Born 1949 in Baalsdorf, Germany
Studies:
Economics; Management/Business Administration (Diplom-Kaufmann) in Hamburg
Career:
Since 1975: various functions within the Senate Planning Department and in the real estate company SAGA
1989: Director of Hamburger Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsverwaltung (Parent company of Hamburg’s state owned companies)
1996: Chairman of Hamburger Hochbahn AG (Public Transport PJSC)
Political and Honorary Functions:
1985–1997: Member of the Hamburg Parliament (Bürgerschaft)
1989–1996: Chairman of governing parliamentary party in the Hamburg Parliament
October 2000: Vice President for public transport in the VDV (Verband Deutscher Transportunternehmen (http://www.vdv.de), Engl.: Association of German Transport Companies)
Since June 2003: Chairman of VDV

Hochbahn AG, the public transport company of Hamburg, was formed in 1906 and started its metro system in 1912. Hamburger Hochbahn has approx. 4200 qualified employees. 3 underground lines and over 100 bus lines carry more than 1 Mio. passengers per day.
Hochbahn has established itself as one of the top German and European transport operators through highly efficient and top-quality service in Hamburg. It recently started several expansion projects, including bus services in Kiel and Lübeck as well as regional railway services in the German federal states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein. Altogether Hochbahn has more than 20 subsidiary companies operating in all sectors of public transport from maintenance to security to consulting.

Mr. Elste of Hochbahn has joined the Delegation to establish business connections mainly in the field of consulting services with regard to organisation, planning, operation, maintenance, vocational training and human resources in public transport.