Following recent changes in the Danish government, Ms Annette Vilhelmsen was appointed Minister for Business and Growth on 16 October 2012. She also becomes EIB Governor for the Kingdom of Denmark, succeeding Mr Ole Sohn.
Prior to her appointment, Ms Vilhelmsen was a Member of Parliament for the Socialist People's Party in Funen greater constituency (September 2011 – October 2012). Between 2008 and 2009 she was a Temporary Member of Parliament.
Between 2011 and 2012, she served as Spokeswoman for business affairs, for rural districts and islands, for children and education and for the disabled. She was also a Member of the Municipal Affairs Committee, the Social Affairs Committee, the Employment Committee and the Committee for Research, Innovation and Further Education.
Born in 1959 in Svendborg, Ms Vilhelmsen worked as a teacher since 1983. She was also the Head of the National Knowledge Centre for Free Schools from 2009 to 2011 and worked as a self-employed educational consultant from 2005 to 2009.
She holds a MA in Education from the Danish School of Education.