One was the Chairman of the GC Board of Directors: These were the Swiss bosses of the last decades

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There was a surprise in the news Thursday evening: Switzerland announced the departure of its CEO. Previous boss Dieter Vranckx (51) will be appointed to the management of the Lufthansa Group and will leave his senior post at the Swiss airline on July 1, 2024. Anyone who takes a closer look at Swiss history will immediately notice the short flight. The route from Zurich to Frankfurt to Lufthansa headquarters is not unusual for a Swiss CEO.

Following Swissair’s bankruptcy, regional airline Crossair was renamed Swiss International Air Lines AG in March 2002. Swiss André Dosé (66) takes on the role of first general manager of the new national airline. Just two years later the founding CEO resigned under pressure. The criminal case regarding the crash of two earlier Crossair planes in Bassersdorf ZH and Nassenwil ZH became his downfall.

The former pilot later takes on various compulsory positions. Among other duties, he served as chairman of the board of directors of Zurich Grasshoppers for two years. Since 2018 he has been President of the natural gas transportation company Swissgas.

On 1 July 2004, German Christoph Franz (63) took over the top spot from the retiring Dosé. At that time Switzerland was still in the red. Franz restructures the airline and begins its gradual takeover by Lufthansa.

Five years later the parent company welcomed Franz to its management team in Germany; he even served as CEO of the Lufthansa Group from 2011 to 2014. He later served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of pharmaceutical giant Roche for nine years. Today, Franz still sits on the boards of Zurich Insurance and Stadler Rail.

In 2009, German Harry Hohmeister (59) took the lead in Switzerland. Under his watch, the Swiss Lufthansa subsidiary unveils its new logo and leaves Euroairport in Basel. After seven successful years, he will also move to the Lufthansa management in Frankfurt and will serve there until mid-2024.

Harry Hohmeister handed over control to German Lufthansa official Thomas Klühr (62) in 2016. For four years the airline remained silent. Then comes the corona pandemic: Klühr, who wanted to retire in 2019, continues on his way due to the crisis. After five years in Switzerland and more than 30 years at the Lufthansa Group, Klühr surprisingly resigned in 2020. The announcement also raises eyebrows because the board does not yet have a new alternative at this point.

Dieter Vranckx (51), formerly general manager of Lufthansa subsidiary Brussels Airlines, will save Switzerland from the epidemic from January 2021. And successfully. Later, after a long back and forth, the Swiss-Belgian player will also be able to celebrate the signing of several collective bargaining agreements.

Thursday’s report underlines that the natural career path for a successful Swiss boss is towards Lufthansa’s corporate management. Who will take over at Kloten ZH? This is now a matter of price.

Source :Blick