Barbara Bertelsen | |
|---|---|
 Bertelsen in 2022. | |
| Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office | |
| Assumed office 13 January 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Mette Frederiksen |
| Preceded by | Christian Kettel Thomsen |
| Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice | |
| In office 16 February 2015 – 13 January 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Minister | |
| Preceded by | Anne Kristine Axelsson |
| Succeeded by | Johan Kristian Legarth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 September 1973 |
| Nationality | Danish |
| Spouse |
Theis Bober (m. 2024) |
| Alma mater | Aarhus University |
| Occupation | Civil servant |
Barbara Beatrice Bertelsen (known by her initials BBB;[1] born 24 September 1973) is a Danish jurist and senior civil servant. She is the current Permanent Secretary of State at the Prime Minister's Office of Denmark, and as such the head and principal civil servant in the central administration of Denmark.[2] She is the first woman to hold this position and thus the highest-ranking female civil servant in Danish history.[3]
Bertelsen has previously held senior positions within the Danish central administration, mainly in the Ministry of Justice, where she served as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice from 2015 to 2020, under four different Ministers of Justice.
Bertelsen was appointed Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office in 2020, following Mette Frederiksen's electoral victory in 2019. Tasked with bolstering the Danish Ministry of State, Bertelsen played a crucial role in its expansion, aimed at enhancing its operational efficiency and political power. Her departmental leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic garnered attention, as she took early and decisive measures to address the crisis. However, her management style, marked by meticulous oversight and direct communication, has drawn both acclaim and criticism. Despite facing a warning in connection with the 2020 Danish mink cull for hastening processes leading to legal infractions, Bertelsen's disciplinary sanction was later rescinded.
- ^ "Portræt: Barbara Bertelsen blev kendt som embedsmanden, der ikke kun svinger taktstokken, men også slår med den". Politiken (in Danish). 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Ny departementschef i Statsministeriet" [New Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office]. Statsministeriet (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ "Statsministeren henter sin nye departementschef i Justitsministeriet". Altinget.dk. 2020-01-09. Retrieved 2024-02-13.