Roland Koch

Early life and education

Koch was born in Frankfurt am Main. He studied law and graduated in 1985. In 1979, Koch became the youngest person to hold the office of chairman of the CDU in Main-Taunus district.

Political career

From 1983 until 1987, Koch served as vice-chair of the federal youth organization of the CDU.

In the 1987 state elections, Koch was elected to the State Parliament of Hesse. From 1989 until 1997 he was also a member of the Main-Taunus district council and parliamentary leader of the local CDU group. In 1991 he became vice-chair of the CDU parliamentary group, and in 1993 its chair. Until then Koch had been a city council member in his hometown of Eschborn.

From 1998 onward, Koch was chair of the CDU in Hesse.

Minister-President of Hesse, 1999–2010

In the state elections in 1999, the CDU began collecting signatures to document the resistance in the population to plans of the federal government to make dual citizenship easier for foreigners to obtain. Because some people viewed this as "collecting signatures against foreigners", this campaign was portrayed as "xenophobic". Koch won the election and displaced the incumbent, Hans Eichel. Under his leadership, the CDU achieved the best result for the party there in 60 years.

In 2003, Koch and Peer Steinbrück, the Social Democrat premier of North Rhine Westphalia, together drew up a plan to reduce tax breaks and subsidies, including those on coal by 12 percent over several years. The subsidies were a particularly sensitive issue in North Rhine-Westphalia, where most of the coal mines are located.

Ahead of the 2004 German presidential election, Koch publicly endorsed Wolfgang Schäuble as the Christian Democrats’s candidate to succeed incumbent President Johannes Rau.

Under the leadership of party chairwoman Angela Merkel, Koch was elected vice-chairman of the CDU in November 2006, alongside Jürgen Rüttgers, Annette Schavan and Christian Wulff. By 2007, he and Rüttgers, his counterpart from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, agreed on approving a merger of their respective state-owned banks, WestLB and Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen (Helaba). WestLB was eventually broken up in 2012 after years of losses and controversy.

Prior to the Hesse state election of 2008 Koch was once again accused of using xenophobic tactics by pledging to get tough on youth crime, which is concentrated among immigrant and minority groups. In the course of the election he lost his party's majority in the Hessian Parliament, but remained acting Minister President as his SPD challenger Andrea Ypsilanti was unable to form a government. Since none of the parties was able to build a majority coalition, they decided to give the voters another chance to produce a workable result.

In the January 2009 election the FDP made significant gains which allowed Koch to form a conservative-liberal coalition government, reelecting him as the Minister President of the State of Hesse. Ahead of the 2009 federal elections, he was tipped as a potential finance or economics minister in a coalition government of CDU/CSU and FDP.

In his capacity as Minister-President, Koch held various other positions, including the following:

• Fraport, Chairman of the Supervisory Board (1999–2003)
• ZDF, Member of the Board of Directors (2002–2011)
• Hessische Kulturstiftung, Chairman of the Board of Trustees

On 25 May 2010 Koch announced his withdrawal from the active politics. At the time, he said he had informed Merkel of his plan to leave politics more than a year before. He resigned as Minister-President of Hesse on 31 August 2010. He hinted that he was departing politics in order to become active in the business world.

Political positions

Koch was seen as a rhetorically gifted politician; critics have accused him of populism. A sometimes polarizing figure on his party's right, Koch proved to be one of the main defenders of business and financial interests within his party. In 2010, Koch and Merkel clashed over budget cuts, as Koch proposed cutbacks in education and research that Merkel opposed. He also suggested that a law passed to provide a guaranteed child-care facilities for children under 3 would have to be reconsidered. In his final years as Minister-President, he largely worked smoothly with Merkel. Ahead of the Christian Democrats’ leadership election in 2018, Koch publicly endorsed Friedrich Merz to succeed Angela Merkel as the party's chair.

On foreign policy, Koch forged a friendship with the Dalai Lama and supported the self-determination of Tibet.

