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.