Reiner Calmund (*1948) - the "godfather of the league" - has acquired respect and recognition over the years with commitment, competence and visionary ideas, even beyond the boundaries of football turf. Today he is an influential personality in German professional football. His advice and experience are still in demand with many former colleagues, clubs and associations. After an injury in the game for his home club Frechen 20, Calmunds' own career as an active footballer came to an abrupt end. But football does not let him go. At the age of 19, Reiner Calmund became a youth selection coach for the Frechener B-Jugend and then chairman and managing director of the Cologne-Land football district. Despite all his enthusiasm and commitment to football, Calmund trained as a foreign trade merchant and studied business administration. In 1976, he joined the Bayer 04 Leverkusen soccer club and succeeded - first as a manager, later as managing director - in transforming the anonymous club of the chemical group into a modern, successful international top club independent of the Bayer Group. In his time, he won the UEFA Cup (1988) and the DFB Cup (1993). Calmund has repeatedly lived up to his reputation as 'the industry's most skilful buyer'. In addition to Bernd Schuster, he also brings a number of Brazilian top stars to Leverkusen. In the year 2004 he leaves the club for health reasons. On the occasion of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Reiner Calmund is appointed ambassador of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Reiner Calmund is always committed with great passion and full commitment, because he wants to make a difference. Social commitment is important to him and he has supported numerous organisations and projects for many years, for example as a member of the board of trustees of the UNESCO Foundation. Reiner Calmund is a valued guest and discussion partner at TV shows and in expert rounds, always reporting exciting and anecdotal stories - not only from the football world. He shines as a smart candidate in quiz shows, as a "sniffer dog" in infotainment shows, as a protagonist in documentaries and as an entertaining conversational partner in talk shows and as a proven expert in many football formats. With his diverse experience from the world of sports and business, he is also a sought-after speaker at congresses and corporate events. In his lively lectures, he focuses on motivation, business, sport and working life. He draws parallels between companies and professional football clubs and also points out the differences.