Life after politics

On 29 October 2010, Koch was announced as designated chief executive officer of Bilfinger Berger, Germany's second-largest builder. In the following years, he orchestrated a reshuffle at the company away from civil engineering and construction in favor of higher-margin industrial services. During his tenure, Bilfinger Berger also agreed with the United States Department of Justice in 2013 to pay $32 million to resolve U.S. criminal charges that it bribed Nigerian officials to obtain contracts on a gas project in the African nation. In August 2014, he stepped down from the position on mutually agreed terms after he took responsibility for two profit warnings.

In 2015, Koch opened a law firm in Frankfurt. Since 2017, he has also been a Professor of Management Practice in Regulated Environments at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.

Koch was a CDU delegate to the Federal Convention for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2017 in 2022.

In 2025, the representatives of public sector employers – Nancy Faeser and Karin Welge – appointed Koch as their arbitrator in a dispute with employees; appointed by the German Civil Service Federation and United Services Trade Union (ver.di), Hans-Henning Lühr served as his counterpart in the talks.

Other activities

Corporate boards

• Verwaltungs AG, Member of the Supervisory Board (since 2017)
• Vodafone Germany, Member of the Supervisory Board (since 2015)
• UBS Deutschland, Chairman of the Supervisory Board (2011–2021)

Non-profit organizations

• Ludwig Erhard Foundation, Chairman of the Board (since 2020)
• Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), Member of the Board of Trustees
• American Chamber of Commerce in Germany (AmCham Germany), Member of the Board of Directors
• German Tuberous Sclerosis Association, Patron (since 2010)
• Rheingau Musik Festival, Chairman of the Board of Trustees
• Senckenberg Nature Research Society, Member of the Board of Trustees
• Städel Museum, Member of the Board of Trustees

Recognition

• 2018 – Alfred Dregger Medal

Controversy

In February 2018, Bilfinger announced it would sue Koch and other former executives of the company for at least 100 million euros ($123 million) in damages for alleged breaches of duty in compliance and mergers.

Personal life

His father Karl-Heinz Koch was a politician in Hessen. Koch and his wife Anke have two sons. He is a Roman Catholic.

