CURRICULUM VITAE
d.o.b. 15 April 1943
Educational background
| 1963 | Matriculated in modern languages |
| 1963-64 | Economics and language studies in Belgium |
| 1965 | Higher Commercial Examination |
Work experience
| 1965-67 | Executive Secretary, export company, Copenhagen |
| 1967-71 | Finance Manager, export company, Copenhagen |
Political career
| 1982-91 | Member of Munkebo Municipal Council |
| 1986-90 | Second Deputy Mayor, Municipality of Munkebo |
| 1987-89 | Chair of the Liberal Party’s Kerteminde Constituency |
| 1990-2004 | MP for Venstre (the Liberal Party of Denmark), County of Funen Constituency |
| 1990-2001 | Member of the Liberal Party’s General Council and of the Management Committee of the Parliamentary Liberal Party |
| 1994-98 | Chair of the Danish Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Committee |
| 1998-99 | Chair of the Trade and Industry Committee |
| 1999-01 | Chair of the Fiscal Affairs Committee |
| 2001-04 | Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries |
| 2004-09 | European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development |
Other activities
| 1991- | Member of the Committee of Representatives, Østifterne Insurance Company |
| 1992- | Member of the Board, Boel Foundation |
| 1993- | Chair, Secretariat for the Danish Folk High Schools |
| 1994-97 | Member of Munkebo Municipal Council (second term) |
| 1994-98 | Member of the Danish National Assessment Council |
| 1996- | Member of the Danish Christian Democrats’ Community Group, Odense |
| 1998-01 | Member of the National Tax Tribunal |
| 2008 | Elected European of the Year by the Danish Europe Movement |