Newly established University Council of Zeppelin University begins work

Friedrichshafen. Zeppelin University (ZU) now has a new body: the University Council. The Council, which currently consists of six members, was constituted on Monday, March 9, 2026, and has now officially begun its work.

The University Council is the central supervisory body responsible for shaping the strategic development and profile of Zeppelin University. It brings together external expertise from science, business and politics in order to strengthen the university's performance in the long term.

"I am delighted," says Peter Gerstmann, Chairman of the ZU Foundation Council and member of the new University Council, "that we have been able to attract outstanding personalities from politics, science and business to the University Council." In detail, they are

• Dr. Lea Corzilius, Chief Human Resources Officer, ZF Friedrichshafen AG
• Peter Gerstmann, Chairman of the ZU Foundation Council
  
• Andreas Hein, First Mayor, City of Friedrichshafen
• Prof. Dr. Dirk Leuffen, University of Konstanz
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Ritzberger, Royal Holloway University of London
• Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jörg Winterberg, European Institute of Management

Peter Gerstmann was elected Chairman of the University Council, with Andreas Hein as his deputy.

"We are all very much looking forward to working together," emphasized Council Chairman Peter Gerstmann, "Zeppelin University is a university with an excellent reputation. After a consistent restructuring process, the course has now been set for a strategic future. With its entrepreneurial and academic experience and expertise, the University Council wants to play its part in ensuring that ZU in Friedrichshafen will continue to offer the outstanding education for which it is widely known."

The new University Council is part of a larger restructuring process that began in fall 2025. On October 1, 2025, the Senate unanimously approved a new version of the Basic Regulations. The new basic regulations give the university management greater entrepreneurial scope for action. This makes the university more agile and adaptable to changing demands. With the University Council, a strategically steering supervisory body has been introduced to continuously optimize the university's competitiveness.