| Director-General of CERN | |
|---|---|
| Directeur général or Directrice générale | |
| Abbreviation | DG |
| Reports to | CERN Council |
| Appointer | CERN Council |
| Term length | 5 years typical length |
| Precursor | Secretary-General |
| Formation | October 1954 |
| First holder | Felix Bloch |
CERN directors general typically serve 5 year terms beginning on January 1.
| In office | Directors General | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1952–1954 | Edoardo Amaldi (Secretary-General) [1] | |
| 1954–1955 | Felix Bloch [2] | |
| 1955–1960 | Cornelis Bakker | |
| 1960–1961 | John Adams (acting director) | |
| 1961–1965 | Victor Frederick Weisskopf | |
| 1966–1970 | Bernard Gregory | |
| 1971–1975 | Willibald Jentschke (co-directors) | |
| John Adams (co-directors) | ||
| 1976–1980 | Léon Van Hove (co-directors) [3] | |
| John Adams (co-directors) | ||
| 1981–1988 | Herwig Schopper [4] | |
| 1989–1993 | Carlo Rubbia | |
| 1994–1998 | Christopher Llewellyn Smith | |
| 1999–2003 | Luciano Maiani | |
| 2004–2008 | Robert Aymar | |
| 2009–2015 | Rolf-Dieter Heuer | |
| 2016–2025 | Fabiola Gianotti | |
| 2026–2031 | Mark Thomson |