Anders Fogh Rasmussen has been at the centre of European and global politics for over three decades as Secretary General of NATO, Prime Minister of Denmark, Danish Minister of Economic Affairs, and, last but not least, as a leading Danish parliamentarian.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen began his political career in 1978, becoming the youngest member of Parliament in Denmark at the age of 25. He was promoted to Minister of Economic Affairs in 1990 and became Prime Minister of Denmark in 2001. He held this position until 2009 when he was appointed Secretary General of NATO. During his tenure, he developed a Strategic Concept which sets the Alliance’s core priorities for the future. In response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, he initiated a “Readiness Action Plan”.

On October 1st 2014 he established Rasmussen Global and in June 2016 he was appointed advisor to the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen holds a M.Sc. in Economics from the University of Aarhus.

Fabrice Pothier has over 15 years of experience in leading international public policy campaigns and strategic communications efforts.

Before joining Rasmussen Global, he served as Head of Policy Planning for two successive NATO Secretary Generals – Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Jens Stoltenberg. During this time, he developed some of the Alliance’s most consequential initiatives and wrote some landmark speeches and articles. Prior to this, Pothier founded Carnegie Europe as part of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, which quickly became one of Europe’s leading think-tanks. He was the co-founder of the International Council on Security and Development where he led global advocacy campaigns on public health and security issues. He started his career in London as a senior risk analyst for Japanese energy group Osaka Gas.

Fabrice Pothier holds two Masters degrees in communications and politics from the UK and France, and speaks French, English and Spanish.

Maria Duelund is an experienced professional within the fields of general management and leadership, combining 15 years of experience both in the private sector as well as the military.

Before joining Rasmussen Global, Duelund worked on a range of strategic, operational and organizational projects in the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, she worked in management consulting, providing international companies with advice regarding process optimization, supply chain management, organizational development and market penetration. Maria Duelund is a trained military interpreter in the Russian and Serbian languages. In 2003/2004, she was deployed to Kosovo as part of NATO’s peace-support operation.

Maria Duelund holds a Bachelor degree in International business from Copenhagen Business School and is 1st Lieutenant in the Danish army.

Dara has unparalleled experience of European public policy and politics as a former Irish Minister for Data Protection, Digital Single Market and European Affairs; the Cabinet expert to a European Commissioner; and Vice-President and 2019 campaign manager of the European People’s Party, the largest pan-European political party.

Dara brings a unique perspective of decision-making at National and European level, high-level contacts across Europe and beyond, and strong experience of coalition-building, campaign management and media relations.

His areas of policy expertise include: Data and Technology, Research & Innovation, Horizon Europe, the Green Deal, Brexit and Education.

Nico Lange is a Senior Advisor at Rasmussen Global and a public expert on Russia and Ukraine. Prior to joining Rasmussen Global, Mr. Lange was Chief of Staff at the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany from 2019 to 2022.

Mr. Lange has vast experience in the top echelons of German politics. He held numerous senior positions in the German CDU party, including Deputy General Manager of CDU Deutschlands and Director of Strategic Planning and International Politics at the CDU Headquarters.

Before these roles, Mr. Lange served as State Commissioner for Innovation and Strategy to the State Government of Saarland, Director of the USA office of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Washington D.C, and Deputy Director for political consulting and head of domestic policy at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Headquarters in Berlin.

Nico Lange served as director of the Ukraine office of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Kyiv from 2006-2012. He was awarded a Robert Bosch Fellowship in St. Petersburg, Russia from 2003-2006.

Alongside his work with Rasmussen Global, Mr. Lange is a Senior Fellow at the Munich Security Conference. He speaks fluent Ukrainian and Russian and has a professional background in Military intelligence.

Olena Sotnyk is Senior Representative and head of Rasmussen Global’s Kyiv office. Her work focuses on helping democratic governments and international businesses understand the situation within Ukraine. She is an expert on Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration and plans for post-war reconstruction.

