Franz Vranitzky (born Oct. 4th, 1937) was Special Adviser to WestLB (1997-2004). He was the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Danish Foreign Minister H. Petersen, for the OSCE Special Mission to Albania (March-Oktober 1997); Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) (1988-97) and one of the Vice Presidents of the Socialist International; Federal Chancellor of Austria (1986-97); Finance Minister (1984-86); Chairman of the Board of Österreichische Länderbank (1981-84); Deputy Chairman of the Board, Creditanstalt-Bankverein (1976-81); Adviser on Economic and Financial Affairs to the Finance Minister (1970-76); with the Austrian National Bank (1961-70). Dr. Vranitzky received a Doctorate in Business Studies, Vienna University of Business and Economics (1969). He received Honorary Doctorates from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1993), the University of Ashgabat (1998) and the University of New Orleans (1999), and holds Honorary Degrees from the Universities of Santiago de Chile and Bratislava. The city of Aachen presented him with the Charles prize in 1995, for his work to promote European integration and because under his leadership, Austria became a member of the European Union. In 1995 he was awarded the Fulbright Prize for his services to Eastern Europe after the dismantling of the Iron Curtain. Vranitzky is an Honorary Senator of the Vienna University School of Business and Economics. He was awarded numerous honours by foreign governments one of those being the government of the Republic of Kasachstan.

Franz Vranitzky is married to Christine Kristen. They have a daughter and a son and five grandchildren. A member of the Austrian 1960 Olympic basketball team, Vranitzky is a fan of basketball and other sports.

Vranitzky was previously a member of the Council for the Future of Europe.