Michael Zilmer-Johns
Permanent Representative – Denmark
2014
Ambassador Michael Zilmer-Johns, Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog, was born 19
June 1957 and studied economics at Copenhagen University and Christian Albrecht University
in Kiel. After graduation in 1982 he began his carrier at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
working on GATT, EEC accession negotiations with Spain and Portugal as well as development
co-operation with Latin America, Angola and Mozambique.
From 1985-88 he served as Secretary of Embassy at the Danish
EEC representation in Brussels. Back in Copenhagen he became
Secretary of the Corporate Board and Assistant Private Secretary
to Minister for Foreign Affairs Uffe Ellemann-Jensen. Between
1992 and 1995 he was Head of the EU and Economic Section at
the Danish Embassy in Bonn. After one year as Deputy in the
Department for North Africa, the Middle East and Latin America
at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he became head of the
Policy and Planning Department of Danida in 1996.
10 days before the terror attack on 9/11 2001 he was appointed
Political Director and worked intensively during the next two
years handling the ensuing crisis i.a. chairing the EU Political
Committee during the Danish EU Presidency in 2002. In 2003 he
became foreign and security advisor to Prime Minister Rasmussen with the Iraq war and the EU
Constitutional Treaty among key challenges. In 2005 he returned to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs as State Secretary for Foreign and European Affairs. His responsibilities covered the EU,
OSCE, Denmark’s strategic partnerships with the US, Russia and China, other bilateral
relations as well as security, including NATO and Danish participation in military operations. He
was the Danish Sherpa during the negotiation of the Lisbon Treaty, chaired the Danish EU-
Committee that co-ordinates Danish positions on all EU-affairs and often represented the
Danish Government at EU ministerial meetings.
In 2013 he was seconded to the European External Action Service as advisor on security and
defense.
Since1 October 2014 he has served as Danish Ambassador to NATO.
Ambassador Zilmer-Johns is married to Danish PSC-ambassador Lisbet Zilmer-Johns and has 4
children.
Publications: Internationale forhold (International Relations), Erhversøkonomisk Forlag 1986