Observed Signal · Jan 26, 2026 · Hiring · Source: Trending Topics · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
EY Austria Hires Leftshift One Founder as Head of AI
EY Austria has hired Patrick Ratheiser, founder and former CEO of Austrian AI startup Leftshift One, as Director and Head of AI. Ratheiser will lead the expansion of EY's AI consulting services, helping clients integrate AI into core business processes, build AI literacy, and scale productive AI systems. He handed over the CEO role at Leftshift One to Stefan Horn in September. Susanne Zach, Partner and Head of AI & Data at EY Austria, welcomed Ratheiser's appointment. The move is part of EY's broader investment strategy: the firm invests over $1 billion annually in AI-first platforms, with more than 1,000 AI agents, over 100 internal applications, and more than 15,000 employees working on AI-related projects globally. Ratheiser previously worked at BearingPoint and has led more than 170 AI projects.
Hiring of a well-known AI founder and EY's substantial AI investment signal continued enterprise AI consulting growth, relevant for AI-driven business transformation but not a direct AdTech industry event.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Patrick Ratheiser was appointed Director and Head of AI at EY Austria.
- Ratheiser previously founded Austrian AI startup Leftshift One and handed over the CEO role to Stefan Horn in September.
- EY invests over $1 billion annually in AI-first platforms and products.
- EY reports more than 1,000 AI agents, over 100 internal AI applications, and more than 15,000 employees working on AI-related projects globally.
- Ratheiser has implemented more than 170 AI projects and delivered over 250 talks on AI strategy.
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mapped“EY verstärkt sein Tech-Consulting-Team mit Patrick Ratheiser, der künftig als Director bei EY Österreich die Rolle des Head of AI übernimmt....”
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