1991 - 1994: vocational training as an office administrator
1994 - 2004: commercial employee at a midsize company in Essen
July 1995 - May 1996: military service in Essen at Fernmelderegiment 990 (telecommunication regiment)
Political career
since 1989: member of the CDU
1993 - 1997: county chairman of Junge Union Essen
1994 - 1999: Member of district representation IV - Essen-Borbeck, deputy spokesman of CDU-parliamentary group
1996 - 2002: district chairman of Junge Union Ruhrgebiet
since 1999: Member of the Council of the City of Essen
1999 - 2009: chairman of the Youth Welfare Committee of the Council of the City of Essen
2000 - 2005: delegate of the Landtag (state parliament) North Rhine-Westphalia
2002 - 2005: Member of the party executive of the CDU state parliament faction and spokesman for migration policy
2005 - 2010: commissioner for integration of state government North Rhine-Westphalia
2005 - 2010: chairman of North Rhine-Westphalia's state advisory council for matters of displaced people, refugees and late resettlers
2005 - 2011: Deputy chairman of CDU Essen
since 2006: Deputy chairman of the board of foundation "Zentrum für Türkeistudien und Integrationsforschung" (ZFTI) in Essen
since 2006: Deputy chairman of CDU Ruhrgebiet district
2009 - 2015: chairman of CDU-parliamentary group at the Council of the City of Essen
2010 - 2012: project officer of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. in Berlin
2012 - Oct. 20th 2015: Member of Parliament of the state parliament North Rhine-Westphalia; spokesman for energy issues of the CDU state parliament faction; member of the party executive of the CDU state parliament faction
since 2014: member of CDU NRW state executive
since 2015: member of board of trustees of the SOUL OF AFRICA museum Essen
since 21 October 2015: Lord Mayor of the City of Essen
