ASML Head Says Young People Often Ask How to Become a CEO

Christophe Fouquet, CEO of the Fortune 500 Europe lithography group, oversees one of the world's most strategically important companies. His €3.5 million ($3.6 million) salary from last year, combined with more in accumulated stock options, doesn't help to alleviate the envy.

However, in an interview with Norges Bank Investment Management CEO Nicolai Tangen for his In Good Company podcast, Fouquet stated that the question is a common shortcoming among ambitious young professionals.

"I see too many young people who come to me and want to be CEO, and they ask me, 'How do we become CEO?'" And I try to explain to them in as nice a way as possible that this is almost an absurd question," Fouquet said. 

"This isn't the correct question. The right question is, "What am I going to do tomorrow that really excites me and brings out the best in me?"

"Because if you go and do that every day, there may be a chance you become CEO—most probably a bigger chance that you don't—but you will equally end up doing something that brings you joy, energy, and most importantly brings that to the people around you."

Fouquet, who claims he never aspired to the C-Suite in his early years, believes this should extend to the subjects young people choose to study at university, arguing that doing something you enjoy is more important than pursuing a career path.

According to the ASML CEO, this approach to career development can help divide progression into two phases, with the first focusing on gaining influence and the second on learning how to use it.

"I truly believe that the first part of your career is about proving yourself," said Fouquet, who realized this phase of his life was over when he took over a product unit at ASML more than a decade ago.

"And then you look forward, you say, okay, what's next… what can I do to help and where is the place where I can do something that matters?"

Fouquet's role has evolved over his time at ASML. At $230 billion, the company is worth orders of magnitude more than when he first joined it in 2008.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, shares in the group skyrocketed, first during a general increase in demand for tech stocks, and then again during the AI boom.

The company provides its lithography machines to the world's largest companies, including Nvidia, enabling the production of advanced semiconductors used in AI applications.

Foquest's importance in the global supply chain is only expected to grow.