The German Marshall Fund is pleased to announce that Dr. Michael Leigh, GMF Senior Advisor, was admitted to the Order of St. Michael and St. George (United Kingdom) as Knight Commander (KCMG) for his services to the enlargement of the European Union on January 1, 2012. This distinction is conferred on men and women who render extraordinary non-military service in a foreign country. It can also be conferred for important service in relation to Foreign and Commonwealth affairs.

Sir Michael is a consultant and senior advisor to GMF in Brussels. He focuses in particular on enlargement and eastern partnership, particularly Ukraine, Turkey's relation's with the EU and their common neighborhood, Europe's response to political change in the Mediterranean and Middle East, and energy questions in the eastern Mediterranean. He also has an interest in south Atlantic cooperation, especially with Brazil.

He became director-general for enlargement in 2006 after serving for three years as external relations deputy director-general with responsibility for European Neighbourhood Policy, relations with Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East and the Mediterranean countries. He took on his current role after more than thirty years in EU institutions, including as a cabinet member for various Commissioners and as director in the Task Force for the EU Accession Negotiations. He began his career as assistant professor of international relations at Johns Hopkins University’ s School for Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy and lecturer in international relations at the University of Sussex. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and a PhD in Political Science from M.I.T.