Klaus Welle

Academic Council Chairman

Klaus Welle chairs the Martens Centre’s Academic Council since April 2023. He is also a Guest Professor in practice at the London School of Economics, a Visiting Professor at KU Leuven, a Leader in Residence at the Moynihan Center of the Colin Powell School for global leadership in New York and a member of the Executive Board of the European Forum Alpbach Foundation. After obtaining a Degree in economics from the University of Witten/Herdecke in Germany, Klaus Welle worked at the CDU Central Office in Bonn, before coming to Brussels where he served as Secretary-General of the European People’s Party (EPP) from 1994 to 1999, Secretary-General of the EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament from 1999 to 2003, Director-General for Internal Policies at the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007, Head of the Cabinet of the President of the European Parliament from 2007 to 2009, and Secretary-General of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2022.