Due to his almost 40 years of voluntary and full-time political activity, he has first-class background knowledge of political and administrative processes. He has held various local political offices in his home town of Essen, which is why towns and municipalities are a particular focus of his work.

He has also been a directly elected member of the state parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia since 2005 and is therefore very well connected in state politics. He has held various positions in the committees of his party, including parliamentary group chairman, state chairman and deputy national chairman.

He is married and has three grown-up children.