Holger Stanislawski - Biography
Holger Stanislawski: Between the locker room and the cheese counter
Holger Stanislawski stands for authenticity, clarity, and team spirit. As a former professional soccer player and coach in the Bundesliga and now the managing director of a supermarket, he brings a rare combination of practical knowledge and leadership skills to the table. His career took him from the pitch to the office – but his principles remained the same: motivating people, taking responsibility, and actively shaping change. Anyone who meets him immediately senses that Stanislawski doesn’t just talk about leadership – he lives it. With an open mind for new approaches and a healthy dose of Hanseatic humor, he takes his audience on an inspiring journey through the highs and lows of performance, teamwork, and change.
Keynote topics by Holger Stanislawski
- Success and failure in sports: How business can learn from it.
- Team leadership: Collaboration Wins.
- Motivation and leadership: How far can monetary motivation go?
- Being different – Innovative thinking in sports and business.
- Teamwork in everyday life: From elite soccer to the cheese counter.
Born in Hamburg in 1969, Holger Stanislawski initially played for FC St. Pauli, among others, where he made a name for himself as a libero. After the end of his active career – caused by a knee injury – he switched to coaching. There he made history as the promotion coach of FC St. Pauli and later also took over teams such as TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and 1. FC Köln.
Despite his sporting successes, he decided to start a new career in 2014: Together with Alexander Laas, also a former professional, he has been running a Rewe Center in Hamburg ever since. For Stanislawski, this was not a break, but a logical step – because for him, good leadership is the same everywhere: close to people, clear in communication, and credible in action.