At its meeting on 12 September 2024, the Lufthansa Technik Supervisory Board appointed Grazia Vittadini as its new Chairwoman. The aviation technology expert takes over from Dr. Detlef Kayser whose term of office ended. 

Since 1 July 2024, Grazia Vittadini has served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Lufthansa Group with responsibility for the Group’s Fleet and Technology (“Technik”), IT & Innovation division and Sustainability. Vittadini has made a stellar career in aviation holding several senior positions including CTO of Airbus Group and Rolls-Royce. 

“This new role is a privilege for me and I am grateful for the trust. We have big plans for Lufthansa Technik, and I am very much looking forward to working with the Executive Board and the many thousands of employees to support implementing the ‘Ambition 2030’ growth strategy and continue the company’s success,” said Grazia Vittadini.  

The trained engineer came to Lufthansa Group from Rolls-Royce plc, London, where she has served as Chief Technology Officer and a member of the Executive Team. Nearly 20 years, from 2002 to 2021, Grazia Vittadini held various positions in a range of locations at Airbus Group. Her duties also ranged from design engineer to production to audit. In 2017 she was appointed Executive Vice President, Head of Engineering and a Member of the Executive Committee of Airbus Defense and Space. She was appointed Chief Technology Officer and a Member of the Airbus Executive Committee in the year 2018.  

Prior to her Airbus Group career, Grazia Vittadini served as a stress and design engineer at Fairchild Dornier in Oberpfaffenhofen and as a focal point for the Eurofighter Role Equipment Program at AEREA Aircraft Equipment of Milan. She began her career in 1998 as Head of the Technical Department at Marves (Milan). 

An Italian and German dual national, Grazia Vittadini holds a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, specializing in Aerodynamics, from the Politecnico di Milano (Polytechnic University of Milan). She further holds an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering & Technology from Cranfield University (UK).