Q&A with Philip Holzer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eintracht Frankfurt

Philip Holzer is the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eintracht Frankfurt, a German professional sports club. Philip worked at Goldman Sachs from 1992 to 2014 in Global Banking and Markets in Frankfurt and London.

 

1. How did you start your career at Goldman Sachs and what was your path at the firm? What did you learn during your time here that has helped you in the subsequent phase(s) of your career?
I first started working for Goldman Sachs in New York in the Equities Division. I was on a trading desk and stayed for 22 years. GS was the only place I worked during my professional career until I left about nine years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at GS and appreciated that the culture was very focused on teamwork and meritocracy. I was always impressed by how much responsibility GS grants its employees at such early stages in their careers. From my point of view, GS is a great place to learn and grow both professionally and personally.

Even though I left nine years ago, I still carry a lot of the same mentality with me now that I learned at GS. The firm taught me a lot about how to treat people right and how to work with a diverse group. Having a global mindset has helped me a lot in my soccer career as well as on my journey through life.

 

2. Since 2010, you have been a member of the Eintracht Frankfurt Supervisory Board and in 2019, you became Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Tell us about the background of Eintracht Frankfurt and what inspired you to get involved.
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German professional sports club, perfectly situated in our international and multicultural city of Frankfurt. It is the biggest sports club in the region which promotes mass sports. With more than 130,000 members, Eintracht Frankfurt belongs to the TOP 20 in the world measured by numbers. Eintracht Frankfurt offers 52 different sports disciplines from gymnastics to triathlons. We are proud of our Olympia participants and world champions. Eintracht Frankfurt has a very successful soccer team. Soccer is a huge part of the local culture here in Germany. I grew up watching and playing soccer. It was always a passion of mine, so when I was asked to join the Eintracht Frankfurt Supervisory Board, I was thrilled. One thing I learned during my time at GS was to give back to my community, so getting involved in the local Frankfurt soccer club totally made sense for me. 

 

3. What are your aspirations for the future of Eintracht Frankfurt?
I have been on the Supervisory Board for 14 years now and getting Eintracht Frankfurt into the top 30 clubs in Europe was hard. Staying there will be even harder, which is what I hope to do for the club going forward. I also want to make sure the club stays international, not only with the teams we play but also with the political, social, and business aspects of the club. After 40 years, we strive for an international title in the Euroleague and qualified for the first time in the club’s history for the Champions League. Since I’ve joined Eintracht Frankfurt, we are constantly working on becoming more international. I have used my GS network as a great platform to build bridges. We opened an office in New York and started a partnership in Japan. We will also have two NFL games in our stadium this year (we are one of only two German stadiums chosen by the NFL to host a game, which is quite exciting!). Maintaining that global footprint and mentality is critical to our club’s success.

 

4. How do you balance your various hobbies and interests with your professional work? Have your priorities changed over the years? If so, how?
When I was at GS, I was very focused on my career and prioritized that. Now that I’ve stepped away from the corporate world, I’m pouring my time into my passion: soccer. It’s a great gift to have so much time to give to my passion. I also enjoy being able to work from any place in the world. 

 

5. What advice do you have for others who are interested in sports and business?
Sports is a tough business. Managing a soccer club is very complex; it’s quite public and there are many stakeholders. My advice for others interested in moving into the sports industry is to pick something you have a passion for because then you’ll do it well. I’ve played soccer since I was six, played half professional before university and played on teams when I was at GS. It was a great way to meet people and to be with clients in a different atmosphere, but more importantly, sports (soccer in particular) are the glue that brings our society together. Just think about the people you see in the stands at soccer games: young, old, rich, poor, men, women. Sports are something we can all rally around and enjoy, which is why I work hard to keep our tickets affordable to everyone. I feel very lucky that I get to spend my time making our club experience the best it can be for our fans. 

 

6. Have you leveraged your GS network since leaving the firm? If so, how?
My former colleagues from GS are many of my close friends to this day. Furthermore, there are many other club and team owners in the GS alumni network too. I’ve enjoyed comparing notes with them and with my friends who are still at GS over the last nine years. They serve as a great resource and guidance for me.