WU’s New Department of Business Analytics and Decision Sciences Is Taking Shape

Daniel Ringel – Professor of Business Analytics and Decision Sciences with a Methodological Focus on Machine Learning, Symbolic, or Sub-Symbolic AI

Daniel Ringel is an internationally experienced scholar at the intersection of marketing, operations management, and artificial intelligence. His research focuses particularly on AI and agentic AI applications, as well as machine learning methods for strategic and operational business decisions. His work has been published in leading international journals such as Marketing Science, the Journal of Marketing Research, and Information Systems Research. Daniel Ringel also brings extensive practical experience to Vienna: He has worked as a management consultant at the Monitor Group, as a director and management consultant, and currently he works as an advisor and keynote speaker. In 2005, he founded Ringel Modellbau, an international company specializing in remote-controlled and autonomous electric model airplanes, which he sold in 2011. After completing his executive MBA degree at the Goethe Business School as part of a program held in collaboration with Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, he earned his PhD from Goethe University Frankfurt in 2017. He then joined the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina. His research and teaching have received numerous awards, including the EHI Science Award, the Deutscher Marketingverband Research Prize, the Wolfgang Ritter Prize, and the Weatherspoon Award for Excellence in Teaching (twice). In September 2026, he joined WU as a professor to help develop the new Department of Business Analytics and Decision Sciences with his international research, teaching, and professional experience.

Mathias Staudigl – Professor of Business Analytics and Decision Sciences

Mathias Staudigl earned his PhD in economics from the University of Vienna in 2010. After holding positions at the universities of Bielefeld and Maastricht, he served as professor of mathematical optimization at the University of Mannheim starting in 2023. His research combines mathematical optimization with operations research, game theory, and machine learning. In this work, he develops theoretical foundations and numerical methods for complex optimization problems, applied in areas such as energy systems, medical imaging, and artificial intelligence. With his expertise in mathematical optimization and business analytics, Professor Staudigl will help shape the development of the new Department of Business Analytics and Decision Sciences.

Wenjie Tang – Professor of Business Analytics and Decision Sciences with a Methodological Focus on Simulation, Optimization, Experimentation, Algorithmic Game Theory, and Market Design

Wenjie Tang's research falls into the general areas of Operations Management and Judgment and Decision Making, using mainly analytical models and laboratory experiments. Her research has been published in journals such as Management Science, Production & Operations Management, Psychological Science, and Strategic Management Journal. She received her PhD in Decision Sciences from INSEAD, and BSc in Physics from Fudan University. Before joining WU, she worked at IE Business School, National University of Singapore, and University of Vienna.

David Wozabal – Professor of Business Analytics and Decision Sciences with a Methodological Focus on Simulation, Optimization, Experimentation, Algorithmic Game Theory, and Market Design

David Wozabal is a Professor of Business Analytics and Decision Sciences, focusing on simulation, optimization, experimentation, algorithmic game theory, and market design. He earned his PhD in statistics from the University of Vienna in 2008. After holding a professorship at the Technical University of Munich, he became professor of management science and machine learning at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 2023. His research examines how robust, data-driven decisions can be made under uncertainty. To this end, he combines methods from operations research, statistics, and machine learning, applying them to areas such as energy and financial markets, logistics, and risk management. David Wozabal will bring his expertise in data-driven decision-making and quantitative methods to bear in the establishment of the new department.

Dirk Wulff – Professor of AI and Behavioural Science

Dirk Wulff earned his PhD in psychology in 2015 from the University of Basel and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. After holding research positions in Berlin and Basel, he most recently served as a senior scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, heading the Learning and Metascience research areas. His research bridges the gap between cognitive and behavioral sciences and artificial intelligence. On the one hand, he investigates how large language models can be used as research tools to analyze and model human behavior, for example in the study of information-seeking and learning processes. On the other hand, he also uses methods and data from behavioral science to empirically investigate AI systems and improve their development and evaluation. Professor Wulff will contriubte his research expertise at the intersection of artificial intelligence and behavioral sciences to the new department.

Nysret Musliu – Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Optimization

Nysret Musliu is a professor of artificial intelligence and optimization. He studied at the University of Prishtina’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering, specializing in telecommunications and computer science. In 2001, he earned his PhD in computer science from TU Wien, where he also obtained his habilitation in applied computer science in 2007. He currently serves as an associate professor in the Databases and Artificial Intelligence research group at TU Wien, where he heads the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (CAIML). He previously directed the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Optimization in Planning and Scheduling. His research combines methods from artificial intelligence, machine learning, and combinatorial optimization. He focuses on innovative methods for solving complex planning and decision-making problems in areas such as personnel and resource planning, scheduling, and timetabling. Contributing his expertise at the intersection of AI and optimization, Nysret Musliu will join the Department of Business Analytics and Decision Sciences in February 2027.

Learn more about the team at: https://www.wu.ac.at/en/bads/team