Anna Sophie Herken, born in Berlin in 1971, studied law at the Freie Universität (FU) Berlin, Université de Bordeaux and American University Washington College of Law. She passed her first and second state examinations in law in Berlin and gained a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Washington, D.C. She later went on to complete an Executive MBA at Cambridge University.
Anna Sophie Herken has worked internationally in various fields, including in the private sector, international organisations, the German Government and academia. She also has experience in development cooperation. From 2001 to 2005, she was employed by the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology (later Labour) where her area of responsibility included international sustainability and international trade. During this period, she helped with preparations for the 2004 G8 Summit and attended a number of conferences at European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN) level, such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Between 2005 and 2008, she worked for the World Bank Inspection Panel in Washington, D.C. on projects in India, Africa and Eastern Europe, before moving to London where she joined the Office of the Secretary General at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
From 2011 to 2016, she was Managing Director of the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, after which she moved into the private sector as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at HPC (Hasso Plattner Capital) Germany GmbH in Potsdam. Between 2018 and 2023, Herken held the post of Business Division Head at Allianz Asset Management GmbH where she was responsible, among other things, for life insurance business in the USA as well as Regulatory Affairs and Policy, Sustainability and China. During this period, she was also a Member of the Board of Allianz Life in the USA and CPIC Fund Management Co. Ltd. in China as well as President and Chair of the Board of the Allianz Foundation for North America.
Anna Sophie Herken is on the Board of Trustees of the AllBright Foundation, which champions women and diversity in executive business positions, the Supervisory Board of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) Germany. She is a member of the Members’ Assembly of Save the Children Germany, a member of Generation CEO, a network of leading women managers, a member of the Board of Trustees of the European Business Ethics Network Deutschland e.V. (DNWE), and an alumna of Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes.
Anna Sophie Herken is a German-Swedish national and has two children. She lives with her family in Berlin.