Thomas Ahrenkiel will assume the role of head of the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (FE) on September 1st, according to a press release from the Ministry of Defence. This marks his return to the position he previously held from 2010 to 2015.

Ahrenkiel succeeds Svend Larsen, the acting head of FE, who stepped in following the suspension of former head Lars Findsen. Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen expressed confidence in Ahrenkiel’s extensive insight and experience, while also thanking Svend Larsen for his leadership during a challenging period, particularly in light of the Ukraine war.

The 57-year-old Ahrenkiel joins FE from Macro Advisory Partners, where he served as a partner and European director. He stated that he is looking forward to contributing to strengthening Denmark’s security. Prior to his role at Macro Advisory Partners, Ahrenkiel served as permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defence from 2015 to 2020. His career also includes leadership positions in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lars Findsen, the suspended FE chief, reached a severance agreement earlier this month, officially ending his tenure at the end of August. Findsen’s suspension stemmed from criticism by the Oversight Committee on Intelligence Services (TET) in 2020. Subsequently, he was arrested and imprisoned in December 2021 for allegedly sharing strictly confidential information. The case against Findsen ultimately collapsed due to the prosecution’s inability to secure closed proceedings. Findsen’s severance package includes three years’ salary and an extraordinary pension contribution, totaling approximately DKK 6.5 million. Including his salary during the period of suspension, the total compensation amounts to around DKK 7.3 million.