Jörg Feustel-Büechl studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Münich and graduated Dipl.-Ing. In 1966. He started his career at MAN Turbo, in Münich, as a design engineer, where his responsibilities included feasibility studies on high-energy propulsion systems. He joined MAN Advanced Technology in 1969. From 1984 to 1986 he served as Senior Vice-President and General Manager of MAN Technology, Münich, a post in which he was responsible for the Research and Development division of one of Europe's largest mechanical engineering companies. His awards include the Légion d’Honneur of the French Republic (1983), the Russian Order of the Blue Planets (2000 and 2004), the Order of the Oranje-Nassau Order (2004) and the Order of Merit first class of the German Federal Republic (2008). In 1986 he joined ESA as Director of Space Transportation Systems, responsible for the Ariane programmes and manned space transportation activities. After the Council decision on the reorganisation of ESA's internal structure of March 1994, he took over the position of Director of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity. In November 1994 he became advisor to the Director General on issues related to the organisation and administration of ESA and from September 2005 until his retirement in June 2007, he acted as Director of Reforms.