During his summer at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, DC in 2003, Markus Weiss was inspired by the speed, energy, and sense of opportunity that came with living in the US. He decided to return to Washington the following year to join the International Finance Corporation, launching what would become a two-decade career across the Americas.
“This was an international opportunity that eventually became a lifelong journey,” he said. “My early experiences here in Washington, DC opened the doors to a career.”
Following his time at the IFC, Weiss held senior leadership roles at Rheinmetall in North America before serving as Managing Director and Board Member at Doka USA.
Alongside his executive career, Weiss has spent more than fifteen years serving on corporate, educational, nonprofit, professional association, and civic boards. He believes governance broadened his perspective on leadership by bringing together diverse stakeholders around long-term institutional success.
Over 20 years after he first came to the US, Weiss is still based in the DC area, currently serving as President & CFO at Miltenyi Biotec North America, a global life sciences and biotechnology company, where he leads strategy, operations and organizational performance.
Having led organizations across biotechnology, manufacturing, defense, technology, and international development, Weiss believes that while industries evolve, the fundamentals of leadership remain remarkably consistent. His career has included working with founder-led organizations, family-owned enterprises, publicly listed companies, and mission-driven institutions.
“The opportunity to lead teams and businesses across the Americas, working with amazing colleagues, customers, and partners from many different cultures and backgrounds taught me that leadership is ultimately about understanding people. Markets differ, industries differ, cultures differ, but in the end, respect, accountability, and purpose are remarkably universal. Every conversation is an opportunity to learn.”
Weiss sees benefits in both the North American and European approaches to business. He admires the American willingness to embrace change and take calculated risks, and also praises Europe’s strength in engineering, quality, and craftsmanship.
“The strongest organizations I've encountered are able to balance the innovation and speed with discipline and long-term thinking. You don't have to choose between the approaches—you combine them to get the best from both.”
Originally from Graz, Weiss still holds strong personal and professional ties with Austria. He especially enjoys connecting with Austrian professionals who are interested in building a presence in North America. Throughout his career, he benefitted from similar touchpoints with the Austrian community in the US.
"I met many of them for coffee, and they were incredibly generous with their time and advice. I want to pay that forward."
In his life outside of work with his wife and son, Weiss lives his values of curiosity and lifelong learning, spending time supporting educational, civic, and non-profit organizations in the DC area. It’s important to him that he instills the same values in his son and that his son can also experience different cultures, languages, and travel opportunities. There is no shortage of Austrian culture in DC: Weiss enjoys getting together with the local Austrian community, whether they are celebrating Austrian holidays or meeting for a happy hour.
Weiss recognizes that he took a chance when he decided to move to the US more than 20 years ago—and he’s happy with his journey.
“Moving to the US is not much different from moving within Europe. Yes, you're further away, and it’s a risk. I personally always saw it as a low risk, and for me it was exciting because I'm a calculated risk-taker,” he said. “You can gain a lot by taking small risks.”
Looking back, Weiss believes the defining theme of his career has been connecting people, ideas, and organizations across cultures. "Some of the greatest opportunities come from bringing together perspectives that might not otherwise meet."
