Benedikta von Seherr-Thoß
Managing Director for Peace, Security and Defence, European External Action Service (EEAS)
Dr Benedikta von Seherr-Thoß is the Managing Director for Peace, Security, and Defence at the European External Action Service (EEAS). Until October 2022, she served as Security Policy Director of the German Federal Ministry of Defence (FMoD). From 2017, she was the EU Representative of the German FMoD and Head of the EU Division in the Department for Security Policy. She had the ministerial lead on Germany’s EU Council Presidency in 2020. Prior to that, she worked as a political advisor to Federal Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen. From 2013-15, she was the first civilian to participate in the National General Staff Officer Course of the Bundeswehr. Before that, she worked as a Senior Political Advisor and then Deputy Director to the NATO Senior Civilian Representative at ISAF HQ in Afghanistan. From 2007-11, she was a Deputy Head of the NATO Division for the German FMoD. She started her career at NATO HQ (PASP) in 2004. Dr von Seherr-Thoß studied modern history at the University of Oxford, from where she graduated with a master’s and a PhD.
Updated: September 7, 2023