Helmut Linssen

Helmut Linssen (born June 21, 1942, in Krefeld) is a German politician (CDU). From June 24, 2005, to July 15, 2010, he was finance minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, immediately afterwards federal treasurer of the CDU. On February 6, 2014, following increasing pressure after his tax haven deals became known, he announced his retirement.

Education and career Linssen comes from a Catholic conservative family in the Lower Rhine region. After graduating from the humanistic high school of the district and the city of Geldern in 1961, he completed a commercial apprenticeship in wholesale and foreign trade as well as in import and export in Hamburg. Linssen then studied economics and social sciences at the University of Hamburg and LMU Munich. He completed his studies in 1968 with a degree in business administration and was awarded a Dr. re. pole. Ph.D. During his studies and afterwards he worked as a self-employed businessman in the medium-sized family business, Heinrich Linssen KG in Geldern, an agricultural wholesale business founded by his father in 1925, which in 1994 became BSL – Biesterfeld Scheibler Linssen GmbH & Co. KG in Hamburg merged. From 2000 to 2005 he was 1st Vice President of the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia and Chairman of the Committee on Economics, SMEs and Technology.