President
Dr Sandra Garbade
Dr Sandra Garbade was born in Bad Oeynhausen in 1971. After passing her upper secondary school leaving certificate in 1991, she completed dual vocational education and training in the occupation of bank clerk. This was followed by a six-month practical placement abroad at a Spanish bank, for which she received a scholarship as part of a programme aimed at providing “Support for Gifted Trainees”. Dr Garbade entered the University of Göttingen in 1994 to study Business Education. She specialised in banking management, corporate finance and Spanish and went on to obtain her degree as a qualified teacher of business studies in 1999. She embarked on a PhD between 1999 and 2001 and completed her doctorate in the Department of Business Education at the University of Göttingen. During her studies, Dr Garbade initially worked as a student assistant. She then became an academic research assistant at the University of Göttingen and later (while still a student) a lecturer at the East German Savings Banks Academy.
From 2001, Dr Sandra Garbade held a number of roles at banks and at a management consultancy before starting a career in teaching in Hamburg in 2007. During her time as a vocational school teacher, she was also a member of the Examination Board for Bank Clerks at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce from 2011 onwards.
Dr Garbade was appointed Head of Department at a vocational school in Hamburg in 2013 and also acted as a school inspector from 2015. She joined the senior management team at the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education and Training (HIBB) at the start of 2017 and was subsequently Managing Director of HIBB from August 2017 until July 2026.
She became President of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) on 1 August 2026.
Dr Sandra Garbade is married and has two daughters.
Professional biography:
| Jun 91 |
Upper secondary school leaving certificate in North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Aug 91 – Mar 94 | Training as a bank clerk |
| Apr 94 – Sep 94 |
Bank internship at the Caja Espana in León/Spain as part of a scholarship programme for gifted VET trainees |
| Oct 94 – Apr 99 |
Studied Business Education at the University of Göttingen, specialising in banking management, corporate finance and Spanish |
| Apr 98 – Jul 01 | Student assistant in the Department of Business Administration/academic research assistant in the Department of Business Education |
| Apr 99 |
Completed degree as a qualified teacher of business studies |
| May 99 – Sep 01 | Academic researcher in the Department of Business Education with teaching and examination duties |
| Aug 99 – Jul 01 |
PhD studies and doctorate in the Department of Business Education at the University of Göttingen |
| Nov 01 – Aug 04 |
Employed at WestLB/NRW Bank |
| Oct 04 – Oct 07 |
Worked at the management consultancy zeb/rsa gmbh, lecturer at the zeb Academy in subjects including accountancy/financial reporting/annual financial statements and controlling |
| Nov 07 – Apr 09 |
Teaching practice at upper secondary vocational schools in Hamburg |
| Nov 07 – Jan 13 | Teacher at a vocational school |
| Feb 13 – Jul 15 |
Head of Department and teacher at a vocational school |
| Aug 15 – Jul 17 | Schools Inspectorate |
| from Jan 17 |
Member of the senior management team at the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education and Training (HIBB) |
| Aug 17 – Jul 26 |
Managing Director of the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education and Training (HIBB) |
| since Aug 26 | President of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in Bonn |
Lecturer and examiner activities:
| Feb 97 – Sep 01 |
Lecturer at the East German Savings Banks Academy (while studying) |
| Aug 11 – Jun 13 |
Member of the Examination Board for Bank Clerks at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce |
| Apr 14 – Sep 14 |
Teaching appointment at the University of Hamburg for the school-based core internship of trainee vocational school teachers |
Committee work:
| Aug 17 – Jul 26 | Member of the Vocational Education and Continuing Training Committee (KomBBW) of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), previously ABBi |
| Sep 18 – Jun 21 |
Expert on the “Vocational Education and Training in the Digital World of Work” Select Committee of the German Bundestag |
| Jun 21 – Jul 26 |
Member of the Board of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) |