Lisbeth V. Pilegaard is a seasoned democracy expert and senior leader with more than 25 years of professional experience in negotiation and representation, primarily from conflict-affected countries.

Ms Pilegaard is a strategic facilitator and senior adviser to various international initiatives, such as a research project on countering global authoritarianism at Harvard University, a UN reform initiative, a Ukrainian Think Tank and the establishment of a Baltic Women Mediator Network, among other initiatives.

Ms Pilegaard has been a member of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) Board of Governors since its establishment in 2013 and has served as the chair of the Executive Committee since 2018, elected by all EU member states plus Norway, the UK and Iceland. She has undertaken several missions with EED to Ukraine, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Turkey/Syria, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Moldova.

From 2019 to 2023, Ms Pilegaard was the Executive Director of the Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy, which works with Danish political parties to support the development of well-functioning democratic political parties, multiparty systems and other institutions globally. Here, she facilitated OSCE ODIHR in partnering with the Danish Parliament and the political parties. She was previously the Executive Director of the Danish Fund “Outside,” working for the rights of socially marginalised population groups in Denmark. From 2012-17, she founded and managed a Foreign Policy consultancy firm, serving and advising the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Civil Society, think tanks and several UN organisations and global initiatives.

Ms Pilegaard has been seconded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an Expert Adviser to support the UN High- Level Panel for Humanitarian Financing set up by the former Secretary-General of the United Nations to address global humanitarian financial crises by developing the ‘Grand Bargain’ launched at the Global Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul.

Ms Pilegaard is a Steering Group Member of the Nordic Women Mediators Network, working for the inclusion of more women in peace processes globally, and is a Leadership Fellow at St. George’s House, Windsor Castle, UK. She also serves on the approval committee of the Danish New Democracy Fund. She has held board positions in the LIVIA Foundation, the Anna Lindh Foundation and has been the chairperson of the Danish Council for International Conflict Resolution (RIKO). In addition, she has been a guest lecturer at various institutions, including the University of Aalborg and the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, and is a regular expert guest on Danish radio and television broadcasts on foreign affairs, conflict, and democracy. Ms Pilegaard has a degree in Rhetorics focusing on peace negotiations from the University of Copenhagen.