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Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, born 1969 in Oberstdorf and raised in Gießen, studied agricultural science and political science at the Justus Liebig University in Gießen. After his exams, he worked as a research assistant at the Chair of International Relations at the Institute for Political Science there.

He started out in local government as an advisor to the social and youth department of the city of Gießen (1998 to 2001). As a result, he took on other tasks in the municipal administration of the city of Giessen, including as a research assistant to the mayor.

Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel joined the SPD during his school days and was involved with the Jusos. He started his professional political career in 2001 as a member of the district council in the district of Gießen. In 2003 he was elected a member of the Hessian state parliament, where he was development policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group until 2008. In 2009 he took over the party and parliamentary group chairmanship of the Hessian SPD. In 2009 he became deputy party chairman of the SPD in the federal government; From June to September 2019 he took over the leadership of the SPD as co-chairman. Before joining GIZ, he gradually stepped down from his political offices.

His political interests included education and mobility. As a member of the federal executive committee of the SPD, he was responsible, among other things, for the topics of taxes, finances, economic policy and international relations (Asia). In addition, he has dealt with the influence of digital transformation on the world of work in publications.

Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel does a number of voluntary activities. Among other things, he is a member of the board of trustees of the Rheingau Music Festival and is a member of the board of directors of the Gießener Hochschulgesellschaft eV.

Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel is married and has two daughters and a son. He lives with his family in Lich, Hesse.