HARALD FRIEDL
Circular Economist & Activator of Change
In the great unfolding story of our planet, some voices remind us not of what is lost, but of what can still be found.
Harald Friedl is one such voice. A circular economist, a bridge-builder and above all, an activator of change. He has dedicated his life to restoring the circle: to reimagine how humanity lives, leads, and belongs in harmony with the systems that sustain us.
The Work Begins on the Ground
Circularity is not just a framework or an idea, but a way of being. It’s lived and practiced. He believes leadership starts with action, responsibility and integrity. He invites us to see differently, to act differently and to design ecosystems that regenerate rather than extract.
His mission is deeply human.
To reconnect leaders, organisations and communities with meaning, transforming sustainability from an obligation into an invitation to belong.
The Foundation:
From 9% to Global Movement
From 2017 to 2020, Harald stood at the helm of Circle Economy, guiding its transformation from a visionary idea into a global organisation. Under his leadership, the movement did not merely grow, it scaled, becoming a force that influenced leaders, corporations and communities across continents.
In 2018, he and his team launched the Circularity Gap Report, introducing a bold new metric: the world is only 9% circular. Harald was the first to say it aloud on a global stage.
That simple yet striking fact became a wake-up call, one that has since spread worldwide, shaping policy discussions and accelerating national strategies, including Austria’s government-led circular economy program.
That same year, his leadership was recognised by Manager Magazine, who named him Sustainability CEO of the Year 2018.
This conviction fuels his role as a global speaker on circularity. On stages across continents, Harald translates complex ideas into stories that are both accessible and inspiring. He doesn't simply lecture, he sparks connection. Whether addressing CEOs, policymakers, or students, his voice carries a rare power: the ability to unite urgency with hope, strategy with humanity.
SPEAKING REEL
His message is disarmingly simple:
waste is just value in exile.
Turning Insight into Influence
Harald’s work has reached millions through books, talks and digital storytelling. He co-authored Circular Economy, a foundational work on regenerative systems, and The Customer Is the Planet, his 2024 Amazon bestseller that reframed business around care and responsibility. His TEDx talk remains one of the most widely viewed explorations of circularity, known for weaving evidence into stories that inspire action rather than overwhelm.
Beyond the stage, Harald has built a digital community of 120,000+ followers on LinkedIn, where he's recognised as a LinkedIn Top Voice and one of the most prominent green creators worldwide.
His gift is clarity. He transforms facts into meaning that inspires courage and action, offering not only insights but a sense of belonging. And his message resonates: the shift to circularity is not the work of the few, but of all of us, together.
A Global Community
120K
LinkedIn Followers
Top #10 Green Creator
190K
TEDx Talk Views
The Most-Watched talk on the Circular Economy
30K
Newsletter Subscribers
Highly Engaged Readers
From Insight to Implementation
After stepping down as CEO of Circle Economy, Harald shifted his focus from making the case for circularity to the harder challenge, making it happen.
From 2021 onward he began working directly with leadership teams, cities and innovators to translate circular ambition into operational reality, where strategy meets procurement, design briefs, incentives and everyday decisions. This work drew him deeper into the human side of systems change, the gap between what people agree with and what they actually do. His focus became activation, creating the conditions where intention becomes lived behaviour and where circularity moves from PowerPoint into practice.
Alongside this work, Harald continues to speak on global stages including the World Economic Forum in Davos, the World Circular Economy Forum and LEAP, bringing a clear message, the real question is no longer whether we want circularity, but how we execute it under pressure.
Since 2023 his work has focused increasingly on building Minimum Viable Ecosystems (MVEs), small coalitions that align the right actors, incentives and flows early, making circular solutions far more likely to succeed. This includes serving as Austria’s Government Accelerator and co hosting the country’s first national Circular Economy Summit, as well as anchoring Amsterdam’s circular startup programme.
Across all of this work, the thread remains the same, less talk, more traction and a credible path from idea to implementation.