Tatjana Henie has been named as head of the management board of RB Leipzig in an expanded leadership structure for the Bundesliga club. The club revealed the news in a statement on Wednesday, saying Heaney will start on January 1, 2026.
The 59-year-old Swiss takes over where former RB boss Oliver Mintzlaff left off, and in doing so becomes the first woman to hold the role of club boss in German football.
“I am very much looking forward to this new role. I am confident that with strong teamwork and a focus on RB Leipzig’s strengths, we can exploit significant potential,” Heeni said in a club statement.
“I can’t wait to start in January and get to know the club in depth,” said the Swiss.
“Together, we want to build on what is already a successful path, and achieve our ambitious goals.”
Heaney is a former player who played 23 matches for his country. He also has extensive experience in football administration, having worked for UEFA, FIFA and the Swiss Football Association.
“In our discussions, he impressed us and the committees with his expertise as well as his combination of expert knowledge, leadership strength and strategic thinking,” said Mintzlaff, chairman of the supervisory board of RB Leipzig.
Other women have previously reached high levels of management at German football clubs, such as Anne-Cathrin Laufmann (managing director of sports and sustainability at Werder Bremen), Christina Ruhl-Hammers (chief financial officer at Schalke) or Katja Krause (former head of communications and marketing at Hamburg). However, no woman had ever held the top position before.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold