Since July 2026
Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation
May 2025 - July 2026
Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy
Since May 2025
Federal Government Commissioner for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
Since December 2021
Federal Chair of the Small and Medium-sized Business Association of the CDU (MIT)
January 2018 - December 2021
Deputy Chair of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group for food, agriculture, consumer health protection, the churches, art, cultural and media affairs
January 2015 - January 2018
Deputy Chair of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group for food, agriculture, consumer health protection, the churches and petitions
January 2014 - Januar 2015
Chair of the Committee on Food and Agriculture of the German Bundestag
2003 - 2007
Chair of the ‘Culture in Germany’ Study Commission of the German Bundestag
Since 2002
Member of the German Bundestag
Since 2001
Member of Leer District Council (Chair of the committee on general education and vocational schools and local public transport)
2001 - 2012
Independent lawyer at the law firm Rickes/Connemann in Leer
1995 - 2001
Inhouse lawyer at the Weser-Ems Employers’ Association for agriculture and cooperatives with a focus on labour and social law
1993 - 1995
Lawyer at a law firm specialised in business law in Darmstadt
1990 - 1993
Practical legal training in Hesse and the Netherlands
Second state examination in law
1984 - 1990
Studies in law at the universities of Osnabrück and Mainz
First state examination in law
1983 - 1984
Vocational training as a salesperson in the retail trade (specialised shoe retailer) in Leer
Born in Leer, Niedersachsen, on 10. May 1964.