Paul Linnarz (born 1967) studied history and political economy at the University of Cologne. During the 1990s, he was employed as a radio and television journalist in Germany and South Korea.In addition, he has held the position of managing director of two private media companies during his professional career.In Peru, Singapore, Japan, and the USA, he served as head of country projects and regional programs for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

He has also worked for the foundation in Berlin as head of a department. Since July 2024, he has been responsible for the KAS Japan Office and the SOPAS regional program in Tokyo for the second time. Linnarz is married and has a grown-up daughter.