Devices Financial Services Industrials
What Members Gain
Peer Exchange
Structured, in-person discussions among peers with comparable regional responsibilities, designed to encourage open exchange on strategic priorities, execution challenges, and trade-offs faced by leaders operating across Central and Eastern Europe.
Independent Insights
Independent insights grounded in award-winning economic analysis and forecasting, translated into clear, decision-relevant language that helps senior leaders cut through noise, understand key drivers, and make informed decisions.
Practical Perspective
A broader, experience-based perspective gained from exposure to how similar challenges are addressed in different organisational and industry contexts, enabling members to stress-test assumptions and adapt relevant approaches within their own organisations.
Trusted Community
A trusted network of senior executives who engage professionally and openly, supported by the research and insights provided by wiiw.
How the Executive Network Works
Designed to turn insight into discussion, and discussion into community
Executive Network meetings are deliberately designed to balance insight and discussion. Each meeting begins with focused presentations that provide economic and strategic framing for the topic at hand, drawing on wiiw’s research and current regional developments.
Rather than relying on traditional panel formats during meetings, time together is structured to prioritise peer discussion. This enables participants to engage directly, compare approaches, and explore trade-offs in a confidential setting.
Panel-style conversations have not been removed, but repositioned. In-depth interviews and expert discussions are captured through the Executive Network’s podcast, CEE Exchange, allowing members to engage with these perspectives on demand.
The format emphasises continuity rather than one-off events, allowing topics, insights, and relationships to develop over time as conditions evolve.
Each meeting is structured around:
- A focused economic and regional briefing from wiiw analysts to frame the macroeconomic and business outlook
- A deep dive into proprietary Executive Network survey findings, providing data-driven insight into how peers across the region are responding to key strategic challenges
- Facilitated peer discussions among senior leaders, enabling comparison of approaches, trade-offs, and execution choices
- Practical takeaways drawn from shared experience, allowing insights to be translated into decision-relevant perspective
Who the Network Is For
The wiiw Executive Network is designed for:
- Senior leaders with regional responsibility across Central and Eastern Europe who value informed discussion, independent insight, and peer exchange grounded in real decision-making experience
- Board-level executives and senior managers from leading international and major homegrown companies operating across multiple CEE markets
- Executives actively shaping strategy, navigating regional complexity, and seeking perspective beyond their own organisation or sector
Membership Enquiry
To learn more about the wiiw Executive Network, please complete the enquiry form. A member of the team will follow up to discuss fit and next steps.