top of page
background-template2.png
FO_edited_edited.jpg

Dr. Fritz Oesterle

Year of Birth: 1952 

Nationality: German, German resident 

Independence: Shareholder Representative 

 

Current Position:

  • Since 2011: Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Management Board, CEPD N.V., Netherlands

  • Since 2010: Member of the Supervisory Board, LBBW Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany 

  • Since 1998 Member and 2013 Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Volksbank am Wuerttemberg eG, Germany 

 

Special Qualifications / Key Skills / Expertise / Competences for DM:
 

Healthcare  

  • Extensive executive leadership in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector (among other positions, 12 years as CEO of Celesio AG) 

  • Currently advising private equity companies and family offices investing in the healthcare sector as a member of the Board of Directors / Advisory Board  

  • Wide-ranging international experience in the healthcare sector through mandates at the Board of Directors of IFPW (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, Inc.) and of the Executive Committee of GIRP (Groupement International de la Repartition Pharmaceutique Européenne) and advisory roles to international companies like Cardinal Health as well as private equity companies
     

German healthcare regulatory experience 

  • In-depth German healthcare (human and veterinary) regulatory expertise through long-standing executive committee and board functions and advisory roles in healthcare companies (a.o. Eckert and Ziegler AG; Schmieder Kliniken; Christophsbad Hospital, and Celesio AG) 
     

E-commerce and digital platform expertise & low-margin retail operations 

  • Strategic experience in e-commerce and digital platform development within large-scale retail and pharmacy environments since the acquisition of DocMorris by Celesio in 2008 

  • Strategic oversight as a trustee member of Schwarz Group in creating Schwarz Digits, a new business line of the Group, dedicated to IT security, new cloud solutions and AI 
     

Strategic transformation experience 

  • Active involvement as Supervisory Board member in the business transformation of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG from a traditional engineering company in the printing industry to a modern and innovative player of the sector 

  • Executive responsibility for the transformation of Celesio from a pure wholesale business to a vertically integrated group covering retail, logistics and services in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector 
     

Public company experience (executive) 

  • 12 years as CEO, Celesio AG (1999-2011) 
     

Public company experience (director) 

  • 2021-2024: Member of the Supervisory Board at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, Germany (mechanical engineering) 

  • 2012-2014: Member of the Supervisory Board at Eckert and Ziegler AG, Germany (health care equipment & services) 
     

Investments 

  • Senior Adviser to European private equity firms  

  • Senior Member of investment-oriented family office  

  • Own investments in startup companies 

 

Professional Career: 

  • Since 2011: Non-Executive Director, various advisory roles 

  • 1999-2011: Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Executive Officer, Celesio AG, Germany 

  • 2006-2009: Member of the Management Board, Franz Haniel & Cie., Germany 

  • 1990-1999: Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Oppenlaender, Oesterle & Partner, Germany (law firm) 

  • Until 1989: Partner, Gleiss, Lutz, Germany (international law firm) 

 

Qualifications / Education: 

  • 1998: Harvard Business School Program 

  • 1981: Admission to the Bar 

  • 1979: PhD in Law (Dr. jur.), University of Tuebingen, Germany 

  • 1977-1979: Assistant Professor at University of Tuebingen, Germany 

  • 1976: Law Degree, University of Tuebingen (1. Staatsexamen with the best degree result in Baden-Wuerttemberg for years) 

 

Board of Directors / Supervisory Boards / Advisory Boards:
 

Mandates in non-listed companies: 

  • Since 2011: Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Management Board, CEPD N.V., Netherlands 

  • Since 2010: Member of the Supervisory Board, LBBW Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany 

  • Since 1998 Member and 2013 Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Volksbank am Wuerttemberg eG, Germany 
     

Mandates in Advisory Boards: 

  • Since 2025: Of Counsel, WerwigkHenne, Germany 

  • Since 2021: Senior Adviser to Altor (private equity company), Sweden 

  • Since 2018: Member of the Advisory Board (advisory remit excludes apo), THI, Germany 

bottom of page