After completing his civilian service in 1988, Thomas Duve trained as a technical engineer at the University of Bochum in Germany specialising in logistics where he graduated in 1995. From 1996 – 1998 he was co-owner of SWAN EDV Systeme (SWAN IT Systems) where he installed and maintained network systems. From 1998 to 2002 he worked at Krups Kompaktlogistik (taken over in 2001 by Swisslog) where he was responsible for the planning of logistics systems. In 2002 Thomas Duve joined STEAG Entsorgungs GmbH (SEG). As Senior Account Manager he was responsible for the sale, marketing and distribution of coal combustion by-products (CCPs), the optimization of logistics as well as strategic relationships and contracts. In April 2006 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of STEAG PowerMinerals Limited – a UK subsidiary of SEG recently established in Richmond, Surrey. Thomas Duve is married with three children.