Georg Petschnigg

Georg Petschnigg is an accomplished design and product leader with extensive experience across notable companies. Currently serving as Chief Design Officer at Nextdoor since October 2024, Petschnigg previously held the position of SVP and Head of Product Design at The New York Times from January 2021 to October 2024, and as General Manager and Chief Innovation Officer at WeTransfer from August 2018 to January 2021, after the acquisition of FiftyThree, a company co-founded by Petschnigg that developed innovative creative tools. Early career highlights include roles at Microsoft, where Petschnigg co-founded Pioneer Studios, contributed to the development of branded consumer experiences, and managed significant projects in digital photography and office software. Petschnigg’s educational background includes a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and Economics from Columbia University.