"Our road – my way"

Svenja Schlenker on the “Dortmund Way”

The business administration graduate is a passionate soccer fan. She played football for many years and brings not only a lot of heart and soul to her work but also her personal experience.

As part of Rheinmetall's health management program, Svenja Schlenker gave an online presentation on the occasion of International Women's Health Day on May 28, 2025.

Her key messages at a glance:

In setting up the Girls' and Women's Football department, she is committed to the "Dortmund Way." "We want to grow organically from the bottom up, but in an ambitious way."
For Svenja Schlenker, the true Dortmund mentality means achieving maximum success through hard work and honest effort.
Founded only in 2020, the BVB women's team has fought its way up from the lowest league. From the 2025/2026 season, they will play in the third-highest German division, the Regionalliga. But that is by no means the end of the journey, as the goal is promotion to the Women's Bundesliga.
"The longer route was the better one for us." When Borussia Dortmund’s women’s team was founded, they faced a fundamental choice: either acquire a licence to start directly in a higher league, or begin in the local Kreisliga and work their way up step by step – despite the greater risk of failure. Two-thirds of the long journey to the top has already been completed, while the team spirit is already 100 percent!
"Networking is essential." Who can you learn from? Which best practices can be adapted? Which adjustments need to be made? Utilizing existing structures and creating synergies are other key factors. For after all, you can only invent the wheel once.
"Sustainable growth requires lean but strong structures." Ambitious goals need enough shoulders to carry the load. Accordingly, the number of employees in BVB's women's and girls' football department has more than doubled since 2021.
Women continue to be underrepresented in the top management of Bundesliga clubs. Of the 32 DFL clubs, 28 have no women in top positions, and the ratio of men to women on supervisory boards is 28:2. All-female teams of referees are currently only allowed in the women's Bundesliga.
Svenja Schlenker believes that change is needed. However, she is sceptical about whether regulations and quotas will truly help or whether a new mindset is necessary.