Early Life
Frank H. Laukien was born in Stuttgart, Germany. His father, Günther Laukien, founded Bruker Corporation in 1960. Frank excelled in academics and athletics during his schooling. He pursued higher education in the United States, earning a bachelor's degree from MIT in 1984 and a Ph.D. in chemical physics from Harvard University in 1988.
Rise to Success
Laukien's career began with summer jobs at Bruker while he was in college. He joined the company full-time after completing his doctorate. He contributed to key innovations, such as the development of cryogenic NMR probes, which enhanced sensitivity in NMR spectroscopy and led to breakthroughs in structural biology and drug discovery. He has been the Chairman, President, and CEO of Bruker Corporation since February 1991.
Key Business Strategies
Under Laukien's leadership, Bruker went public in 2000. He focused on expanding the company through strategic acquisitions and research and development investments, averaging about 11% of revenues annually. These investments focused on advanced technologies like mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, and magnetic resonance imaging systems. He is the largest stockholder of Bruker Corporation.
Philanthropy
Frank Laukien is involved in the scientific and policy communities. He has been elected a senator of acatech, Germany's National Academy of Science and Engineering, since 2017, and is a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University since 2021. He is also an angel investor in biotherapeutics and space exploration ventures. He co-chairs the AACR Cancer Evolution Working Group.
