| 1966 | Primary and secondary education in Bonn/Germany, with graduation (Abitur) |
| 1966 - 1968 | Military service in German army |
| 1968 - 1973 | Studies in Mathematics, Physics and Economics at the Universities of Bonn and Freiburg i.Br. |
| 1973 | graduating as M.Sc. (Diplom-Mathematiker) |
| 1973 - 1978 | Post-graduate studies and lecturing at the Department of Pure Mathematics of the University Freiburg i.Br. |
| 1978 | graduating as Ph.D. |
| 1978 | Joined Hamburg International Re (HIR), a medium-sized professional reinsurer, headquartered in Hamburg/Germany, as 'management trainee' |
| 1983 | Appointment as Head of Life Reinsurance of HIR |
| 1985 | Promotion to Executive Director at HIR in charge of Life Reinsurance, Financials and Accounting |
| 1987 | additionally in charge of Investments |
| 1990 | Joined Hannover Re (HR), Hannover/Germany as Executive Director, with the strategic mandate to develop the Company into a well-diversified, internationally active life and health reinsurer |
| 1992 |
Promotion to Executive Board Member (Vorstandsmitglied) of Hannover Re Group in charge of |
| 1999 | Appointment to CEO of Hannover Life Re, the business group in charge of all life,health, annuity and personal accident activities |
| end of 2011 | Retired as Executive Board Member of Hannover Re Group and CEO of Hannover Life Re |
| since early 2012 | Works as independent strategic advisor in insurance and reinsurance, with several board mandates in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA |
| June 2013 | Received the prestigious John S. Bickley Founder's Award - Gold Medal for Excellence - from International Insurance Society, New York |
| 2017-2020 | VitalityLife UK : Chairman of the Board of Directors |
| 2017 | FWU AG : Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board |
| 2016-2021 | AEGON Blue Square Re N.V. : Chairman of the Supervisory Board |
| 2021 | PSF Capital (Scotland) GP Ltd. : Independent Non-Executive Director |
| 2021 | Disruptive Capital Acquisition Company: Chairman of the Board of Directors |
- Reading non-business-related books
- Outdoor activities like cycling, mountain hiking and skiing
- Travelling to remote places
- Hard Rock music and Mozart Operas