Dr. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg

Dr Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg is one of Europe's best-known politicians, former Minister of Economics and Technology and former Minister of Defence. He is now an entrepreneur, lobbyist, management consultant, television presenter (RTL) and podcaster. As a "Distinguished Statesman" (non-resident) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, he promotes transatlantic dialogue on current political, economic and financial issues. Since 2011, he has been a senior advisor to the EU Commission's "No Disconnect Strategy", which provides strategic advice to internet users, bloggers and cyber activists living in authoritarian regimes.

When he took office at the beginning of 2009 during the international financial and economic crisis, he became Germany's youngest ever Economics Minister at the age of 37. From 28 October 2009 to 3 March 2011, he served as Minister of Defence. He is equipped with an outstanding transatlantic network.

He studied law and political science in Bayreuth and Munich (1992 to 1999). From 1993 he also studied political science at the Munich School of Politics. From 1994, he was involved in the management of the family-owned Munich investment company Guttenberg GmbH (New York, Frankfurt). He later became its managing partner. From 1996 to 2002, he was a member of the Supervisory Board of Rhön-Klinikum AG, in which his family held 26.5% of the ordinary shares.

Dr zu Guttenberg, who is also an Austrian citizen, began his political career as a state committee member of the Bavarian "Junge Union". He was a member of the Kulmbach district council from 2002 and became a member of the German Bundestag in the same year. From 2005 to November 2008, he was the CDU/CSU parliamentary group's chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag. He was also the parliamentary group spokesman for disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. Until December 2008, he was the local chairman of the CSU in his home town and a member of the board of the CSU district association. He took over the chairmanship of the CSU district association for Upper Franconia on 8 December 2007 and has always been a directly elected member of the Bundestag for the Kulmbach constituency. The reserve staff sergeant was a member of the CSU Executive Committee and Presidium as well as head of the Foreign Policy Committee of the CSU Working Group on Foreign and Security Policy (ASP). He was Secretary General of the CSU from November 2008 to February 2009. Dr zu Guttenberg, who is credited with profile, diligence, comprehension and authenticity, has been a member of the German Council on Foreign Relations, the Atlantik-Brücke and the Aspen Institute since 2002. He was Vice President of the Southeast Europe Society and a member of the German-British Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag (chairmanship from mid-2005 to March 2009).

At CSIS, Dr zu Guttenberg, who speaks excellent English and was highly popular during his time in office, is at the head of a transatlantic dialogue forum, described as a powerful and creative intellect with a convincing geostrategic view. Even during his political tenure, he was recognised in Washington as an "advocate of the transatlantic relationship". He founded Spitzberg Partners (investment and consulting firm in NY) in 2013 and has been an advisor to Ripple Labs since July 2014.