Wolfgang Schmidt ist ein deutscher Politiker (SPD) und Jurist. Seit dem 8. Dezember 2021 ist er Bundesminister für besondere Aufgaben und Chef des Bundeskanzleramtes im Kabinett von Olaf Scholz. Er war von März 2011 bis März 2018 Staatsrat der Hamburger Senatskanzlei und Bevollmächtigter der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg beim Bund, bei der Europäischen Union und für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten und von März 2018 bis Dezember 2021 Staatssekretär im deutschen Bundesministerium der Finanzen.


The Grand Opening 2022 – with Head of the German Federal Chancellery Wolfgang Schmidt and International Creative Bureaucracy Leaders (DE/ENG)
Festival President Charles Landry and presenter Astrid Frohloff welcome you to the Creative Bureaucracy Festival 2022. To kick things off we want to hear from Wolfgang Schmidt, Head of the Federal German Chancellery, what German politicians are doing to strengthen the public administration amid the current crises? Does the German public administration need more independence and autonomy to react more flexibly to the current challenges? And how does he know when an idea is worth taking a risk and fighting for?
Charles Landry and a collection of international creative bureaucrats will then discuss what has happened in the public sector over the past 5 years since the festival was founded. Have challenges such as the pandemic, the climate crisis and the current war in Ukraine drained us beyond salvation, or are they catalysts for fundamental change? How much untapped potential can be unleashed through better collaboration between administration and business, science and civil society? Could international mission-driven alliances take us to a new level?
The first 30 minutes will be held in German. The second 30 minutes is then devoted to the international programme and will take place in English.
Wolfgang Schmidt
Bundesminister für besondere Aufgaben und Chef des Bundeskanzleramtes
María Fernanda Espinosa is an Ecuadorian diplomat, politician, and academic with more than 30 years of experience in international organizations, the Ecuadorian government, NGOs and academia.
Espinosa served as President of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (2018-2019), becoming the fourth woman in history and the first from Latin America and the Caribbean to preside over this body. Previously, she was Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration (2007-2008 and 2017-2018), Minister of Cultural and Natural Heritage (2009-2012), and Minister of Defense (2012-2014). She also served as ambassador and permanent representative of Ecuador to the United Nations in New York (2008-2009) and Geneva (2014-2017).
Espinosa is currently acting as commissioner to the Lancet COVID-19 Commission, member of the Global Women Leaders Voices for Change and Inclusion as well as the Advisory Council of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and as Goodwill Ambassador for the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC), among others. Prior to her political and diplomatic career, she worked as academic and advisor on biodiversity, climate and indigenous peoples’ policies.
Christian Bason
CEO / Danish Design Center
Christian Bason, Ph.D., is CEO of the Danish Design Centre and a leading international authority on design, innovation and leadership in business and government. From 2007 to 2014, he was Director of MindLab, the Danish government’s innovation team, and before this Business Manager with the global consultancy Ramboll. Christian is the author of numerous books, most recently EXPAND: Stretching the Future by Design (2022), and a lecturer at several executive educations. He is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Agile Governance and the former Chair of the European Commission’s Expert Group on Public Sector Innovation.
Stefanie Rupp
Principal Expert / PD - Berater für die öffentliche Hand GmbH
Stefanie Rupp ist seit Juli 2019 Senior Managerin bei der PD – Berater der öffentlichen Hand GmbH im Geschäftsbereich Strategische Verwaltungsmodernisierung mit dem Schwerpunkt Strategie. Ihre Beratungsschwerpunkte sind strategische Aufstellung öffentlicher Organisationen und Beteiligungen, wirtschaftliche und politische Beratung, Governance und Strategien für neu gegründete und existierende öffentliche Unternehmen, Stakeholder-Management und Kommunikation. Von 2012 bis 2014 war sie Executive Director beim britischen Wirtschaftsministerium (Department for Business). Von 2009 bis 2012 war sie Economic Adviser beim britischen Finanzministerium (Treasury).
Astrid Frohloff
TV Moderator & Journalist
Astrid Frohloff ist selbstständige Konferenzmoderatorin, Diplom-Journalistin, Executive Coach und Kommunikationsberaterin. Sie ist bekannt aus Magazin- und Nachrichtensendungen im deutschen Fernsehen, die sie viele Jahr lang als freie Moderatorin präsentiert hat. Sie hat Politik- und Literaturwissenschaft sowie Journalistik studiert. Nach Stationen in Hamburg, Hannover, Austin/USA und Jerusalem/Israel lebt sie heute mit ihrer Familie in Berlin.
Charles Landry
President / Creative Bureaucracy Festival
Charles Landry works with cities around the world to help them make the most of their potential and facilitates complex urban change projects. His aim is to connect the triad culture, creativity and city making. He is co-founder of the Creative Bureaucracy Festival.
He has published extensively – most recently The Civic City in a Nomadic World, The Creative Bureaucracy (with Margie Caust), An Advanced Introduction to the Creative City, Psychology & the City (with Chris Murray) and The Digitized City. You can download these books as PDF files via Charles’ website: www.charleslandry.com