Prof. Dr. Maja Göpel has been working for 25 years as a political economist, transformation expert and sustainability scientist at the interface of science, politics and society.

The political consultant, bestselling author ("Unsere Welt neu denken", with Marcus Jauer, Ullstein Verlag, translated into six languages; "Wir können auch anders", with Marcus Jauer, Ullstein Verlag 2022, translated into several languages) and sought-after speaker is an honorary professor for sustainability transformations at Leuphana University Lüneburg.

She was most recently Scientific Director at The New Institute and Secretary General of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU). Prior to that, she headed the Berlin office of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, after six years as Director of Future Justice at the Brussels office and as Campaign Manager Climate Energy in Hamburg, where she helped to establish the World Future Council.

With a degree in media management and a doctorate in political economics, she is a member of the Club of Rome, the World Future Council, the Balaton Group, co-founder of the "Scientists4Future" initiative and founder of Mission Wertvoll. She was a member of the German government's Bioeconomy Council.
She has received numerous awards for her work, most recently the Science Communication Medal and the Theodor Heuss Prize.