References

References

1. Patrick McGroarty (26 May 2010), [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704026204575266024144634784 Party Ally—and Potential Rival—of Germany's Merkel Plans to Resign] ''Wall Street Journal''.
2. [http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/roland-koch-calls-it-quits-merkel-loses-an-adversary-and-an-ally-a-696626.html Roland Koch Calls It Quits: Merkel Loses an Adversary and an Ally] ''Spiegel Online'', 25 May 2010.
3. [http://rhein-zeitung.de/on/99/01/05/topnews/staatsbuerger.html staatsbuergerschaft] Rhein Zeitung online, 5 January 1999
4. Christopher Rhoads (3 February 2003), [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1044208943187800384 German Voters Place Focus On Economy Instead of Iraq] ''Wall Street Journal''.
5. Judy Dempsey (13 October 2005), [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/13/international/europe/13cnd-germany.html New German Finance Minister Likely to Help Merkel's Agenda] ''[[New York Times]]''.
6. Hans-Ulrich Jörges and Hans Peter Schütz (30 December 2003), [https://www.stern.de/politik/deutschland/roland-koch--ja--ich-bin-fuer-wolfgang-schaeuble--3516260.html Roland Koch: "Ja, ich bin für Wolfgang Schäuble"] ''[[Stern (magazine). Stern]]''.
7. [http://www.n-tv.de/politik/dossier/Merkels-bunte-Truppe-article200886.html CDU-Stellvertreter: Merkels bunte Truppe] ''[[n-tv]]'', 27 November 2006.
8. Beat Balzli, Wolfgang Reuter and Steffen Winter (20 November 2007), [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2007-12-19/trouble-ahead-for-state-owned-banks-in-germanybusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice Trouble Ahead For State-Owned Banks in Germany] ''Bloomberg News''.
9. Bertrand Benoit (18 January 2009), [https://www.ft.com/content/4c74952c-e301-11dd-a5cf-0000779fd2ac Hesse win gives Merkel an electoral edge] {{webarchive. link. (21 December 2016 ''[[Financial Times]]''.)
10. [http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/roland-koch-calls-it-quits-merkel-loses-an-adversary-and-an-ally-a-696626.html Roland Koch Calls It Quits: Merkel Loses an Adversary and an Ally] ''[[Spiegel Online]]'', 25 May 2010.
11. Thomas Zorn (10 December 2010), [http://www.focus.de/kultur/kino_tv/fernseh-gremium-roland-koch-verlaesst-zdf-verwaltungsrat_aid_580563.html Roland Koch verlässt ZDF-Verwaltungsrat] ''[[Focus (German magazine). Focus]]''.
12. [http://www.hkst.de/en/foundation.html Board of Trustees] {{webarchive. link. (29 August 2016 Hessische Kulturstiftung, Wiesbaden.)
13. [http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/roland-koch-calls-it-quits-merkel-loses-an-adversary-and-an-ally-a-696626.html Roland Koch Calls It Quits: Merkel Loses an Adversary and an Ally] ''[[Spiegel Online]]'', 25 May 2010.
14. [http://www.fr-online.de/in_und_ausland/politik/aktuell/2682635_Liveticker-Die-Pressekonferenz-zum-Koch-Rueckzug.html ''Liveticker: Die Pressekonferenz zum Koch-Rückzug''] {{webarchive. link. (28 May 2010 from fr-online.de, 25 May 2010 (downloaded on 25 May 2010))
15. [http://www.ftd.de/politik/deutschland/:live-ticker-zum-ruecktritt-koch-tritt-zum-31-august-als-ministerpraesident-zurueck/50118302.html ''Koch tritt zum 31. August als Ministerpräsident zurück'' (Live-Ticker)] {{webarchive. link. (28 May 2010 from ft.de, 25 May 2010)
16. "Steinmeier attackiert Koch ''Brutalstmöglicher Populismus'' - Deutschland - sueddeutsche.de".
17. Quentin Peel and James Wilson (19 July 2010), [https://www.ft.com/content/415bd75c-927f-11df-9142-00144feab49a Koch reassures on German regulation] ''[[Financial Times]]''.
18. Judy Dempsey (11 May 2010), [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/world/europe/12iht-germany.html German Lawmakers Warn of Budget Cuts] ''[[International Herald Tribune]]''.
19. Patrick McGroarty (26 May 2010), [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704026204575266024144634784 Party Ally—and Potential Rival—of Germany's Merkel Plans to Resign] ''[[Wall Street Journal]]''.
20. Christian Rothenberg (5 December 2018), [https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/kampf-um-den-cdu-vorsitz-so-gross-sind-die-lager-der-unterstuetzer-fuer-merz-spahn-und-kramp-karrenbauer/23718502.html So groß sind die Lager der Unterstützer für Merz, Spahn und Kramp-Karrenbauer] ''[[Handelsblatt]]''.
