Christoph Franz

Christoph Franz
Born	2 5, 1960
Birthplace	Frankfurt, West Germany
Nationality	German
Occupation	Business executive, engineer
Known for	Chairman of Roche Holding, CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Education	Doctorate in engineering (Dr.-Ing.)

Christoph Franz (born 2 May 1960 in Frankfurt, West Germany) is a German engineer and business executive who has held senior leadership positions in the European transport and pharmaceutical industries. He served as chief executive officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG from January 2011 until May 2014, overseeing one of Europe's largest airline groups during a period of significant restructuring and competitive pressure. Following his tenure at Lufthansa, Franz was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of Roche Holding, the Swiss multinational healthcare company, a position he held from 2014 until 2023. His career has spanned the railway, aviation, and pharmaceutical sectors, and he has served on the boards of numerous European corporations and cultural institutions. Franz's leadership approach, shaped by an engineering background and a focus on organizational adaptability, has been noted in European business circles.

Early Life

Christoph Franz was born on 2 May 1960 in Frankfurt, then part of West Germany. Frankfurt, as one of Germany's major commercial and transportation hubs — home to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and Frankfurt Airport — provided a fitting backdrop for a career that would become closely associated with European aviation and international business. Details of Franz's family background and upbringing have not been extensively documented in public sources.

Education

Franz pursued studies in engineering, ultimately earning a doctorate in engineering (Dr.-Ing.), reflecting a technical orientation that would inform his management career in capital-intensive industries such as rail transport and aviation. His academic training placed him within a tradition of German engineering leaders who transitioned from technical disciplines into executive management roles in major industrial enterprises.

Career

Early Career and Railway Sector

Before entering the aviation industry, Christoph Franz built a career in the European railway sector. He held positions of increasing responsibility in rail transport, gaining experience in managing large-scale logistics and operational organizations. This background in transportation provided a foundation for his later work in the airline industry, where operational efficiency and cost management are critical success factors.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG

Appointment as CEO

On 22 September 2010, Deutsche Lufthansa AG announced that Christoph Franz had been appointed as the new Chairman of the Executive Board (Vorstandsvorsitzender), effective 1 January 2011. Franz succeeded Wolfgang Mayrhuber at the helm of one of Europe's largest airline groups, which at the time operated a network of carriers including Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, among others.

Tenure and Restructuring

Franz's tenure as CEO of Lufthansa was marked by efforts to restructure the airline group in the face of intensifying competition from low-cost carriers in Europe and from rapidly expanding Gulf-based airlines on long-haul routes. He pursued a strategy of cost reduction and operational efficiency to maintain the competitiveness of Lufthansa's network carriers.

In a 2012 interview with the Financial Times, Franz discussed the competitive challenges facing European legacy airlines and the need for structural reform within the industry. The Financial Times also reported on Franz's strategic initiatives at Lufthansa, including efforts to improve the airline's cost position relative to competitors.

In a 2013 interview published by the Financial Times, Franz elaborated on his vision for the airline's future and the broader transformation of the European aviation market.

Franz emphasized the importance of organizational culture in managing change. In a 2014 interview with Business Insider, conducted as he prepared to leave Lufthansa, he stated that leaders should "never be too satisfied" and stressed the necessity of creating a culture that values change regardless of current profitability. He argued that complacency was one of the greatest risks for established companies, and that continuous improvement needed to be embedded in the organizational mindset.

Departure from Lufthansa

In 2013, it was announced that Franz would leave Lufthansa. His successor as CEO was Carsten Spohr, who was named to the position in September 2013 and officially took over in May 2014. Franz's departure was linked to his nomination to the chairmanship of Roche Holding, which represented a significant career transition from the aviation industry to the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector.

Roche Holding

Nomination and Election as Chairman

In September 2013, it was reported that Christoph Franz was in line to become the next Chairman of the Board of Directors of Roche Holding, the Basel-based multinational healthcare company and one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms. The European Pharmaceutical Review reported on 16 September 2013 that the Roche Board of Directors would propose Franz for election as Chairman at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for 4 March 2014.

Franz's nomination to lead Roche represented an unusual career trajectory, as he transitioned from the aviation and transport sector to the helm of a major pharmaceutical company. As Chairman of the Board of Directors, Franz held a non-executive role but was responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of Roche, corporate governance, and the composition and effectiveness of the Board and the Corporate Executive Committee.

Tenure as Chairman

During Franz's chairmanship, Roche continued to be one of the world's leading healthcare companies, with significant operations in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. The company maintained its position as a major player in oncology, immunology, and other therapeutic areas.

