Dr. Claudia Major is one of Germany's most renowned experts on security policy, whose analyses are highly sought after by the federal government, the Bundestag, and the media alike. After serving as the head of the Security Policy Research Group at the prestigious German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin, she has been supporting the executive team of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) as Senior Vice President for Transatlantic Security Initiatives since March 2025. Major is recognized as a leading expert in international security and defense policy, with a particular focus on transatlantic relations, NATO, and the European security architecture. In this capacity, she has shaped the security policy debate in Germany and Europe, especially in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Previous positions in her professional career include the Center for Security Studies at the ETH Zurich, the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), the EU Institute for Security Studies (Paris), the NATO Department of the German Foreign Office and Sciences Po Paris. Claudia is also a member of various committees, such as the Advisory Board for Civilian Crisis Prevention of the German Foreign Office and the German-British Königswinter Conference. She holds a diploma from the Free University of Berlin and Sciences Po Paris and a PhD from the University of Birmingham (UK). Claudia was made a Knight of the French Order of Merit (Chevalier dans l'ordre national du Mérite).