Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexander Keßler

Head of the Research Institute for Family Business, Associate Professor at the Institute for Family Business

alexander.kessler@wu.ac.at
+43-1-31336-4667

Alexander Kessler is head of the Research Institute for Family Business and an associate professor at the Institute for Family Business. He received his doctorate and postdoctoral qualification (Habilitation) from WU Vienna.

His research comprises family business and (corporate) entrepreneurship topics with current foci on innovation and digitalization in family businesses and the functioning and management of business families. His work has been published in journals including Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Family Business Review, Journal of Family Business Strategy, Journal of Family Business Management, British Journal of Management, and Industrial and Corporate Change. He is a member of the review board of Family Business Review and the International Family Enterprise Research Academy (IFERA) and regularly reviews for journals including Family Business Review, Journal of Family Business Strategy, and Journal of Small Business Management.

Alexander Kessler received several awards for his research, including the „Wilford White Fellows Award“ of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), the “Emerald Literati Award for Excellence”, the „Rudolf Sallinger Award for SME Research”, and some awards of WU Vienna for journal publications.

He teaches courses on strategic management, marketing management, and organizational change and innovation in the Master’s Program Management at WU Vienna.

Link to publications:

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Univ.-Ass. Dr. Julia Süss-Reyes

Post-doc researcher at the Institute for Family Business

julia.suess-reyes@wu.ac.at
+43-1-31336-6279

Julia Süss-Reyes is post-doc researcher at the Institute for Family Business at WU Vienna. She received her doctorate from WU Vienna in 2016 and subsequently worked as a post-doc researcher at the Open Innovation in Science (OIS) Center at Ludwig Boltzmann Society and Copenhagen Business School as part of her academic activities. She returned to the Institute of Family Business at WU Vienna in 2024.

Her research focuses on the governance and functioning of business families, the future viability of family businesses as well as entrepreneurship and innovation in family businesses. Her research has been published in leading international journals, including Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Industry & Innovation, Journal of Family Business Strategy, Journal of Family Business Management, and Journal of Business Economics. She is a member of the editorial reviewer board of the Journal of Family Business Strategy and the International Family Enterprise Research Academy (IFERA).

Julia’s work has received several awards, e.g., the Best Paper Award from the “Journal of Product Innovation Management Research Forum”, the “Emerald Literati Award for Highly commended Paper”, the Best Reviewer Award from the “International Family Enterprise Research Academy” and some awards of WU Vienna for journal publications.

Julia lectured international courses in Scientific Methods, Strategy and Innovation, Corporate Entrepreneurship, and Family Business Management.

Link to publications:

Pure

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