Ulrik Trolle Smed is a Member of Cabinet for Commissioner for the Security Union at the European Commission. He is lead on strategic digital affairs and security, including strategic autonomy, disinformation, and digital economy and society. Prior to joining the Cabinet, Ulrik was a Policy Analyst at the European Political Strategy Centre, the Commission’s in-house think tank, where he advised on hybrid threats, interference in democracies, EU-NATO cooperation, and European defence initiatives. He was also Head of Section for the Sahel region with the Africa Department at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a Research Assistant at the Centre for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen. During his early career and studies, Ulrik helped raise funds for NGOs, develop IT solutions, travelled the Middle East, and volunteered for anti-malaria campaigns. In his spare time, he likes to sing in funk and R&B bands with new and old friends.2019, Fellows