Christophe Fouquet

Christophe Fouquet
Born	5 5, 1975
Nationality	French
Occupation	Business executive, former bobsledder
Title	President and CEO of ASML
Employer	ASML
Known for	CEO of ASML, Olympic bobsledder

Christophe Fouquet (born 5 May 1975) is a French business executive and former competitive bobsledder. He serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of ASML, the Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer whose extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines are essential to the production of the world's most advanced microchips. Before his career in the technology industry, Fouquet represented France in international bobsled competitions from 1996 to 2006, competing in two Winter Olympic Games and achieving a fifth-place finish in the four-man event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. His transition from elite sport to the leadership of one of Europe's most valuable technology companies represents an unusual career trajectory. As CEO of ASML, Fouquet oversees a company with a record order backlog and a central role in the global semiconductor supply chain, particularly as demand for chips used in artificial intelligence applications continues to surge.

Early Life

Christophe Fouquet was born on 5 May 1975 in France. Details about his upbringing and family background are not extensively documented in public sources. From a young age, Fouquet pursued competitive sport, ultimately specializing in bobsled, a discipline that requires a combination of explosive athletic power and precise technical skill. He began competing internationally in bobsled in 1996, representing France on the international circuit as a young athlete in his early twenties.

Career

Bobsled Career (1996–2006)

Fouquet competed as a French bobsledder on the international circuit for a decade, from 1996 to 2006. During this period, he represented France at two Winter Olympic Games and competed regularly on the Bobsleigh World Cup circuit and at the FIBT World Championships.

Fouquet's first Olympic appearance came at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. There, he was part of the French four-man bobsled team that finished in fifth place, which stands as his best Olympic result. A fifth-place finish at the Olympic Games placed the French crew among the top competitors in the world in the four-man discipline that year.

On the World Cup circuit, Fouquet's best individual finish was sixth place, achieved at Lake Placid in February 2005. That same competitive season, he participated in the 2005 FIBT World Championships held in Calgary, Alberta, where he finished 24th in the two-man event.

Fouquet continued to compete through the 2005–2006 season before retiring from bobsled competition in 2006.

Transition to the Technology Industry

Following his retirement from competitive bobsled, Fouquet transitioned into the technology sector. He joined ASML, the Netherlands-based semiconductor equipment company headquartered in Veldhoven, which designs and manufactures the photolithography systems used by chipmakers worldwide to produce integrated circuits. Over the years, Fouquet rose through the ranks at ASML, eventually reaching the most senior executive position in the company.

CEO of ASML

Fouquet was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of ASML, succeeding Peter Wennink, who had led the company during a period of significant growth. As CEO, Fouquet assumed leadership of a company that holds a near-monopoly on EUV lithography systems, the machines required to manufacture the most advanced semiconductor chips used in smartphones, data centers, and artificial intelligence applications.

In an interview with IMD Business School, Fouquet discussed how ASML became what the publication described as "Europe's most indispensable tech firm," and outlined the company's plans for the continued development of EUV lithography technology. Fouquet has emphasized the importance of ASML's deep technical knowledge and close working relationships with its customers, which include leading chipmakers such as TSMC, Samsung Electronics, and Intel.

Financial Performance and Demand

Under Fouquet's leadership, ASML has reported strong financial results driven by sustained global demand for advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In the third quarter of 2025, the company reported total net sales of €7.5 billion and net income of €2.1 billion. For the full year 2025, ASML projected total net sales growth of approximately 15 percent with a gross margin of around 52 percent.

The company has accumulated a record order backlog of approximately €39 billion, driven largely by surging demand from AI chipmakers who require the most advanced lithography systems to produce cutting-edge processors. The scale of this backlog has raised questions about whether ASML has sufficient manufacturing capacity to meet demand from its customers in a timely manner. The company's machines, particularly its High-NA EUV systems, are among the most complex devices ever manufactured, and production cannot be rapidly scaled.

