The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) is strengthening its expertise in security policy. Starting in July, Dr. Patrick Keller, a seasoned security expert, will take over the leadership of its Center for Security and Defense.
Dr. Patrick Keller has assumed leadership of DGAP’s Center for Security and Defense on July 1, 2025. A political scientist by training, Keller brings extensive experience to the role gained working with Germany’s federal ministries and agencies, as well as political foundations. Most recently, he served as head of policy and communications at the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI). Prior to that, he was vice president of the Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS).
Keller began his career as coordinator for foreign and security policy at the Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung. Under German defense ministers Ursula von der Leyen and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, he managed the unit responsible for speechwriting and texts. At DGAP, he will lead the organization’s work in security policy. As head of its newly restructured Center for Security and Defense, he will help to shape concrete approaches to the Zeitenwende, Germany’s “turning point” in security policy, and the epochal shift roiling geopolitics.
“Patrick Keller offers everything demanded by these challenging times for security policy: strategic foresight, communicative precision, and a deep understanding of political practice in Berlin and beyond,” says Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, Otto Wolff Director of DGAP. “I am delighted that he is taking on this role in our restructured Center for Security and Defense and would also like to thank Dr. Hans-Peter Bartels for his thoughtful and highly competent leadership during its interim phase.”
Keller’s team will focus on key areas of the Zeitenwende agenda, including the future of Europe’s security architecture, integrated defense strategies, defense cooperations, and the technological modernization of its armed forces.
