Detlev Samland is the European Director of Pleon’s Public Affairs Practice responsible for 200 employees in 11 European countries.  Samland’s primary focus is lobbying, crisis and issue management, public business and the personal supervision of six CEOs regarding political and social policy issues.

Prior to his appointment as Director of Public Affairs in 2004, Samland was Director of Public Affairs in Germany and at the EU in Brussels.  During 2000-2001, he served as the Minister of Federal and European Affairs German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia.  Samland came to Pleon with a wealth of experience having served as a Member of the European Parliament and Chairman of the Parliament’s Budgetary Committee on Energy, Research and Technology and head of the EU economic delegation to the People’s Republic of China.

Born in 1953, Samland studied at the University of Dortmund, Germany, obtaining a degree
In urban development and regional planning: Dipl.-Ing. für Städtebau und Raumplanung, in 1976.  He has taught Public Affairs at Gelsenkirchen University of Applied Sciences, and has been an advisor on economic affairs at the European Business School, Oestrich-Winkel, Germany.  In addition, Samland has published many essays on European politics, new forms of public affairs, and media policies.