Prior to joining Rasmussen Global, Olena was a member of the Ukrainian Parliament from 2014 to 2019. She was a well-known legislator working on areas such as rule of law, judicial system reform, and anti-corruption. She served as secretary of the Committee on European Integration and was head of the Sub-Committee on Approximation of Ukrainian Legislation to EU Law.

From 2014 to 2019, she was a permanent delegate to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. She was the Chairwoman and Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights. In 2019, she became the first female to represent Ukraine in the Yale World Fellows Program.

Alongside her work at Rasmussen Global, she serves as advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister in Ukraine. Prior to her political career, Olena was a lawyer and served on the board of The Ukrainian Bar Association. She has degrees in law, economy, and psychology.

Olaf Böhnke has more than 15 years of experience as a foreign and European policy expert with a research focus on European foreign policy and Germany’s role in Europe.

Before joining Rasmussen Global, he was director of the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). During this time, he established ECFR as one of the leading think tanks in Berlin. Prior to this, he worked as Director of the Middle East program of the Aspen Institute Germany and served in total for almost ten years as chief of staff and senior foreign policy advisor to several members of the German Bundestag. Recently, Mr. Böhnke was the founding Managing Director of the European Policy Unit at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) initiating a high-level dialogue with European decision makers on the need for a more coherent China policy of the EU. Mr. Böhnke is an associate fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and a visiting professor for political sciences at the Free University of Berlin.

Olaf Böhnke holds an MA in Political Science, International Relations and Economics from Freie Unversität Berlin, and speaks German and English.

Jonas Parello-Plesner brings on board over 15 years of experience from the three power centres of Washington DC, Brussels, and Beijing from the fields of diplomacy, think tanks, development aid and business advisory. This unique combination can assist organizations in navigating the increasingly complex world where international politics and business overlap. Jonas can bring together diverse groups of people to foster innovative ideas and to create added value.

EU-China relations and investments flows are one of his expertise. He has contributed with numerous briefs on EU-China trade and investment relations and the significance for business, including provided testimony both to the congressionally mandated U.S.-China Economic & Security Review Commission and to the European Parliament.

He has co-authored a ground-breaking book on China’s protection of nationals and assets in fragile states and what increasing its Global Risk Map abroad for its companies entails for China’s strategic thinking.

Jonas Parello-Plesner has worked on risks for business from foreign policy decisions including US sanctions and in Washington provided business monitoring of the Iran-nuclear agreement.

Jonas speaks fluent French, English and Danish as well as good knowledge of German, some Spanish and basic Chinese. He holds a Msc in Government from London School of Economics (LSE), a diploma from Ecole nationale d’administration (ENA) with the grade ‘tres bien’ and a Msc in Political Science from University of Copenhagen.

He has contributed with op-eds for The Financial Times, and has been quoted in numerous respected media.

Harry Nedelcu has over a decade of experience in public policy with international institutions in Canada and in Europe, including NATO, Rasmussen Global, and the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity.

At Rasmussen Global, he has been leading much of the geopolitical work on European security, transatlantic relations, investment screening, supply chains and anti-coercion, European enlargement, Eastern Neighbourhood Policy and Russia.

Before joining Rasmussen Global, Harry worked for the Policy Planning Unit at NATO, within the Private Office of the Secretary General. Prior to this he was a lecturer at Carleton University in Ottawa and Concordia University in Montreal where for four years he taught on subjects related to comparative politics, security, and defence. His work has been published in various international news media outlets as well as a number of peer-reviewed journals and he has had more than twenty international conference appearances.

Harry Nedelcu holds a PhD from Carleton University, Ottawa in international relations and comparative politics and a B.A. from McGill. He speaks English, French, German and Romanian and has a basic knowledge of Russian.

hne@rasmussenglobal.com

Tim Allan has ten years of experience managing international press and media campaigns, working with leading politicians and international organisations.

