| 1970 |
Completion of apprenticeship as telecommunications technician |
| 1973 |
Secondary education completed |
| 1976 |
Degree in Social Studies, Dusseldorf Polytechnic |
| 1974 |
Personal assistant to the chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation, North-Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) |
| 1976 |
Secretary for education policy, Trade Union for Education and Science, NRW |
| 1977 |
Regional director, Trade Union for Education and Science, NRW |
| 1979 |
Deputy regional director of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) in NRW |
| 1979-1991 |
Senior Election Campaign Manager to the Social Democratic Party in NRW |
| 1981-1991 |
Regional director of the SPD in NRW |
| 1990-1998 |
Member of the Landtag (Parliament of the Federal State) of NRW |
| 1994-1998 |
Spokesman on Economic policy for the SPD in the Landtag |
| 1991 |
Director for marketing, organization and corporate strategies, Salzgitter Steel Co., Düsseldorf |
| 1992-1998 |
Managing director of Preussag Trade Ltd and as of 1995 member of the board of directors of Preussag International Ltd |
| 1998 |
Minister for the Economy, SMEs, Technology and Transport, NRW |
| Oct 1998 - July 1999 |
Federal German Minister for Special Affairs and Chief of Staff in the Office of the Federal German Chancellor, Bonn |
| August 1999 |
Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, Brussels |
| Publications : |
Various publications in the field of political science, history, economic affairs as well as election campaign management. |