Frank Heckner

Frank Nikolaus Heckner leads Egon Zehnder’s Health Practice in Europe. He conducts non-executive and executive director and C-suite successions with a particular focus on CEOs, CFOs, COOs, and innovation leaders at global, European, and national biopharmaceutical, medical device, medical instruments, and diagnostics companies. Frank also supports Swiss fine chemical and industrial companies with senior leadership successions. In his mandates, he combines thorough assessment with leadership development and adult learning to maximize executives’ potential.

Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, Frank was a Divisional General Manager at Gurit, a global leader in composite material solutions. He began his career at McKinsey & Company in Zurich, where he was an Associate and then an Engagement Manager, advising international medical device, chemicals, and industrial companies on corporate strategy and organizational design.

Frank earned a Master of Science in chemistry from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, in Zurich, a Master of Arts in business administration from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, and a PhD in pharmaceuticals marketing from Novartis at the University of Fribourg. He is passionate about history, politics, and ethics and about contributing to a liberal, responsible society in which any hardworking individual can succeed regardless of their background, nationality, ethnicity, or gender.