Speaker Details
Franz Humer
Chairman, Roche Holding Ltd.
Franz Humer, an Austrian by birth, is 63 years old and the holder of Austrian and Swiss passports. He was educated at the University of Innsbruck where he gained a PhD in Law. He then went on to obtain an MBA at the INSEAD institution at Fontainebleau.
In 1971, Franz Humer became a Management Consultant in Zurich before joining Schering Plough Inc in 1973, where he held several positions including General Manager for various Latin American and European countries.
He joined Glaxo Holdings in 1981 and was appointed Managing Director of Glaxo Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd in 1987. In 1989 he was elected to the Board of Glaxo Holdings plc and in 1992 became Chief Operating Director for Glaxo's worldwide operations (excluding USA).
Dr. Humer joined Hoffmann-La Roche in 1995 as Head of the Pharmaceuticals Division and Member of the Board. He was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 1996, Chief Executive Officer in 1998 and in April 2001 he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Since March 2008 he is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Roche Holding Ltd.
In July 2006, he received a decoration as a mark of honor for his services to the Austrian Republic Grosses goldenes Ehrenzeichen mit dem Stern für Verdienste um die Republik Oesterreich. In the same year he became an Honorary Doctor of the University of Basel.
Franz Humer is also Chairman of Diageo plc, the world's leading spirits company (Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Guiness etc.), Chairman of INSEAD "The Business School for the World", member of the Supervisory Board of Allianz AG, and member of the European Round Table of Industrialists. Furthermore he is a Board member of Salzburg University, Chairman of the Friends of Phelophepa Foundation Switzerland and member of the International Advisory Board of the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