Directly before joining Rasmussen Global, he was Press and Communications Advisor to the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli. In this role, he provided strategic communication advice, wrote articles and speeches, and managed relations with European press. Allan spent four years working as a spokesperson for the centre-left S&D Group in the European Parliament. Here he managed international communication campaigns on a wide range of topics, from Brexit to the Digital Single Market. Before joining the European Parliament, he worked in press and media at the European Defence Agency and in the private sector.

Tim Allan holds degrees in History and Law from the University of Sussex and the University of Law, London. He speaks English and French.

tal@rasmussenglobal.com

Rasmus Grand Berthelsen is a professional in international affairs, political and business strategy, managing projects for sovereign and business clients with a focus on energy and green transition.

Before joining Rasmussen Global, Grand Berthelsen worked with data and policy development in the Danish central administration, and later with sustainable finance in an independent state investment fund. Besides his professional experience, Grand Berthelsen has represented his university in international case competitions and headed the partnership division of a student-driven aid organisation.

Rasmus Grand Berthelsen holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in International Business and Politics from Copenhagen Business School, where he graduated top of his class, and took semesters in Vienna and Boston. He also holds the internationally acclaimed joint CEMS Master in International Management from Copenhagen Business School and Vienna University of Economics and Business. He speaks Danish, English and German.

rgb@rasmussenglobal.com

Arthur de Liedekerke is a professional with significant experience in the geopolitics of cybersecurity, international relations and managing strategic partnerships.

Before joining Rasmussen Global, he served as a Strategy Officer in the French Ministry for the Armed Forces, advising the leadership of its Cyber Command. Prior to this, he worked for CERT-EU, the cybersecurity entity tasked with protecting the EU institutions, bodies and agencies, managing its communications and external relations. He started his career as a parliamentary assistant, successively supporting two MEPs, including a vice-chair of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament.

He has collaborated with a number of respected publications and think tanks – notably the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University (ISPK) – and was a Visiting Policy Fellow at the University of Copenhagen to study the nexus between cybersecurity and disinformation.

Arthur speaks fluent French, English, some Czech and Spanish.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Maastricht University College, an MA in European Studies from Maastricht University and an MA in Geopolitics, Territory, and Security from King’s College London.

ali@rasmussenglobal.com

Helene Bille Albrechtsen is a professional with extensive experience in both Danish and EU public administration. Before joining Rasmussen Global, Helene worked as a trade policy advisor in the Danish Business Authority, covering trade policy issues both at the national and EU-level. Helene has also worked with trade- and industrial policy in the European Commission in the Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager as a national expert seconded from the Danish Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs. As such, Helene brings a unique combination of insights from both the national and EU-political level.

Helene holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in International Business and Politics from Copenhagen Business School and took a semester at Smith School of Business in Canada. During her studies, Helene interned at the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the OSCE in Vienna, where her work centered primarily on the conflict in Ukraine. Helene is fluent in Danish and English and has some proficiency in Spanish.

hba@rasmussenglobal.com

Phillip Kjær Luscombe brings insight on defence and security issues as well as experience from the Danish political arena. Besides a previous tenure as Junior Advisor with Rasmussen Global, he has worked for several politicians in both the Danish parliament and on the campaign trail for Danish and European elections. In addition, he has worked in the public affairs department of the lawyers’ and economists’ trade union DJØF.

He holds an M. Sc. in Security Risk Management from the University of Copenhagen. While writing his master’s thesis, Phillip stayed with the Strategy Section at the Royal Danish Defence College where he wrote his thesis on Danish strategic culture and foreign policy tradition. In addition, he holds a B. Sc. in International Business and Politics from the Copenhagen Business School and has experience from the Danish Defence. His academic experience also includes a semester at Sciences Po in Paris and courses from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

pkl@rasmussenglobal.com

Betzy contributes to the firm’s projects for sovereign and business clients by generating geopolitical analyses and EU regulatory risk assessments, with a focus on sustainability and technology.

