Detlef, a German national, spent most of his career at the European Commission, which he joined in 1988. He held various roles, primarily in digital policy areas, including telecommunications, cybersecurity, and internet governance. He played a key role in developing the first European IT security strategy, which included the establishment of ENISA, the EU’s cybersecurity agency.

In 2009, Detlef was appointed Director for Policy Strategies and subsequently moved into the fields of employment and skills policy, as well as the European Semester—an instrument designed to support structural reforms across the EU.

Between 2002 and 2006, during a period of personal leave, Detlef joined Microsoft, where he was responsible for implementing the Trustworthy Computing Initiative across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Following his retirement, he worked at Huawei Technologies from September 2017 to February 2020, based in Shenzhen, China. In this role, he advised governments globally on digital policy matters.

Since March 2020, Detlef has been a Special Adviser on digital policy and transformation at FIPRA, an international public affairs consultancy. He is also the founder of Deep Digital Consultancy, focusing on Artificial Intelligence.

Detlef holds a degree and a doctorate in Economics from the University of Siegen.

At the conference, Detlef will share insights from his professional experience, as explored in his recent book 40 Years of European Digital Policies (Springer, 2024).