“Every day matters.”

Hockey has shaped my life from an early age – as a sport, a passion, and a common thread running through both my personal and professional life. I started playing hockey at the age of four and was already playing for the first men's team by the age of 14. As a former German junior international and Bundesliga player, I have experienced the game from grassroots level all the way to the international stage – among other things, I have also coached many children's teams, passing on my experience to the next generation.

My voluntary engagement began at my home club, Club an der Alster, before I took on the role of Vice-President of the German Hockey Federation (DHB), where I was responsible for marketing, communications, and events at a national level. In 2017, I was appointed to the newly created position of Director of Marketing and Communications at the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in Lausanne, Switzerland – a role in which I helped shape the sport's global marketing and digital strategy, and which ultimately led to me serving as interim CEO of the Federation.

Beyond my professional roles, using hockey as a tool for social change is close to my heart: in 2009, I founded what is now known as Kasi Hockey, a grassroots project in South Africa that brings the sport to children in underserved communities. Seeing the project firsthand on the ground on a regular basis, reminds me of just how much of a difference we can make. That means the world to me, and it's this energy that continues to drive me to grow the project with my team members and bring it to new places.