Kurt Lauk, Germany, is co-founder and president of Globe CP GmbH, a private investment firm. From 2000 to 2015 he was the National Chairman of the Economic Council to the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) and a member of the CDU’s Executive Council chaired by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Kurt was a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009, serving on the committees for Economic and Monetary Affairs and Foreign and Security Affairs. Since 2001 he is a Trustee of IISS (International Institute of Strategic Studies in London).