Markus Engels is the secretary-general of the Global Solutions Initiative and a social scientist with a background in politics and international affairs. He studied social sciences in Duisburg, Portsmouth and Berlin and obtained his doctorate in the Faculty of Law at the University of Munich. He worked as a senior scientific adviser at the German federal parliament, the European Parliament and on the executive board of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD). He headed the office of Deputy Party Chairman Frank-Walter Steinmeier and served as spokesman and campaign manager for Martin Schulz, during his tenure as president of the European Parliament and as SPD chairman. Engels participated in drafting of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and charter of fundamental rights for the digital age, initiated by charitable foundations.