BERLIN, GERMANY: In a profession overwhelmingly dominated by women, Marc-Oliver Schlichtmann saw off stiff competition on Wednesday (April 23) to become the first man to win Germany's best secretary award, organisers said.

The 32-year-old, who said he often receives letters addressed to "Mrs Schlichtmann", was the only male finalist and won over the jury with an excellent all-round performance, said office supplies maker and event organiser Leitz.

He said that he used to watch his mother with wonder as she worked as a secretary and that thanks to his strong organisational skills and flair for foreign languages Schlichtmann had decided to follow in her footsteps.

For the past seven years he has worked as a personal assistant at international law firm Allen & Overy in the northern German city of Hamburg.

Only two percent of secretaries and office managers in Germany are men, the organisers said.