Dr Hilde Hardeman, Head of the European Commission's Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) since 2017, has spent over 25 years working for the European Commission, covering external relations and economic and competitiveness issues. From 2014 to 2017, she served as Deputy Head of Cabinet to the Commission’s Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness. Previously, Dr Hardeman headed the Units for Relations with Russia and with Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, and was in charge of briefing the Commission President for meetings with EU Heads of State or Government. Dr Hardeman holds a PhD in Slavic Philology and History of the University of Leuven after studies at Leuven, Stanford University, and Paris, and was visiting professor at the College of Europe. She taught and published on the history of Russia and Eastern Europe and on minority rights. Her current focus is on conflict prevention, crisis management and peace-building, and on leveraging the EU’s influence abroad.