Borussia Dortmund Members Elect Hans-Joachim Watzke as New Club President.

Roger Hampel

Image: BVB

Hans-Joachim Watzke has been elected as the new president of Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund, following a vote at the club’s general meeting on Sunday. The 66-year-old becomes the 19th president in BVB’s history and succeeds Dr. Reinhold Lunow, who chose not to run for re-election.

Watzke’s election comes immediately after his resignation as chairman of the management board of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA, marking a formal transition from corporate leadership to the presidency of the parent members’ association — a role that historically shapes the club’s institutional direction and long-term governance.

A Significant Governance Shift at Borussia Dortmund Borussia Dortmund Watzke

Watzke’s move from the GmbH executive level to the presidency represents one of the most notable leadership transitions at BVB in recent years. The club’s dual structure — with the professional team operated by the publicly listed KGaA and the e.V. (registered association) holding majority voting rights — positions the presidency as the central link between the club’s member association and its publicly listed football company.

By stepping into the e.V. role, Watzke remains central to the club’s direction, but under a different mandate: representing member interests and steering institutional development rather than managing day-to-day commercial operations.

Watzke Outlines Priorities: Dialogue, Governance and Representation

In his address to members, Watzke emphasized that he intends to serve as a president “for all Borussia fans,” focusing on unity, transparent dialogue and trust. His outlined priorities include:

• convening a “balanced constitutional committee” to review governance structures,

• further professionalisation of the club’s organisational processes,

• strengthening representation of women in leadership roles,

• continued support for both competitive and recreational sporting departments under the e.V. umbrella.

Watzke has been one of the defining figures of Borussia Dortmund for over two decades, credited with stabilising the club financially in the mid-2000s and overseeing major sporting and commercial growth. His shift into the president’s role reinforces continuity while addressing a long-running topic in German football: how traditional member-based clubs manage modern commercial pressures.