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Deutsche Welle

He was elected as the successor to Dieter Weirich in 2001. In November 2006, he was reelected for a second term (2007 - 2013). Prior to DW, Betterman worked for the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen in European Affairs.

He was born on May 8, 1944 in Lindenthal, Germany. He studied Philosophy, Pedagogy and Social Pedagogy at the Universities of Cologne and Bonn, as well as the Academy of Economics and Administration in Cologne. He worked as a freelance journalist for several daily newspapers in Cologne and for a newspaper of the Evangelical church. He is now married with three children.

Further career highlights:

1968 - 1969
Community of Rodenkirchen, district of Cologne, public relations, council matters

1969 - 1970
German Association for International Youth Exchange Programs, public relations

1971 - 1982
Federal German Youth Association Bonn, Press Officer, Managing Director

1982 - 1983
Federal Ministry for Youth, Family, and Health (German - American Exchange Program)

1983 - 1985
Administrative duties at the German Parliament in the Office of the Deputy Speaker

1985 - 1991
SPD (Social Democratic Party) in Bonn:
1985 - 1989   Department Head of the Executive Committee
1989 - 1991   SPD Deputy General Secretary

1992-2001
Free Hanseatic City of Bremen:
1992-1995    Counselor to the Senator of Federal Affairs
1995 -2001   Representative for Federal Affairs, Europe and Developmental Cooperation

October 2001 – present 
Deutsche Welle, Director General

Membership
1974 – 1986  Member of the managing board of directors for ZDF television
1994 – 2001  Member of the Deutsche Welle Administrative Board
Member of i.a. the German – Polish Institute
Member of the Gustav-Stresemann-Institute