In memoriam Jürgen Dormann
Jürgen Dormann was known to the Swiss public as the saviour of the industrial group ABB. He also rendered outstanding services to ETH Zurich: from 2008 to 2015, he was President of the ETH Foundation. A tribute.?
Jürgen Dormann, born in Heidelberg (Germany) in 1940, was a manager, chairman of the board, father of four and grandfather. He died at the age of 85.
Long-standing president of the ETH Foundation
After initial professional positions at the chemical and pharmaceutical company Hoechst, Jürgen Dormann, who holds a degree in economics, became a member of the Executive Board in 1984. In 1994, he became Chairman of the Executive Board.
In 2001, Jürgen Dormann's path led him to ABB: he took over as Chairman of the Board of Directors at a time when the Swiss industrial company was deep in the red. A year later, he also temporarily took on the role of CEO. His management decisions laid the foundation for the group's subsequent recovery. In 2004, Dormann stepped down from his operational role but remained Chairman of the Board of Directors until 2007. In addition to his time at ABB, he was active in several other Swiss companies. Among other things, he chaired the boards of Sulzer, Adecco, Metall Zug and V-Zug.
In 2008, Jürgen Dormann took over from Ulrich Bremi as President of the Board of Trustees of the ETH Foundation, a position he held until 2015. During this time, he was instrumental in establishing new partnerships with private individuals, foundations and companies.
Donald Tillman, then managing director of the ETH Foundation, recalls those years: ‘His calm, unflappable but determined manner led the foundation to ever greater success year after year.’
Appointed to the Honorary Council
In 2015, ETH Zurich appointed Jürgen Dormann to the Honorary Council in recognition of his outstanding services to the promotion of teaching and research. His presidency contributed significantly to strengthening the ETH Foundation. Lino Guzzella, then President of ETH, referred to his great achievements in his laudatory speech: "Although Jürgen Dormann was not an ETH student himself, he has developed a special attachment to our university in recent years and has shown great enthusiasm for its goals. With his extraordinary commitment, he has further established the tradition of supporting the university with private funds and created a fruitful dialogue between donors, ETH and the Foundation."
Jürgen Dormann passed away on 30 September 2025. ETH Zurich and the ETH Foundation honour his memory and remain grateful to him.
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