A life in international sports & business - on and off the track
Born 1966 in Duesseldorf (Germany) and raised in the Rhineland. After graduating from school a bank apprenticeship to become a bank clerk. That was in the mid 1980s. It was an interesting experience, but I knew after a short time that I didn't want to spend my whole life in one place and mostly in offices. The day after my final exams I enrolled at the Sport University in Cologne. Career goal: Something with sports management.
Well, that was in 1990 and the sports industry in Germany and Europe was not as developed as it is today. To finance my studies I organised a couple of sporting events and did some athletics coaching for a local club. To develop my options in coaching, I went to the DOSB Trainerakademie to become a certified trainer. And coaching athletes in pole-vault and decathlon was the first step into my careers into sports.
Assignments at TSV Dormagen (near Cologne), Manchester (UK Athletics), Doha (ASPIRE Academy) and Singapore (Singapore Sports School) followed. The Olympics 2000 in Sydney, as an appointed coach for the South-African Team, were from a coaching point of view probably the most exiting experience.
International and intercultural projects have always interested me and still do. Talking to people from various backgrounds, the view behind structures and societies - not from the desk, but live and in the middle of it. This interest has brought me - not only in sports - to many interesting and rewarding projects and areas of the business world.
My career took another turn just two years before the Olympics in Rio 2016, when i became the sports director of the German Volleyball Federation, where I tried (among other objectives) to create optimal competitive sports structures so that coaches can work optimally and help athletes make the most of their talent. However, I had to learn, that working mostly from office and being caught overwhelming administration structure and long hours of meetings was never my aim.
Hence, I pivoted to consulting and education. Consulting sports organisations, teaching and research is at the center of my activities today. With my workshops and seminars I am providing not only the theoretical basis of sports training & management, but giving my students an insight into the sports industry from practice-oriented view.
In my private life, physical fitness and a sustainable and healthy lifestyle is not only important for me to cope with the often stressful challenges of everyday work, but because I enjoy exercise and improving my athletic performance all my life.
Of course, it's no longer about always being the best, but there should be a certain incentive and measurability. Running (2 marathons), cycling tours, swimming, strength training and since some time Cross-Fit and HYROX belong to my favorite sports.
Besides, I enjoy spending time with my wife at the lake and in the beautiful nature.
Well, that was in 1990 and the sports industry in Germany and Europe was not as developed as it is today. To finance my studies I organised a couple of sporting events and did some athletics coaching for a local club. To develop my options in coaching, I went to the DOSB Trainerakademie to become a certified trainer. And coaching athletes in pole-vault and decathlon was the first step into my careers into sports.
Assignments at TSV Dormagen (near Cologne), Manchester (UK Athletics), Doha (ASPIRE Academy) and Singapore (Singapore Sports School) followed. The Olympics 2000 in Sydney, as an appointed coach for the South-African Team, were from a coaching point of view probably the most exiting experience.
International and intercultural projects have always interested me and still do. Talking to people from various backgrounds, the view behind structures and societies - not from the desk, but live and in the middle of it. This interest has brought me - not only in sports - to many interesting and rewarding projects and areas of the business world.
My career took another turn just two years before the Olympics in Rio 2016, when i became the sports director of the German Volleyball Federation, where I tried (among other objectives) to create optimal competitive sports structures so that coaches can work optimally and help athletes make the most of their talent. However, I had to learn, that working mostly from office and being caught overwhelming administration structure and long hours of meetings was never my aim.
Hence, I pivoted to consulting and education. Consulting sports organisations, teaching and research is at the center of my activities today. With my workshops and seminars I am providing not only the theoretical basis of sports training & management, but giving my students an insight into the sports industry from practice-oriented view.
In my private life, physical fitness and a sustainable and healthy lifestyle is not only important for me to cope with the often stressful challenges of everyday work, but because I enjoy exercise and improving my athletic performance all my life.
Of course, it's no longer about always being the best, but there should be a certain incentive and measurability. Running (2 marathons), cycling tours, swimming, strength training and since some time Cross-Fit and HYROX belong to my favorite sports.
Besides, I enjoy spending time with my wife at the lake and in the beautiful nature.
Business & Management
International Projects
England | South-Africa | Qatar | Singapore | Honduras | Lebanon | Kazachstan | Zimbabwe
Activities in other countries and other cultures are always a challenge and enrichment at the same time. Whether in sports, renewable energy or management, with the right attitude the opportunities to gain new insights into international and intercultural management are huge. International projects make it possible to take the best from different countries, cultures and organizations and apply it to a new concept that fits the client.
Sports & Management
Pathway from Talent to the Olympics
Track & Field | Rugby | Beach-Volleyball | Volleyball
The pathway to the podium is not easy. It requires talent, diligence, a good plan, and someone by your side who knows and accompanies you along the way. As a coach, I have trained athletes from five different countries and helped them make the most of their talent. As head coach and sports director, it's the job to create the best environment for athletes and their coaches to achieve their goals. But sport is much more than just the pursuit of medals, records and victories, because - all over the world - it also has a social function. I have been able to accompany athletes personally and as part of the coaching team on their way from talent to the Olympic podium.
