After graduating from high school, the Bremen native (b. 1966) initially studied business administration. Since legal issues appealed to her most during these studies, after the pre-diploma she switched to studying law.
After completing her doctorate in Münster and the legal internship in Hamburg, she joined a law firm in Hamburg as an attorney in 1995. She then worked for several years in the Hanseatic city in the legal departments of international oil and gas companies.
In 2000, Bornheim became head of the legal department at the Hamburg-based shipping company Peter Döhle. As the shipping industry boomed and the company grew, she took on additional responsibilities. In 2013, she was appointed to the Executive Board, where she has been responsible not only for legal affairs but also for several other portfolios, including human resources, IT, accounting and controlling.
In December 2021, Bornheim was elected President of the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR).