Jan-Christian Dreesen is the new chairman and CEO of FC Bayern Munich. But who is the man who is so popular with fans of the record champions, why did Uli Hoeneß and Co. choose him as Oliver Kahn’s successor and why is he actually missing a finger?
Jan-Christian Dreesen is a German football official and has been the CEO of FC Bayern Munich since May 27, 2023. It was not until September 2022 that the record champions announced that the native East Frisian would leave the club at his own request in the summer of 2023. One reason for this is said to have been disagreements with Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic.
He has served as Chief Financial Officer since 2013 and Vice Chairman of the Management Board since 2014. He has also been a member of the Executive Committee of the German Football League (DFL) since 2016.
Dreesen previously worked in various banks. After working for many years at what was then Volksbank Aurich, he became a consultant at Bayerische Vereinsbank in 1995 and a board member for private customers and private banking at Hypovereinsbank in 2006, but resigned a few weeks later after the takeover by Unicredit Bank. In 2008 he became CEO of the German branch of the major Swiss bank UBS. He also gained experience as a board member of BayernLB before moving to FC Bayern Munich and football.
FC Bayern Munich: Jan-Christian Dreesen and his previous positions
Year
Pursue
position
Until 1995
Volksbank Aurich
trainees and employees
from 1995
Bavarian association bank
Advisor
since 2006
Hypovereinsbank
Board member for private customers
since 2008
UBS
CEO
from 2009 on
BayernLB
board member
from 2013
FC Bayern Munich
CFO
since 2014
FC Bayern Munich
Chief Financial Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
from 2016
German football league
Bureau
from 2023
FC Bayern Munich
CEO
FC Bayern Munich: Why is Jan-Christian Dreesen so popular with the fans?
There, Dreesen managed to win the favor of the fans relatively quickly because, unlike other board members, he still maintains a close exchange with the active fan scene.
When traveling away from the Champions League, Dreesen always sought direct contact with the fans and usually stayed until the end of the traditional banquet to exchange ideas. His predecessor Oliver Kahn is said to have missed this closeness and openness.
But fans of FC Bayern Munich also value him for his eloquent and charming manner beyond the fan scene. His financial reports were always a small highlight at the club’s annual general meetings because he knew how to present the figures with a good dose of wit.
FC Bayern Munich: Why is Jan-Christian Dreesen missing a finger?
The 55-year-old has a special visual feature: he is missing a finger on his left hand. But what is the story behind it?
Dreesen was not born with this peculiarity, but it is the result of an accident that happened only a few years ago.
In September 2017, Dreesen, who is a passionate hunter, was hunting with a friend in a leased area in Tyrol. On the way to the car, a shot was fired from his gun because it appeared to be unsecured. Dreesen’s hand was hit. The thumb could be saved in the clinic in Innsbruck, but not the index finger of the left hand.
“Of course we were all very shocked when we received the news. We are all the more relieved that Jan-Christian is already on the mend,” said Karl, then chairman of the board and now back on the FC Bayern Munich supervisory board -Heinz Rummenigge behind. A year later, Dreesen also suffered a heart attack during a trip to Madrid. Even that could not stop the trained banker.
