Stefanie Babst

Strategic Advisor, Author and Speaker | Former NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General, Germany

Dr Stefanie Babst can look back at a remarkable professional journey in NATO’s International Staff. In the course of 22 years she held different positions in the Public Diplomacy Division which she was appointed to lead as NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General from 2006 to 2012. The post made her the highest-ranking German woman in the International Secretariat. From 2012 to 2020, she led NATO’s Strategic Foresight Team – a fabulous civil-military team, advising the NATO Secretary General and Chairman of the Military Committee on strategic unknowns and potential upcoming crisis situations in geographical and functional areas of relevance to the Alliance.

Stefanie began her career in 1991 as Assistant Professor for International Security Policy at the Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, Germany, moving on to become Professor of Russian and East European Studies at the Federal Armed Forces Command & General Staff College in Hamburg.

She is an internationally renowned strategic advisor, publisher and speaker on international security issues and board member of the German Council on Foreign Relations and the Danish Center for War Studies. Stefanie is also active in various security networks, including Women in International Security (WIIS) and the World Economic Forum. She also is a Senior Associate Fellow with the London-based European Leadership Network. In recognition of her professional achievements, she received several state awards.

Blog Posts

Interview with Stefanie Babst: Insights on Global Security and Women Empowerment

30. March 2023

In an exclusive interview, former NATO strategist Stefanie Babst, talks about the biggest and most pressing security challenge. She also reveals how the Global Female Leaders Community can support UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in general and Ukrainian women in particular.

Global Economy – Tackling the Threats

14. February 2023

The global economy is facing numerous challenges. How can society and economies pivot to deal with these challenges in a sustainable way? What economic policy interventions are needed in these conflicted times? And how can we counteract the economic effects of rising geopolitical tensions?