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Georg Petschnigg

SVP and Head of Product Design at The New York Times

Georg Petschnigg is a prominent figure in the tech and design industry, currently serving as the SVP and Head of Product Design at The New York Times.3 He joined The New York Times in January 2021, bringing with him a wealth of experience in product development, innovation, and entrepreneurship.1

Career Highlights

FiftyThree and WeTransfer: Prior to his role at The New York Times, Petschnigg co-founded FiftyThree, a company known for creating innovative design tools.2 As CEO, he oversaw the development of popular products such as:

Paper: A celebrated sketching app
Paste: A collaboration tool for teams
Pencil: An award-winning digital stylus

FiftyThree was acquired by WeTransfer in 2018, where Petschnigg then served as Chief Innovation Officer and General Manager for the Americas.2 3

Microsoft: Before founding FiftyThree, Petschnigg had a significant tenure at Microsoft, where he:

Co-founded Pioneer Studios, a design venture fund within Microsoft
Led the incubation of new mobile devices, including the foldable tablet Courier
Worked on the first online version of Office
Developed the new graphic system for PowerPoint, Word, and Excel2 3

Education and Expertise

Petschnigg holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering and Economics from Columbia University and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering with a concentration in Product Design from Stanford University.2 His expertise lies at the intersection of design, technology, and business, with a strong belief that technology should serve the human need to create.2 4

Philosophy and Approach

At The New York Times, Petschnigg is responsible for creating products and journalism experiences that help people understand and engage with the world.2 He emphasizes the importance of design in shaping how news works in people's lives and is committed to supporting The New York Times's mission of helping readers understand the world.1

Throughout his career, Petschnigg has been recognized for his contributions to design excellence and innovation, receiving awards from prestigious organizations such as Apple, IDSA, and IxDA.2 3

Highlights

Jul 21 · designbetterpodcast.com

Georg Petschnigg: Product design and storytelling at The New York ...

Oct 21 · GeekWire

Despite hardware upgrades, Microsoft’s dual-screen Surface Duo 2 still suffers from split personality - GeekWire

Mar 28 · GeekWire

Cargo ship stuck in Suez Canal shows up in a ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’ fly-by - GeekWire

Jan 8 · nytco.com

Georg Petschnigg Joins The Times as Head of Product Design

Experience

SVP and Head of Product Design at The New York Times since January 2021

General Manager and Chief Innovation Officer at WeTransfer, CEO & Co-Founder of FiftyThree, Inc., Co-Founder of Pioneer Studios at Microsoft

Education

MSEE in Computer Graphics and Product Design from Stanford University (2001-2003), BS in Computer Engineering and Economics from Columbia University (1996-2000)