Ursula von der Leyen is President of the European Commission, a role she has held since 2019, making her the first woman to lead the EU’s executive body. Prior to this, she served as Germany’s Minister of Defence from 2013 to 2019 — the first woman to hold that position. Earlier in her political career, she led the ministries of Family Affairs, and later Labour and Social Affairs. A trained physician, von der Leyen studied economics and medicine in Germany and the UK, earning her medical doctorate from Hannover Medical School. She is known for her advocacy of European integration, green transformation, and digital innovation.