In the green room at Phocuswright Europe with... Christian Langer

Christian Langer, V.P. digital strategy, Lufthansa Group

Christian took up his current role as vice president of digital strategy in early 2017. Later that year he also took over the management of the Lufthansa Innovation Hub alongside Gleb Tritus. Christian is responsible for the digital fleet solutions product division at Lufthansa Technik. He originally joined the company in 2004 in a role within Lufthansa Technik.

In a series of interviews with executives participating at the event in Amsterdam in May, PhocusWire finds out what makes them tick.

Does the industry or do travelers drive change?

Both in dialogue. It depends on the ability of the company to listen and create offers and products that customers can react to, and then it depends on the ability to listen again... At the same time, platform business models mix the terms "customer" and "producer," creating added value precisely in the interaction between the two. Technology has a catalytic effect.

What assumption about travelers have you found not to be true?

Travelers are human beings with the desire to overcome distances. The same diversity of individuals can also be found among travelers. Therefore, I have no "assumptions," but it depends on perceiving the individuality of desires and needs. Fortunately, modern technology supports the personalization of services and products more and more.

What was your childhood aspiration?

It's been a long time becoming a journalist. To observe, to understand what is and then to report it in a way that arouses curiosity in the reader.

Who is the person you most admire within the industry?

In one of my first years with Lufthansa, I found an article in the Financial Times about Wolfgang Mayrhuber, the then-CEO of Lufthansa. The article was titled "All hands on the flight deck" and dealt with how Mr Mayrhuber recovered a customer's valuable cigarette lighter during a flight from the innards of the seat in which the lighter had disappeared using the onboard tool kit. Since then I carry the article in my work bag. Modesty, helpfulness and customer orientation are qualities that I consider to be exemplary.

What travel industry development or brand do you wish you'd thought of first?

As a child, I loved the book Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver - actually I still do. In the second volume they turn their locomotive Emma into a perpetuum mobile to fly over the crown of the world. Without any energy, carbon neutral and noiseless. I often think about it, but I haven't succeeded yet. I promise, if one day I managed to build such a perpetuum mobile, I will present it for the first time at PhocusWire.

What do you consider to be the best important invention in the digital world in the last 20 years?

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol. Okay, it's been 23 years since version 1.0.

How do you stay inspired?

By reading a book every week.

Think back to five years ago. Did you envision this is where you would be?

No, I don't worry too much about what I'll be doing in five years. Good things follow good things, I firmly believe in that.

What element in the industry do you consider is still the most difficult to measure? 

Thanks to Werner Heisenberg, we know that it is the simultaneous measurement of the position and momentum of an aircraft in flight.