Prof. Dr. Christoph Franz

The industrial engineer studied in Darmstadt and Lyon and holds a doctorate in economics and social sciences. After a postdoctoral research stay at the University of California in Berkeley, he began his professional career at Deutsche Lufthansa Ltd. in 1990. From 1994 to 2003, he held various management positions at Deutsche Bahn Ltd., including member of the Executive Board and CEO of the Passenger Transportation Division. In 2004, he took over the position of CEO at Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. In 2009, he returned to his first employer, Deutsche Lufthansa Ltd., as Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO Passenger Airlines. He was promoted to Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO in 2011. At the same time, he became a member of the Board of Directors of Roche Holding Ltd. In 2014, Christoph Franz took over as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the pharmaceutical company for a total of almost 10 years.

Christoph Franz is also Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Zurich Insurance Group Ltd. and a member of the Boards of Directors of Chugai Pharmaceutical Ltd. and Stadler Rail AG. He is a member of the Boards of Trustees of Ernst Göhner Foundation, the Swiss Study Foundation and Lucerne Festival, as well as a member of the Advisory Board of the University of St. Gallen. In May 2017, he was appointed Honorary Professor of Business Administration there. In September 2017, he was elected as a member of the Assembly of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the organization's governing body, and in May 2018 he was elected to the Council of the Assembly of the ICRC.

Christoph Franz is married and has five children.