He studied law and joined one of the predecessor companies of Deutsche Bank in 1951. He became a member of the executive board of Deutsche Bank in 1965, and became co-chairman in 1976, serving with Wilfried Guth until 1985 and with Alfred Herrhausen until 1988. From 1988 to 1997, he was chairman of the supervisory board. He was President of the Association of German Banks from 1975 to 1979.Christopher Kopper (2015), "Friedrich Wilhelm Christians (1922–2004)," in Friedrich Gerhard Hohmann (ed.), Westfälische Lebensbilder 19 (pp. 225–240), Münster, Aschendorff, Biography , bankgeschichte.de