Operational Challenges and Internal Restructuring

Fouquet has publicly acknowledged the operational challenges that accompany ASML's rapid growth. In a December 2025 interview with the Dutch technology publication Bits&Chips, he stated: "The faster you grow, the less efficient you get." According to the report, Fouquet has undertaken efforts to restructure ASML's internal processes, seeking to reduce bureaucratic overhead that had accumulated as the company expanded and that was burdening engineers with administrative tasks rather than allowing them to focus on technical work.

This focus on organizational efficiency reflects Fouquet's approach to management during a period in which ASML faces the dual challenge of fulfilling its existing backlog while continuing to develop next-generation lithography technology.

Views on European Technology Sovereignty

Fouquet has been a notable voice in European debates about technological sovereignty — the effort by the European Union and its member states to reduce dependence on foreign powers in critical technology sectors, including semiconductor manufacturing. In a January 2026 interview with Politico Europe, Fouquet urged European policymakers to be "realistic" about the prospects for achieving full tech sovereignty. The comments came amid an ongoing push by Brussels to strengthen domestic chip production capabilities through initiatives such as the European Chips Act.

While ASML is a European company, its supply chain and customer base are global in nature, and its products are subject to export control regulations imposed by the Netherlands, the European Union, and the United States, particularly with respect to sales to China. Fouquet's public comments on these issues reflect the complex geopolitical environment in which ASML operates.

Perspectives on Leadership and Career Development

In an April 2025 interview with Fortune, Fouquet addressed what he described as an "absurd" question that young workers frequently pose: how to become a CEO. Fouquet stated that young professionals should focus on what they are going to accomplish in the near term rather than fixating on long-term career titles. The comments reflected Fouquet's own career trajectory, which began in competitive sport before moving into the technology sector. The interview noted that ASML's market capitalization was approximately $230 billion at the time.

Personal Life

Fouquet has maintained a relatively private personal life. His background as an Olympic-level athlete is a distinguishing feature among technology industry executives. The discipline, teamwork, and performance under pressure required in bobsled competition have been noted as qualities that inform his leadership style, though Fouquet himself has tended to focus public discussions on ASML's technology and business strategy rather than personal matters.

Fouquet holds French nationality and has been based in the Netherlands in connection with his role at ASML, which is headquartered in Veldhoven, North Brabant.

Recognition

Athletic Achievements

During his bobsled career, Fouquet's most notable results include:

• Fifth place in the four-man bobsled event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City
• Sixth-place finish at the Bobsleigh World Cup event at Lake Placid in February 2005
• Participation in two Winter Olympic Games as a member of the French national bobsled team

Business Leadership

As CEO of ASML, Fouquet leads one of the most strategically important technology companies in the world. ASML's position as the sole supplier of EUV lithography systems has made it central to the global semiconductor industry and a focal point of geopolitical attention. Fouquet has been featured in major international business publications, including Bloomberg, Fortune, and Politico, in connection with ASML's role in the AI-driven expansion of the semiconductor industry.

Legacy

Fouquet's career spans two distinct domains — elite competitive sport and advanced technology leadership — that are rarely combined in a single professional biography. His decade-long career as a French bobsledder included two Olympic appearances and a top-five Olympic finish, placing him among the stronger competitors in French bobsled history during his era.

His more consequential legacy, however, is likely to be defined by his tenure as CEO of ASML during a transformative period for the semiconductor industry. The rapid growth of artificial intelligence applications has placed unprecedented demand on the most advanced chip fabrication technologies, and ASML's lithography systems are a critical bottleneck in the global supply of these chips. Under Fouquet's leadership, the company faces the challenge of scaling production to meet a record €39 billion backlog while continuing to push the boundaries of lithography technology.

Fouquet's emphasis on organizational efficiency, his realistic assessment of European technology sovereignty, and his direct communication style have shaped his early tenure as CEO. As the semiconductor industry continues to evolve in response to AI demand and geopolitical pressures, Fouquet's leadership decisions at ASML will have significant implications for the global technology landscape.