Jochen A. Rotthaus

Jochen A. Rotthaus is architect of success stories, leadership expert, and keynote speaker with professional sports DNA.

Jochen A. Rotthaus is one of the most prominent experts in corporate strategy, leadership, sales, and brand development. As an experienced top manager, independent management consultant, and sought-after sparring partner for management teams, he supports organizations in sustainable scaling, strategic transformation, and successful market presence – with clear communication, excellence, and a unique network. His focus: effective leadership, entrepreneurial clarity, and measurable results.

With over 25 years of experience in top positions – including at VfB Stuttgart, TSG Hoffenheim, the Bavaria Film Group, and Bayer 04 Leverkusen – the business graduate has proven how visionary leadership, excellent sales and marketing management, and strategic transformation can take companies to the top.

Jochen A. Rotthaus became particularly well known for his influential role in the spectacular rise of TSG Hoffenheim. Working alongside SAP founder Dietmar Hopp, he transformed the club from an amateur club into one of the most modern soccer companies in Europe – with vision, innovative strength, and a deep understanding of brand development and organizational structure. The basis of his success is a clear, lived leadership culture: Rotthaus stands for leadership with attitude and effectiveness.

Jochen A. Rotthaus Lecture topics

Keynote: “Life is not a home game”

An inspiring look behind the scenes of professional sports, the media world, and the start-up industry – and what companies can learn from it. Using his own career path, including TSG Hoffenheim’s promotion to the Bundesliga, Jochen A. Rotthaus shows how visions become tangible strategies and what role leadership, communication, and attitude play in this process.

Other topics:

  • Leadership as a success factor: culture, responsibility, and effectiveness in times of change
  • Brand building with emotion and substance
  • Strategic scaling and sales architecture
  • Transformation in practice: from structures to impact
  • Mentoring & career counseling for executives

Jochen A. Rotthaus’ keynotes highlight the essential success factors for leadership, entrepreneurship, and transformation.

Today, Jochen A. Rotthaus supports companies that not only want to grow, but also want to position themselves at the top in the long term. Effective leadership is at the heart of his work: he supports decision-makers in developing concrete strategies and measurable results from visions, tapping into new markets, and building sustainable networks. His keynotes and mentoring programs are not based on theoretical models, but on practical experience and many years of leadership experience.

Drawing on his extensive experience in professional sports, the media, events, and start-up industries, he shares practical insights on leadership, emotional brand management, and sales strength.

Key topics of his lectures include the development and professionalization of organizations, the development of a sustainable leadership culture in times of change, emotional selling, sustainable customer loyalty, strategic network building, crisis management, and digital transformation. In addition, he addresses the personal development of leaders and how to deal with setbacks in a resilient manner.

With inspiring examples, real-life business cases, and direct practical transfer, Jochen A. Rotthaus provides impulses that managers and teams can implement immediately—always with the goal of taking responsibility and understanding excellence as the benchmark.

Positions & offices:

  • Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, Leverkusen: Director of Marketing & Communications, Member of the Executive Board (authorized signatory)
  • DEG Düsseldorfer Eishockey GmbH, Düsseldorf (Managing Director)
  • TSG 1899 Hoffenheim Fußball-Spielbetriebs GmbH, Hoffenheim (Managing Director)
  • VfB Stuttgart 1893 e.V. / VfB Stuttgart Marketing GmbH, Stuttgart (Managing Director)
  • Bavaria Film GmbH, Geiselgasteig (Member of the Management Board, Authorized Signatory)
  • Since 2024: Member of the Economic Advisory Board of FRISCH AUF! Göppingen
  • Since 2021: Member of the Board of Trustees of Stiftung Lesen, Mainz
  • Since 2020: Member of the Advisory Board of Rhein Asset Management (Lux) S. A., Düsseldorf

Wolfram Sauer's opinion on Jochen A. Rotthaus

Jochen A. Rotthaus stands for leadership with attitude, strategic thinking, and entrepreneurial impact. Those who book him as a speaker gain an expert who combines theory and practice at the highest level—with 25 years of experience in top management, including in professional soccer, the media industry, and management consulting. He does not deliver standard platitudes, but rather concrete ideas for leadership, transformation, and growth. Whether change processes, sales architecture, or brand development – Rotthaus speaks plainly, inspires with genuine experience, and provides lasting food for thought.

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