Even during his time at school, Reinhard Haberfellner from Niederösterreich was predicted a successful future. He effortlessly jumped a year and subsequently completed his written A-Levels exams at the age of 16. Born in Kirchberg, his University career started at first in Vienna (Mechanical Engineering), before he moved to Graz where he graduated in industrial engineering at the age of 23. At the Eidgenössischen Technischen Hochschule (ETH-Confederate Technical College) in Switzerland, he gained his doctorate in 1973.

After 13 years in Zürich Reinhard Haberfellner returned in 1979 with his family, to the Styrian provincial capital and become first head of the Institute of Management and Business Organization, then dean (1983 to 1985) and finally, to vice-chancellor (1987 to 1989) at the Technischen Universität Graz (Technical University).

After he had reached the zenith of his university career, Haberfellner moved in the 1990`s to a new field of activity: the private industry. From 1995 to 1999 he became the general manager of the Styria Media group. Under his leadership, the print and publishing house Styria changed to a media business. At that time new foundations were laid for the diverse activities of the concern in the different media areas today.