Detailed Career Biography

In my first senior role at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, one of the most influential ministries at the time, led by Marianne Jelved, who was both Minister of Economic Affairs and Vice Prime Minister, I focused on Denmark’s place within the rapidly evolving framework of European economic and monetary integration. The Maastricht Treaty had just entered into force, creating the roadmap for the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and ultimately the Euro. Denmark, with its opt-outs secured in the Edinburgh Agreement, had to carefully balance participation with independence.

• I prepared detailed economic analyses on the implications of EMU membership as well as on the impact of Denmark remaining outside the Euro Area (not participating fully in the third phase of the EMU), on convergence criteria, and on the stability of the Danish krone within the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM) in the European Monetary System (EMS). These analyses and policy recommendations contributed to the basis for Denmark’s strategic decisions on exchange rate and monetary policy.
• I worked closely with the Danish National Bank and other ministries, ensuring that Denmark’s fiscal and monetary policies were coherent and credible in relation to EU obligations.
• I represented Denmark in technical EU working groups, where I defended Danish priorities in discussions often dominated by larger member states. These negotiations required both a mastery of economics, international finance and the diplomatic ability to build alliances.

Moving into the Prime Minister’s Office placed me closer to the intersection of international politics and economics. Here, I advised the Prime Minister on EU economic, monetary and political issues at a time when the EU was preparing for major treaty reform through the Amsterdam Treaty.

• I was responsible for drafting briefing material, negotiation mandates, and strategy papers for the Prime Minister ahead of European Council meetings.
• I provided clear, actionable advice that translated complex economic and financial issues into political strategies, ensuring Denmark’s positions were both technically sound and politically effective.
• I contributed to the coordination of inter-ministerial input, ensuring that all parts of government spoke with one voice during EU negotiations.
• I worked on balancing Denmark’s institutional and economic interests within the Amsterdam Treaty negotiations, where the interplay of political reform and economic governance was central.

In 1997, I took on the role of Head of Department/Director at the Ministry of Economic Affairs – one of the most influential ministries at the time, led by Marianne Jelved, who was both Minister of Economic Affairs and Vice Prime Minister. Under her leadership, the ministry played a central role in shaping government strategy, making my position both highly visible and significant.

• Leadership and strategy: I headed the department responsible for Denmark’s EMU and Euro policy, as well as broader international economic relations. My work spanned EU, OECD, and ASEM cooperation, giving me a broad international portfolio.
• International representation: Represented Denmark in a wide range of influential fora: EU Economic Policy Committee (EPC), where I influenced the coordination of EU-wide fiscal and macroeconomic policies. Working Group on the Implementation of the Euro, where I helped prepare for the launch of the Euro. Even though Denmark opted out, my role ensured Danish economic sectors were ready to operate seamlessly in a Euro-dominated Europe. Committee for Information Managers in the EU, where I worked on improving economic reporting systems to support evidence-based policymaking. Nordic Finance Committee (EK-Finans) under the Nordic Council of Ministers, advancing regional cooperation on fiscal and monetary policy.
• Support for the Minister: I regularly prepared and accompanied the Minister of Economic Affairs in international negotiations and meetings, ensuring she was equipped with robust economic analyses and negotiation strategies. I acted as Denmark’s representative in committees and working parties, often negotiating directly with European and international counterparts.
• Policy analysis and impact: Produced economic analyses of the consequences of major policy choices, including EMU membership, fiscal rule changes, and exchange rate policies. These analyses were critical in informing Denmark’s national strategy and ensuring that decisions were based on rigorous economic evidence.
• Global perspective: Coordinated Denmark’s participation in OECD and ASEM, where I engaged on topics ranging from global macroeconomic governance to trade and financial stability. Here, I had to bridge domestic economic priorities with global economic realities.

