German buyer association VDR has announced that Jens Schliessmann will replace Hans-Ingo Biehl as general manager later this year.

VDR said that Schliessmann, who is currently a sales director at Lufthansa, would take up the new role from 1 October when Biehl retires after 20 years as general manager.

The association, which made the announcement during its conference in Berlin, added that Schliessmann would initially manage VDR alongside Biehl and the executive committee from 1 July.

VDR president Christoph Carnier said: “We are glad that Jens Schliessmann is taking on this responsible task with great enthusiasm. He has been actively involved in the association for several years and uses his industry knowledge to support the association’s specialist committee work in the areas of technology and sustainable mobility management.”

Schliessmann has been working in the travel industry for more than 20 years after starting his career as a flight attendant with Lufthansa and has been the airline group’s director of sales for central Germany since 2016. 

“I’m looking forward to the new task and becoming part of a powerful and effective network in the VDR,” added Schliessmann.