Benedikt Franke is Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Munich Security Conference. As such, he is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation and the strategic development of its formats and activities. Additionally, he serves as the Executive Director of the Munich Security Conference Foundation. Before joining the MSC, Benedikt was Special Assistant to former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, and Senior Advisor for Strategic Affairs at the Christian Social Union. Benedikt holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and a master’s degree from SAIS. He publishes regularly on foreign and security policy topics and sits on several committees, such as the Foundation Council of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen, and the European Council on Foreign Relations. In his (limited) leisure time he works as Special Envoy of the Sovereign Order of Malta.