Born on 2 July 1960 in Meppen, Ems

Political career
2005 – 2009
Member of the German Bundestag
European policy spokesman of the FDP parliamentary group
Chairman of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for Relations with Belgium and Luxembourg

2002 – 2005
Member of the German Bundestag
Development policy spokesman of the FDP parliamentary group

Since 2001
Member of the FDP National Executive
since 2005 Vice-President of the European Liberal Democrats (ELDR)

2004 – 2010
President of the FDP Berlin

2005 – 2009
Chairman of the FDP Federal Committee on International Politics

2005 – 2007
President of the German Group of Liberal International (DGLI)

from April 2010
Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office

Profession
1996 – 2006
Owner manager, Löning Werbeagentur, Berlin (advertising agency)

1993 – 1996
Freelance staff, Thienel, Meyer, Partner Werbeagentur, Berlin (advertising agency)

1990 – 1993
Manager, Strich & Punkt — Satz & Grafik, Berlin

1987 – 1990
Owner manager, Le Print Werbeagentur, Mannheim (advertising agency)

Education
Read political science at the University of Heidelberg, Master of Arts
European Baccalaureate at the European School Luxembourg

Elected Vice President on the Bureau of Liberal International at the 58th Congress in Abidjan, in October 2012.