How Austria's ATX Giants Are Perceived Internationally?
International corporate acquisitions, bold transformation projects, and global economic trends are increasingly shaping how Austrian publicly traded companies are perceived on the world stage.
Austria's ATX companies have long since ceased to be the focus of attention solely within the country. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons; Ninanuri, CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported DEED (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)
A media response analysis conducted by pressrelations Austria, a PR and analytics specialist, and reported by Leadernet,demonstrates that executive boards and CEOs also play a crucial role in managing corporate reputation. In the first half of 2026, all 20 companies in the domestic benchmark index, ATX, as well as their CEOs, were examined for their reach, tone, and thought leadership in global media.
Erste Group Sets a Record for Contacts, AT&S Excels in Tone
When it comes to sheer visibility and attention, Erste Group is clearly in the lead. With 4.22 billion potential reader contacts, the banking group achieved the highest reach among all ATX companies during the analysis period. The main driving factors here were its strong international expansion strategy and outstanding business results. In second and third place are the energy and chemicals group OMV (3.87 billion contacts) and the printed circuit board manufacturer AT&S (2.32 billion contacts).
A different picture emerges when looking at the qualitative tone of the coverage, as demonstrated by AT&S (4.40 out of 5 points), which leads the field. The Styrian technology group is benefiting massively from the global boom in artificial intelligence (AI), investments in international locations, and its inclusion in the STOXX Europe 600.
DO & CO (4.19 points) also secures second place, in part due to widespread international attention in connection with major events such as the FIFA World Cup and Formula 1. The Vienna Insurance Group / VIG (3.95 points) ranks third, driven primarily by a multi-billion-euro acquisition strategy.
M&A Deals and Transformation as Key Drivers
The analysis clearly shows that major acquisitions and strategic realignments are immediately reflected in the global press. Recently, the financial media has focused, among other things, on major takeovers: the planned acquisition of Santander Bank Polska by Erste Group, BAWAG’s expansion in Ireland, and Raiffeisen Bank International’s (RBI) bidding war for Addiko Bank.
Energy and transformation are also receiving significant media coverage. While voestalpine, OMV, and Verbund have been particularly successful in their transition to sustainable technologies, RBI remains strongly linked in international discourse to its remaining business in Russia.
CEOs as Ambassadors of the Corporate Brand
For the first time, the analysis also shows in detail how strongly CEOs shape their companies' reputations. Peter Bosek (Erste Group) and Anas Abuzaakouk (BAWAG) dominated media coverage in the context of international M&A activities. Outgoing OMV CEO Alfred Stern is primarily associated in the media with the complex issues of the energy transition, while Attila Doğudan (DO & CO) enjoys high media visibility as a catering partner for major global sporting events. Herbert Eibensteiner (voestalpine) and Michael Mertin (AT&S) also rank among the top in the CEO visibility rankings.
“International communication has long since become a key competitive factor,” explains Jens Schmitz, co-founder of pressrelations. “Those who are unaware of how they are perceived outside their home market overlook both opportunities and potential reputational risks.”
Thomas Rybnicek, Managing Director of pressrelations Austria, adds that successful corporations today must manage their public image in a forward-looking manner that transcends national borders.