Franz oversaw governance at Roche during a period that included significant leadership transitions within the company's executive ranks. In January 2023, Fierce Pharma reported on the departure of Roche's pharmaceutical division chief Bill Anderson, noting that the company was searching internally for Anderson's successor. Franz, as Chairman, commented on the succession process and the company's preference for developing leadership from within its ranks.

In December 2022, Roche announced changes in the Board of Directors and the Corporate Executive Committee at its December meeting.

Departure from Roche

On 20 July 2022, Roche announced in an ad hoc disclosure pursuant to Article 53 of the Listing Rules that Christoph Franz had decided not to seek re-election to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for March 2023. The Board of Directors acknowledged his decision and began planning for the transition of chairmanship. Franz's departure from Roche marked the end of nearly a decade in leadership of the Swiss healthcare giant.

Other Board Memberships and Roles

Throughout and following his tenures at Lufthansa and Roche, Christoph Franz served on the boards of several other major European organizations.

Zurich Insurance Group

In March 2014, Zurich Insurance Group nominated Franz as a member of its Board of Directors. Reuters reported on the nomination, which came as Franz was transitioning from Lufthansa to Roche. According to Zurich Insurance Group's corporate governance disclosures, Franz has served on its Board of Directors.

Chugai Pharmaceutical

Franz has also been associated with Chugai Pharmaceutical, a Japanese pharmaceutical company that is a member of the Roche Group. Chugai's corporate disclosures list Franz among its directors and officers, reflecting his broader involvement in the Roche Group's governance structure. In January 2025, Chugai announced organizational and personnel changes effective in March and April 2025.

JetBlue Airways

Franz served on the board of JetBlue Airways, the American low-cost airline. A JetBlue press release from February 2008 referenced Franz's involvement with the airline's board. This cross-Atlantic board position reflected Franz's deep expertise in the aviation industry and his international network.

European Round Table for Industry

Franz has been a member of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), a forum of European business leaders that engages with EU policymakers on issues of competitiveness, innovation, and economic growth.

Avenir Suisse

Franz has also been involved with Avenir Suisse, a Swiss think tank focused on economic and social policy issues in Switzerland.

Berliner Bürgerinitiative für Umweltschutz und Gemeinnützigkeit (BBUG)

Franz has been associated with the BBUG, a German civic organization. The organization's website lists him in connection with its leadership or advisory structures.

Lucerne Festival

Reflecting an interest in cultural patronage, Franz has served on the Board of Trustees of the Lucerne Festival, one of Europe's most prominent classical music festivals, held annually in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Personal Life

Christoph Franz has maintained a relatively private personal life. Public records confirm his birth on 2 May 1960 in Frankfurt. He has lived and worked in Germany and Switzerland during his career, reflecting the cross-border nature of his professional roles at Lufthansa (headquartered in Cologne and Frankfurt) and Roche (headquartered in Basel).

His management philosophy, as expressed publicly, emphasizes the value of continuous change and organizational adaptability. In his final interview as Lufthansa CEO, he cautioned against complacency, noting that even profitable organizations must cultivate a willingness to evolve and improve.

Legacy

Christoph Franz's career is notable for its breadth across multiple major industries — railway transport, aviation, insurance, and pharmaceuticals — and for the prominence of the organizations he has led or served. As CEO of Lufthansa, he guided one of Europe's flagship airlines through a period of structural transformation, seeking to position it for competition against both low-cost European carriers and well-funded Middle Eastern airlines. His emphasis on cost discipline and organizational reform set the stage for the continued restructuring efforts undertaken by his successor, Carsten Spohr.

As Chairman of Roche, Franz led the governance of one of the world's largest healthcare companies during a period of continued innovation in oncology, diagnostics, and personalized medicine. His transition from aviation to pharmaceuticals was noted as unusual in European business and reflected the increasing demand for governance expertise and strategic oversight that transcends individual industry knowledge.

Franz's numerous board memberships — spanning Zurich Insurance Group, JetBlue Airways, Chugai Pharmaceutical, and cultural institutions such as the Lucerne Festival — illustrate his role as a connector within European and international business networks. His engagement with policy-oriented organizations such as the European Round Table for Industry and Avenir Suisse further reflects an interest in shaping the economic and regulatory environment in which European companies operate.

The authority records maintained by the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) and the German National Library (Deutsche Nationalbibliothek) document Franz as a notable figure in German and international business history.