Our Development
2001: The intention
The staff members of the IVM—the Interdisciplinary Institute for Behavioral Science-Oriented Management at the Vienna University of Economics and Business—were surprised. Thomas Aringer had gathered them at the invitation of Prof. Wolfgang Mayrhofer to present his ideas for founding a new company with a scientific foundation and direct ties to the IVM. He saw a particularly valuable connection between the IVM’s focus on career management and his core interests in potential assessment and leadership development.
His expectations for the company’s substance were just as high as his entrepreneurial ambition. Among the audience was Alexandre Iellatchitch, a research associate at the IVM who would later become a founding member and partner of 5P. The IVM ultimately decided against jointly founding a company, and Thomas accepted an offer for an HR management position and responsibility for the transformation process at one of the country’s leading companies.
2003: Hotel Penta and the Founding
In 2003, he finally set out to found a consulting firm. Five women and five men—including Alexandre Iellatchitch and Amanda Dunkel from the IVM, Gunhard Keil, and other experienced HR professionals and management consultants—gathered at the Hotel Penta. During this and subsequent meetings, fundamental methodological approaches—reflected in the five Ps—were developed. Incidentally, the “5” in the company name 5P Consulting was derived from the Hotel Penta (Greek for “five”), the venue for this memorable meeting.
By November of that same year, everything was ready to be signed: Six members of the “Penta Group” founded 5P as a network organization, moved into an office in the Stubenbastei in Vienna, and began their work.
2005: Reorganisation
The network-based approach that 5P Consulting pursued from the very beginning offered clients a broad range of services. At the same time, however, this decentralized dynamic led three individuals to withdraw from their involvement with 5P very soon afterward. The company moved into a smaller office on Mommsenstraße in Vienna’s 4th district and consistently upheld its commitment to providing the highest quality consulting services while maintaining ties to research and teaching.
As a result, 5P Consulting also helped develop the master’s degree programs in “Human Resources and Knowledge Management” and “Human Resources and Organizational Development” at the Vienna University of Applied Sciences (FH Wien). To this day, some of 5P’s consultants continue to teach at universities and universities of applied sciences.
2007: Growth at Brahmsplatz
5P began to establish itself more and more in the market, and so the office on Mommsenstraße soon became too small. The firm moved into its new office at Brahmsplatz 3, where it remains today. The sense of optimism accompanying this move also fueled business growth. The number of clients rose steadily.
In 2010, Gunhard Keil decided to strike out on his own, briefly joined the executive board of a client, and is now once again a valuable partner.
2020: The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Challenge and an Opportunity
The global COVID-19 pandemic presented 5P Consulting with new challenges, but it also brought new opportunities: Rapid digitalization enabled a new, high-quality approach to customer service and service delivery. Internally, our opportunities for collaboration have also grown a thoroughly positive outcome at the end of a turbulent year.
2021: On course for expansion in Germany
With the acquisition of the renowned “Akademie für Führungskräfte,” 5P has significantly strengthened its presence in the German market. This strategic decision enabled the integration of new consultants and expanded our reach and expertise in Germany.
2022: "New & Good Work"
A promising partnership with A1 on the topic of “New & Good Work” led to an exciting series of events that fostered a lively, open, and inspiring exchange among an exclusive group of executives and HR specialists.
2023: Expansion to Hungary, new partners and 20 years of 5P
The Hungarian training and consulting firm in-Depth SOULutions became 5P Hungary, headquartered in Budapest. This expansion opened up new opportunities for 5P to establish a strong presence in Central Europe.
In addition, 5P welcomed three new partners: Katja Goebel, Fruzsina Dénes and Johannes Tichy, who is expanding the facilitation and mediation division as a key focus area for 5P.
The 20th-anniversary celebration on September 7, 2023, at the Libelle in Vienna’s MuseumsQuartier was a special highlight in the company’s history and provided an opportunity to celebrate the successes of the past two decades together with the 5P network of consultants as well as valued clients, colleagues, and friends.
2023: Expansion of Change Consulting
Sylvia Enders joins 5P as Lead Expert for Change, Managing Director for Germany, and Partner.
2024: Further Growth in the Core Team and Expertise
With Anja Lasofsky-Blahut, Lead Expert for People & Culture, the partner team grows to 7 people, and the 5P team to 71 consultants and employees.
2026: 5P Expands into Switzerland
Katja Goebel, now a “part-time Swiss resident,” expands 5P’s presence in Switzerland from the Zurich office.