Before joining the CoE as its Founding Director, Volker was Head of Training at Germany’s Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF) for seven years. Before that he spent about 15 years abroad in the field of international cooperation.

Among others he was the Deputy Head of Mission a.i. (OSCE, Bishkek), Head of Politico-Military Affairs (OSCE, Tbilisi), Senior Economic and Environmental Officer (OSCE, Bishkek), Political Affairs Officer (UNTOP, Dushanbe, and UNRCCA, Ashgabat), and Political Analyst (OSCE Election Observation Missions in Moldova, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and the UK). He also worked in Kunduz, Afghanistan for GIZ.

Volker holds a PhD in Political Science/International Relations and speaks fluent German, English, and Russian as well as basic French and Armenian.