After completing his business studies and doctorate at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, he began his industrial career at the Bertelsmann AG. Afterwards, he was a member of the Board of Management/CFO, partly as CEO, of the following companies: Varta AG, O.Tel.O, Escada AG, Zapf Creation AG, Alno AG, Keiper-Recaro Group and Brain AG, the most