As chancellor, Andrea Güttner is responsible for areas such as the university budget, human resources, security, information technology, building maintenance and infrastructure, and more. She will also work closely together with the Executive Board on the strategic development of the university.

Güttner was entrusted with the performance of official duties of the director of administration and finance in 2022 on a temporary basis. Over the course of the last four and a half years, she has put several important structural and developmental projects into motion, including the restructuring of individual administrative areas, designing and implementing centralized IT and digitization projects, and prioritizing areas such as campus development and security.

Güttner has many years of experience in the fields of university administration and research management. Prior to working at Freie Universität Berlin, she worked in the field of academic controlling and held positions as a university consultant and as a research associate. From 2013 to 2022 she was head of administration for the Department of Political and Social Sciences and other central institutes at Freie Universität Berlin.

By electing Andrea Güttner chancellor, Freie Universität is ensuring continuity while also placing a focus on close collaboration between university leadership, professors, researchers, students, and employees. Speaking after the election, Güttner said, “This position is unique in that it allows me to work with many different status groups across Freie Universität Berlin to develop solutions for individual needs in research, teaching, and administration. I am very much looking forward to continuing this work, and to furthering discussion and exchange. I am very grateful for the trust people have placed in me, and the appreciation this shows for my work to date. This will help me address future challenges here at Freie Universität.”

The procedure for electing a chancellor at Freie Universität is regulated by law. The university’s president suggests a candidate with the approval of the board of trustees. The Extended Academic Senate then holds a vote on the appointment of the candidate to the position of chancellor. Güttner was successful in her election to the position of chancellor and will officially hold the position once she has been sworn in by the Berlin Senate.

Born in 1971, Güttner has many years of experience in the fields of university administration and research management. She worked as a controller at Justus Liebig University Gießen for several years before becoming a freelance consultant and project leader for university projects. This was followed by a senior consultant position at CHE Consult, where she specialized in projects on organizational development, finance, incentive models, gender and diversity, and equity. Prior to the election, she had been temporarily entrusted with the performance of official duties of the director of administration and finance since 2022. From 2013 to 2022 she was the head of administration for the Department of Political and Social Sciences and other central institutes at Freie Universität Berlin. Güttner studied Latin American studies, political science, and economics at the University of Cologne and Freie Universität Berlin.