Position nominated for: Ordinary member

Member national association: Deutscher Hockey-Bund e.V.

Position held at present in NA: Vice President Legal Affairs

Present or past activities in sport at national level (NA/NOC): – Recipient of the Paul-Reinberg Medal 2025, awarded by the German Hockey Federation for outstanding contributions to German hockey (the award, presented biennially at the DHB Congress, honours individuals, players, teams or institutions for exceptional performance, integrity and service to the sport.)
– Since 2019: Vice President Legal Affairs, German Hockey Federation (DHB) – responsible for the federation’s entire legal portfolio, including contracts, statutes, disciplinary regulations, elections, compliance, and governance issues.
– Since 2009: Member, since 2019 Chair of the DHB Statutes Commission – led a comprehensive modernisation of the federation’s statutes with a strong focus on good governance, including the introduction of an Ethics Committee.
– Since 2005: Member, since 2011 Chair of the DHB Competition Regulations Committee (Spielordnungsausschuss) – responsible for drafting and developing the competition regulations across all national levels.
– 2002–2008: Member of the DHB Umpiring Committee – responsible for rules, communications and active in umpire development, particularly for youth.
– 2000–2023: Umpire in the German Bundesliga – 528 top-division matches plus numerous additional lower-league and regional-level games.
– Awarded the Golden Badge of Honour by the West German Hockey Association (Westdeutscher Hockey-Verband – WHV) in 2014, acknowledging my long-standing voluntary service and leadership.
– 1997–2014: Various leadership roles in WHV, including Vice President Sport and Vice President Umpiring.
– 1998–2019: Member, from 2009 Chair of the WHV Disciplinary Committee.
– Since 2005: Regular lecturer and seminar leader for umpires and technical officials.
– Additional national-level sports roles outside of hockey include positions on the legal and disciplinary committees of the District of Cologne Basketball Association and the German Athletics Federation.

Submitted reasons why the candidate is considered suitable for the position: – Passionate about hockey, with lifelong involvement across all levels of competition – from club and youth tournaments to the Olympic Games.
– Brings a unique combination of legal expertise and hands-on hockey experience – valuable for strategic board discussions and policy development.
– Experienced in multiple roles: umpire, technical official, Technical Delegate, legal advisor and board member in national governance.
– In-depth understanding of both smaller and elite-level events, including their logistical and regulatory challenges.
– Familiar with event operations, rules and officiating, as well as legal compliance, disciplinary structures and governance.
– Committed to transparency, ethical governance, development of young officials, and long-term structural growth in European hockey.

Professional or other qualifications: – Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer (Akademischer Oberrat) in Law at the University of Cologne.
– Habilitation in Law, University of Cologne (2024), venia legendi for Civil Law, Legal Professions and Legal Services Law.
– PhD in Law (summa cum laude), University of Cologne, 2008.
– Fully qualified lawyer (First and Second State Examination in Law).
– Examiner in State Legal Exams; academic focus on regulation, governance and compliance.
– Regular speaker and organiser of national and international legal and sports law conferences.
– Recipient of the Teaching Award 2022, presented by the Law Students’ Association of the University of Cologne in recognition of outstanding performance in legal education, particularly in foundational and exam-preparation-focused courses
– Fluent in German and English.

Gender: Male