Bendt Bendtsen is a senior policy advisor in the Brussels office. Bendt is a former Danish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Denmark. As a former Danish Deputy Prime Minister, Bendt is intimately familiar with the decision making process at the highest political level of the EU. During those years and the following ten years as an MEP, Bendt developed an impressive network at the top of EU politics. He worked closely with several of the current commissioners and heads of government in the EU, and established himself as strong MEP of the EPP group, which he represented in both the Committee for Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and the International Trade Committee (INTA).
Bendt was president of a special association within the EPP group, called SME Europe. This is a highly influential association of MEPs who defend the interests of industry within the Parliament. As the President of SME Europe, he had the opportunity to defend the interests of innovation in European companies and promote the development of European start-ups. Finally, during his entire political career Bendt was known for building bridges between industry partners and the various sides of the political spectrum.