Ilja Känzig

Speaker at the St. Gallen Symposium

Ilja Kaenzig has served as Chief Executive of VfL Bochum 1848 GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2018. In this role, he oversees the club’s strategic and operational management and contributes more than three decades of experience in international football. Prior to joining VfL Bochum, he served as Chief Executive of FC Sochaux-Montbéliard and BSC Young Boys, while also leading STADE DE SUISSE Wankdorf Nationalstadion AG during the same period. Earlier in his career, he held senior executive positions as Managing Director and Sporting Director at Hannover 96 and as General Manager at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He began his professional career at Grasshopper Club Zürich as Assistant to the Sporting Director and Player Transfer Coordinator. In addition, he gained experience in media as Managing Editor for Sports at Ringier AG and founded a football investment and consulting boutique. He also possesses institutional experience at league level through engagements with UEFA, the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) and the Swiss Football League.