Stefan Pierer, born in Austria in 1956, studied business and energy management at the Montanauniversität Leoben (Austria) and graduated with a degree in engineering in 1982. After holding various positions with the heating and ventilation manufacturer, Hoval, he founded his first investment company in 1987. Since 2011, the main company holdings have been bundled into Pierer Industrie AG, with Stefan Pierer serving as CEO and sole shareholder. In 2022, the industrial group recorded annual sales of around 3.5 billion euros and employed around 11,000 people. Companies that belong to Pierer Industrie AG include the Pankl AG Group and the PIERER Mobility Group, the latter of which includes world-renowned motorbike brands such as KTM, and HUSQVARNA Motorcycles.