Renate Nikolay
Deputy Director-General, DG CONNECT, European Commission
Renate Nikolay is Deputy Director-General in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communication Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT). In that role, she oversees the enforcement of the digital rulebook for platforms (Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act), the policies on digital connectivity, data, media and audiovisual as well as international and interinstitutional relations. Between 2014 and 2022, she was Head of Cabinet of Vĕra Jourová in her roles as Commissioner for Justice and Consumers and as Vice-President for Values and Transparency. Prior to that Renate Nikolay was Head of Unit in DG JUST and served as member in the Cabinets of Cathy Ashton and Peter Mandelson. Renate Nikolay started her career in the European Commission in 2003 in DG Trade after having worked as a diplomat at the German Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and at the Federal Economics Ministry in Berlin. Renate Nikolay has a law degree from the Free University of Berlin (Erstes und Zweites Staatsexamen) and a Master of Laws as Fulbright Scholar from Washington, DC. She also participated in an Erasmus exchange with Grenoble/France.