The board of Lufthansa has elected Karl-Ludwig Kley as the new chairman.

The decision comes after Wolfgang Mayrhuber informed members of the board that he would resign from office ahead of the annual general meeting of the company.

Kley holds a doctorate in law and has been a member of the supervisory board of Deutsche Lufthansa since 2013.

From 1998-2006, he was chief financial officer of Deutsche Lufthansa before becoming a member of the executive board of Merck from 2006-2016, serving as its chairman since 2007.

Mayrhuber deliberately wanted to implement the change in office of the chairman of the board six months before the end of his term.

He explained: “In the interest of continuous development and a forward-looking development, I have resigned from my mandate so that Karl-Ludwig Kley can assume the position as chairman.

“I am convinced that he will fulfil this role as a long-standing industry expert and manager with great success.

“I have also resigned with the reassuring knowledge that the company is showing a positive earnings trend and an overall strong performance.”

Mayrhuber, who has served the company for more than 40 years, began his career at Lufthansa in 1970 as an engineer in engine maintenance in Hamburg.

In the following years, he held different management positions of all levels within the maintenance division.

In 2003 Mayrhuber succeeded Jürgen Weber as chief executive of the Lufthansa Group.

During his time as chairman he created the basis for Lufthansa Group’s current structure by acquiring and integrating SWISS and Austrian Airlines, investing in Brussels Airlines and establishing Germanwings.

In 2013, Mayrhuber became chairman of the supervisory board.

“I am very pleased about my election as chairman of the board of Deutsche Lufthansa.

“This position entails a high degree of responsibility, which I will bear in the interest of shareholders, customers and employees.

“On behalf of all board members, I would like to thank Wolfgang Mayrhuber for his successful work and his great merits to the company,” said Kley.