Dr. Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer is the President and CEO of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of international relations, policy research, and public engagement, she is a leading thought leader on geopolitics, European affairs and transatlantic relations. Her expertise has shaped how governments and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic approach defense, diplomacy, and geo-economics, helping them develop early-warning systems and forward-looking decision-making.

In her previous capacity as GMF’s Senior Vice President for Geostrategy, she led the organization’s geopolitics policy and risk advisory initiatives across Europe, the United States, and the Indo-Pacific. Prior to joining GMF in 2012 as its Paris office director and senior fellow, Dr. de Hoop Scheffer held key advisory positions in the French government, academia, and international organizations, including with the French foreign ministry’s policy planning staff (2009-2011), NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (2010-2013), the French Ministry of Defense (2006-2009), and United Nations peacekeeping operations (2006). She also served as an associate professor at Sciences Po Paris.

A dual Dutch‑French citizen, Dr. de Hoop Scheffer holds a PhD in political science from Sciences Po Paris and is the author of the book Hamlet en Irak (CNRS Éditions, 2007). She is a frequent public speaker and writer.