Werner Gatzer, who chairs Deutsche Bahn’s supervisory board, has signalled that he will step down before the end of his term, aiming for a transition in 2027. A spokesperson for Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” that Gatzer has agreed to stay on the board in a non‑chair capacity after 2027.
The board has already selected a successor: Christoph Franz is to be proposed as the new chairman. Franz previously served as chief executive of Lufthansa from 2011 to 2014 and as the chairman of the board of Roche, the Swiss pharmaceutical group, from 2014 to 2023. In the 1990s and 2000s he worked for Deutsche Bahn, including a stint on the company’s executive board, but left amid disputes over a new pricing system.
“The chair is regarded as very active and successful” the spokesperson added. He also said that the choice of Franz will come “naturally from the middle of the supervisory board itself”.