From 2002 to 2005, I served at the Nordic Council of Ministers, the official intergovernmental body for cooperation between Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. This was a period when the Nordic countries were redefining their joint economic, social, and welfare agendas in response to European integration, globalization, and the challenges of demographic and technological change. As department head, I had a broad mandate: I was responsible for preparing and coordinating ministerial work across several councils of ministers, including those for economy and finance, welfare and social affairs, consumer affairs, labour market, housing and construction, law, nutrition, and health. I acted as substitute for the Secretary-General in similar councils when required, and regularly supported Nordic ministers in their international engagements, providing both negotiation strategies and in-depth economic and policy analyses. My portfolio spanned the intersection of economics, welfare, and social development — reflecting the Nordic model’s integrated approach. I oversaw work on competitiveness, labour market reform, social inclusion, health policy, consumer rights, and housing, ensuring that policies were both forward-looking and consistent with the values of the Nordic cooperation. A major part of my work involved international representation. I was engaged in the Northern Dimension Partnership for Health and Social Welfare, a multilateral initiative involving the Nordic countries, the Baltic States, Russia, and the European Union, aimed at strengthening health systems, combating social exclusion, and addressing cross-border challenges. I serviced and participated in numerous working groups and committees (EK-groups) of the Nordic Council of Ministers, including those on finance and economy (EK-Finans), social affairs and health (EK-Social/Health), consumer affairs (EK-Consumer), labour market (EK-Labour), law (EK-Law), housing and construction (EK-Build), nutrition (EK-Nutrition), and drugs policy (EK-Drugs). Another core part of my responsibility was to fund analysis of policy reforms. I helped to fund studies on the consequences of welfare, labour market, and business policy changes, providing ministers and senior officials with evidence-based insights into their economic and social impacts.

From 2005 to 2014, I held senior leadership positions in the Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education, with responsibility for shaping Denmark’s innovation policy. This decade marked a period of rising international competition, rapid technological change, and increased demand for evidence-based policymaking. My work was central to strengthening Denmark’s innovation system, business R&D capacity, and international scientific cooperation. I served as Head of Innovation Policy Department and later also as Head of Department for Research & Innovation Analysis, while during the whole period heading the Secretariat of the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation (RTI). In these roles, I oversaw the design, implementation, and evaluation of major innovation programmes, coordinated cross-ministerial policy development, and provided ministers and government leaders with strategic advice on research and innovation policy.

• Innovation policy leadership: Designed and managed national innovation programmes supporting business R&D, public-private partnerships, and cluster development.
• Evidence-based policy: Directed analyses and evaluations of R&D and innovation investments, producing reports on business R&D, productivity effects, and innovation impacts. These studies became benchmarks for policy development in Denmark and internationally.
• International cooperation: Represented Denmark in the OECD Committee on Industry, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, in TAFTIE (the European network of innovation agencies), and in bilateral and multilateral innovation initiatives. I also advised the German government, Singapore’s National Research Foundation, and Science Foundation Ireland on cluster policy and impact assessment.
• Cluster policy leadership: Chaired major initiatives such as the Nordic-German-Polish Cluster Benchmarking and the Baltic Sea “Perfect Cluster” programme, advancing regional cluster development and setting international standards for cluster excellence.
• Strategic innovation initiatives: Helped develop the Industrial PhD programme, R&D collaboration programmes for industry and universities, international cluster benchmarking methodologies, and advanced impact assessment tools, contributing to Denmark’s global reputation in innovation policy.

In 2014, I joined the Novo Nordisk Foundation, one of the world’s largest philanthropic foundations. Over the decade, I built the Foundation’s capacity in grant administration, operations, impact assessment, analytics, data management, and science intelligence, ensuring that the Foundation’s grants and programmes delivered measurable societal value. From 2014 to 2018, I served as Head of Operations, where I was responsible for building organizational structures, grant administration systems, finance and CRS reporting, budget, impact reporting systems, and analytics capabilities to support the Foundation’s rapid growth. In 2019, I was appointed Senior Vice President for Impact, leading the Foundation’s work on impact assessment, data and analytics, CSR, and reporting. My key responsibilities included:

• Impact assessment: Developed comprehensive frameworks to measure the Foundation’s societal contributions across health, research, education, and sustainability.
• Data and analytics: Built advanced analytics and science intelligence systems, enabling evidence-based decision-making and transparent reporting.
• Corporate social responsibility: Directed CSR strategies, aligning the Foundation’s work with societal needs and stakeholder expectations.
• International engagement: Shared best practices in impact assessment and innovation policy internationally, through keynotes, advisory roles, and committee memberships.
• Strategic reporting: Published the annual Societal Impact of the Novo Nordisk Foundation series (2015–2024), which became a cornerstone of the Foundation’s accountability and communication.