RB Leipzig have appointed Tatjana Haenni as their new chief executive, making her the first woman to lead a German football club at the top level.
The 59-year-old Swiss will officially assume her role on January 1, heading the club’s management board. A former footballer, Haenni earned 23 caps for the Swiss national team before moving into sports administration, where she held senior positions at UEFA, FIFA and the Swiss Football Association (SFV).
“I can’t wait to get started in January and to get to know the club on a deeper level,” Haenni said in a statement. “Together, we want to continue on what is already a successful path, and achieve our ambitious goals.”
Oliver Mintzlaff, former Leipzig CEO and now a Red Bull executive, praised her “specialist knowledge, leadership and strategic thinking,” expressing confidence that she would successfully guide the club into its next phase of development.
RB Leipzig, founded in 2009 after Red Bull took over a fifth-tier side, rose rapidly through the German football pyramid and reached the Bundesliga in 2016. The club has since won two German Cups and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2020.
Haenni’s appointment comes under the broader Red Bull football network, which has expanded globally. Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp became Red Bull’s global head of football in January 2025, overseeing clubs in Leipzig, New York and Bragantino.
