I was born and raised in Hessen, growing up in the small city of Hofheim am Taunus. From a young age, I appreciated the importance of civic engagement, and this led me to join the CDU in 1981.

Following my high-school graduation the following year, I continued my commitment to serving the public by joining the German Navy, where after four years of service I had attained the rank of First Lieutenant. I then returned to my studies, pursuing a degree in Economics. As a student, I was again politically active, becoming a Chairman of the Association of CDU Students from 1987 to 1989.

Following my graduation, I began nearly ten years of working for the CDU.  I then moved to the private sector – working in the field of media in Wuppertal – a city which quickly became my new home.

However, even as I moved into the private sector, I remained politically active – from 2003, I was in the leadership of the CDU Wuppertal, and I was in the City Council from 2004 until my election to the Bundestag. My experiences working in the public service as well as in the private sector prepared me well for the responsibilities which awaited me following my election to the German Bundestag in 2009.

In fulfilling my responsibilities to effectively serve my constituents, I have sought to represent the work-ethic and spirit of my region – the “Bergisches Land” – in the Bundestag.

From April 2014 until April 2018 I was appointed by Chancellor Angela Merkel to be the Government’s Co-Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation. In this capacity, I worked to strengthen the close bonds of friendship which have linked a free Germany with the United States and Canada. This work included actively engaging the media to increase understanding of German’s enduring partnership with the United States and Canada, as well as work within the German government to strengthen this partnership.

I am the foreign policy spokesperson of the CDU/CSU Parliamentarian Group. In this position, I work to clarify CDU/CSU foreign policy with the press, in addition to being tasked with leading the “Working Group” of the 32 CDU members and deputy members of the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee. I also sit as deputy on the Committee for Affairs of the European Union and the Defence Committee.

In all of these positions, I seek to help strengthen mutual understanding between Germany and our partners in Europe, North America, and worldwide.

Thank you for your interest in getting in touch with one of my offices.