Dr. Thomas Steffen is State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in Germany, where he oversees trade, economic, European, SME, and digital policy. Over the course of a 35-year career in the German federal government, he has held a number of senior leadership roles across several ministries. Prior to his current appointment earlier this year, he served as State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health (2019–2025) and at the Federal Ministry of Finance (2012–2018). His distinguished career also includes positions as Director-General for Europe at the Federal Ministry of Finance; Chair of the Committee of European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Supervisors (CEIOPS); Executive Director for Insurance Supervision and member of the Executive Board of the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin); and Head of Division for Export and State Guarantees at the Federal Ministry of Finance. Dr. Steffen holds a doctorate in law from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, complemented by studies at the London School of Economics.