Prior to joining Rasmussen Global, Betzy came from a position in the communications department at the Nordic Council of Ministers. Betzy’s past experience includes a one-year traineeship at European Free Trade Association (EFTA), managing the EEA Agreement and free trade relations between EFTA states and third countries. She has also been a conscripted soldier in the Royal Norwegian Air Force and worked as a media and information assistant at the Norwegian Joint Headquarter.

Betzy holds a MA (Hons) in International Relations from University of Edinburgh with one year abroad at Seoul National University, as well as a MSc in Security Risk Management from the University of Copenhagen with a focus on political risk analysis and security policy. Betzy is fluent in Norwegian and English.

bha@rasmussenglobal.com

Marie-Cæcilie (Mille) Adamsen brings insights on Danish and international politics as well as business strategy. Besides having been at Rasmussen Global previously as a Junior Advisor, Mille worked for the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She worked with development and security policy, focusing primarily on the MENA region and Eastern Europe, most recently the war in Ukraine. Mille has also worked for the DC-based NGO, Equimundo, on research projects and advocacy campaigns in the US, Brazil, and Scandinavia.

Mille holds a BSc in Sociology and International Politics from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in Security Risk Management from the University of Copenhagen. She wrote her Master’s thesis in collaboration with a UK-based strategic consultancy firm on cyber and national security. Mille is fluent in English and Danish and has a good understanding of Spanish and Portuguese.

mka@rasmussenglobal.com

Anja Jung Nielsen is the Personal Assistant to Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the Office Manager at the Copenhagen Office.

Before joining Rasmussen Global, Anja Jung Nielsen worked in the hospitality industry for more than 17 years. She has worked mainly at 4- and 5-stars hotels in Copenhagen and obtained experience with coordination, event planning, service, and customer care.

Anja Jung Nielsen went to Copenhagen Hospitality College and was a Hotel Receptionist Trainee at First Hotel Skt. Petri. After finishing her education in 2008, she moved on to 71 Nyhavn Hotel as Booking Coordinator and latest she was the Assistant Conference Manager at Copenhagen Island Hotel.

Anja speaks Danish and English.

Lise brings insights in economics, international politics, and European affairs to the Brussels office. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and is currently undertaking a master’s degree in European affairs in Sciences Po Rennes. She wrote her thesis on the environmental stakes of the Common Agricultural Policy reform. She also took a semester at the University of Rosario, in Bogotá.

Before working for Rasmussen Global as a Junior Advisor, she had several experiences in the private sector in public relations and communication. She also organised a MUN gathering around 100 international students over 3 days of conferences.

She speaks fluent French, English and Spanish and knows some Japanese.

Kalle supports Rasmussen Global with insights in Danish and international politics and international security issues. His interest and knowledge in international relations and security issues were formed during his master’s degree, where he wrote papers on Russia’s UN policies and involvement in the Syrian civil war, as well as China seen through the dialectic of geoeconomics and geopolitics.

Prior to joining Rasmussen Global as Junior Advisor, Kalle spent several years with the Danish water and wastewater NGO working on climate politics and communications.

Kalle is undertaking his master’s degree in Political Science at Aarhus University where he is specializing in international politics. He has written his master thesis on how China have gained influence in Arctic through their great power status and Arctic Council and how their presence in Arctic affects their role geopolitically.

Klara supports Rasmussen Global with insights in political risk analysis, international security, and Czech and Eastern European affairs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Language and International Studies from Aalborg University, where her research focused on the European Union in the Arctic and EU enlargement.

Prior to joining Rasmussen Global, Klara was an intern at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Copenhagen, where she contributed to daily and quarterly reports on Danish affairs as well as event management. She was also a part of a volunteer organisation, Project 2030, which focused on presenting the Sustainable Development Goals to the public.

Klara is undertaking her master’s degree in Security Risk Management at the University of Copenhagen. She speaks fluent English and Czech, and knows some Danish, Spanish and French.