Manuel Kiefer

Head of NATO/EU Defence, Global Business Airbus Defence and Space

Manuel Kiefer is the Head of NATO/EU Defence, Global Business, at Airbus Defence and Space, a role he assumed in June 2026. Based in Brussels and Ottobrunn, he is responsible for all Airbus Defence and Space business with NATO and the EU's defence and security architecture, including the European Commission, EDA, Frontex, and EMSA. He reports directly to the Executive Vice President Defence Global Business. Manuel joined Airbus in 2025 after an over 20-year, distinguished career in the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), where he served as a Eurofighter pilot and a highly trained general staff officer. Prior to Airbus, he was the Deputy Branch Head for Defence Planning and Policy Analysis at NATO's Allied Command of Transformation (ACT) in Norfolk, Virginia, gaining deep insight into NATO's strategic needs. Academically, Manuel holds an MBA from the University of the German Armed Forces in Munich and a Master's in International Affairs from Helmut-Schmidt University in Hamburg. He is fluent in English and German and remains an officer in reserve in the German Armed Forces.