21. Judy Dempsey (23 September 2007), [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/world/europe/23iht-berlin.3.7609313.html Despite censure from Beijing, Merkel meets with Dalai Lama in Berlin] ''[[New York Times]]''.
22. Donahue, Patrick. (29 October 2010). "Bilfinger Names Koch CEO After the Merkel Ally Quits Politics". BusinessWeek.
23. Georgina Prodhan (3 September 2014), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bilfinger-warning-idUSKBN0GY2N520140903 Bilfinger warns on profit again after CEO exit] ''[[Reuters]]''.
24. [https://www.reuters.com/article/bilfinger-bribery-idUSL1N0JO1XN20131209 Bilfinger to pay $32 mln over U.S. corruption charges] ''[[Reuters]]'', 9 December 2013.
25. Ludwig Burger (4 August 2014), [https://www.reuters.com/article/bilfinger-ceo-idUSWEB00QVV20140804 Bilfinger CEO quits after second profit warning since June] ''[[Reuters]]''.
26. Enrico Sauda (14 November 2015), [http://www.fnp.de/lokales/frankfurt/stadtgefluester/Roland-Koch-eroeffnet-Kanzlei;art51666,1698026 Roland Koch eröffnet Kanzlei] ''[[Frankfurter Neue Presse]]''.
27. [https://www.frankfurt-school.de/en/home/research/staff/Roland-Koch Roland Koch] [[Frankfurt School of Finance & Management]].
28. Ralf Euler (23 November 2016), [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/45-hessen-waehlen-den-bundespraesidenten-mit-14540529.html 45 Hessen wählen mit] ''[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]]''.
29. [https://www.hessenschau.de/politik/virologin-anwaeltin-ex-landeschef-wer-fuer-hessen-den-bundespraesidenten-waehlt,bundesversammlung-104.html Virologin, Anwältin, Ex-Landeschef: Wer für Hessen den Bundespräsidenten wählt] ''[[Hessenschau]]'', 8 December 2021.
30. Steffen Herrmann (19 March 2025), [https://www.fr.de/wirtschaft/verhandlungstisch-roland-koch-als-schlichter-ein-rotes-tuch-am-93633580.html Ausgerechnet Roland Koch soll Tarifverhandlungen retten: Ein rotes Tuch am Verhandlungstisch] ''[[Frankfurter Rundschau]]''.
31. Alfons Frese (27 January 2017), [http://www.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/dussmann-zoff-an-der-spitze/19310762.html Dussmann: Zoff an der Spitze] ''[[Der Tagesspiegel]]''.
32. [http://www.vodafone.de/unternehmen/aufsichtsrat.html Members of the Supervisory Board] [[Vodafone Germany]].
33. [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/bauloewe-wird-banker-roland-koch-wird-aufsichtsrat-der-ubs-deutschland-1591964.html Roland Koch wird Aufsichtsrat der UBS Deutschland] ''[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]]'', 9 November 2010.
34. [https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/banken-versicherungen/banken/banken-wittig-loest-ex-politiker-koch-bei-ubs-europe-als-aufsichtsratchef-ab/27371226.html Wittig löst Ex-Politiker Koch bei UBS Europe als Aufsichtsratchef ab] ''[[Handelsblatt]]'', 28 June 2021.
35. Tanja Kewes (29 November 2020), [https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/nach-tichys-rueckzug-neustart-bei-der-ludwig-erhard-stiftung-zwei-junge-frauen-neben-roland-koch-neu-im-vorstand/26669610.html Neustart bei der Ludwig-Erhard-Stiftung: Zwei junge Frauen neben Roland Koch neu im Vorstand] ''[[Handelsblatt]]''.
36. [http://www.kas.de/wf/de/71.4902/ Board of Trustees] [[Konrad Adenauer Foundation]].
37. [https://www.amcham.de/amcham-germany/organization-structure/ Board of Directors] American Chamber of Commerce in Germany (AmCham Germany).
38. [http://www.tsdev.org/deutsch/der-verein/schirmherrschaft/66,15,92001,liste9.html Patrons] {{webarchive. link. (21 December 2016 German Tuberous Sclerosis Association.)
39. [http://www.rheingau-musik-festival.de/sponsoren-foerderer/kuratorium/ Board of Trustees] [[Rheingau Musik Festival]].
40. [http://www.senckenberg.de/root/index.php?page_id=17049 Board of Trustees] [[Senckenberg Nature Research Society]].
41. [http://www.staedelmuseum.de/en/support Board of Trustees] [[Städel Museum]].
42. Ilona Wissenbach and Georgina Prodhan (20 February 2018), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bilfinger-probe/bilfinger-to-seek-compliance-damages-from-former-executives-idUSKCN1G4252 Bilfinger to seek compliance damages from former executives] ''[[Reuters]]''.
43. link. (6 October 2007 Bundesrat de)