1. FC Köln have made an important decision for the post of Managing Director. Philipp Liesenfeld will take over the position of Managing Director Marketing and Sales. The 38-year-old, who has held the position of Head of B2C Marketing at FC, has signed a contract until 2028. The decision was taken by the 1. FC Köln Board of Directors and approved by the Joint Committee.
Dr. Werner Wolf, 1. FC Köln President, spoke for the Board of Directors: “We are very pleased that we have secured a leading personality out of our own ranks for such a key position in Philipp Liesenfeld. The decision was made after a long and intensive selection process, that we carried out alongside an external agency. Philipp managed to make his way through the process against many highly-qualified managers. Not only does Philipp bring a high-level of competence and a deep understanding for our club and his values, but also the necessary innovative thinking, in order to take on the upcoming challenges, especially our switch in marketing from 2026. We are convinced that the sector Marketing and Sales will be led with a lot of dynamic and long-term thinking.”
Philipp Türoff, since 1st January 2022 as Managing Director Finance and Administration at 1. FC Köln, added: “Over the past few months, Philipp Liesenfeld and I have worked intensively together in Marketing and, for example, could make our partnership with adidas a reality. I am really looking forward to continuing our work together in this new constellation.”
Philipp Liesenfeld, new Managing Director of Marketing and Sales at 1. FC Köln, said: “I want to thank the Board of Directors and the Joint Committee for the trust they have placed in me. Over the past decade, 1. FC Köln has become more than just my place of work. The new task is one which I take on with huge motivation, respect and full of energy. Together with my team, I want to use the positive energy from the promotion in order to strengthen our brand even more, push forward digitalisation and intensify the relationship to our fans and partners. Our switch in marketing from 2026 is an important step in the strategic future of FC, which we will take on with courage and creativity, in order to further strengthen our financial basis.”
Philipp Liesenfeld has been with 1. FC Köln since 2012. After different positions in Marketing, he headed up the Area of Company Development from July 2017 and played an important part in developing the FC strategy. He was also responsible for the implementation of high-reach special projects, such as the first ‘Innovation Game’ of a German football club and the FC organisation of the testimonial for Lukas Podolski. He also drove the initial development of the internationalisation strategy. Since 2022, he has been responsible for the FC's B2C Marketing and was in charge of merchandising, ticketing, membership and sales.