Agora announces a change in leadership and strengthens European work

Berlin/Brussels, 9 September 2025. Agora Think Tanks is announcing a transition in its leadership: Frauke Thies has decided to leave her role as Executive Director, which she held between July 2022 and present alongside Managing Director Markus Steigenberger. Effective immediately, she joins forces with Europe Director Émeline Spire in Agora’s Brussels office, where Thies and Spire will serve as Co-Directors for Agora Energiewende’s European work.

The new dual leadership will strengthen Agora’s Europe programme at a crucial time of shifting geopolitical landscapes, where the European Union must balance energy security, industrial competitiveness and affordability of energy, while securing sufficient financing for its transition to climate neutrality by mid-century.

By bringing additional senior leadership resources to Agora‘s Brussels office, the appointment will allow for the expansion of the think tank’s work in capacity and reach. Under the guidance of Thies and Spire, Agora‘s Europe programme will broaden its scope to address resilience in clean technology supply chains and energy security, while advancing cost-efficient, climate-neutral infrastructure solutions and developing feasible policy proposals for European competitiveness and affordable power prices. At the same time, the Franco-German Co-Directors will prioritise building robust partnerships with other think tanks and stakeholders across EU member states, deepening collaboration and impact.

Markus Steigenberger continues at the helm of the organisation as Managing Director of Agora Think Tanks.

R. Andreas Kraemer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Agora Think Tanks, said:

“I want to sincerely thank Frauke Thies for her excellent leadership as Executive Director of Agora Think Tanks. Over the past three years, she has enhanced impact with a strong strategic perspective while providing guidance to the team and fostering strong partnerships with stakeholders in Brussels and internationally. The Supervisory Board will now proceed to swiftly appoint a suitable successor. I am confident that Émeline Spire and Frauke Thies together will successfully expand Agora’s European climate and energy work with their deep expertise in the energy sector and a thorough understanding of EU policy. Together, and alongside an excellent team, they are uniquely positioned to strengthen our presence in Brussels and across Europe, and to help shape the debates that matter most for the continent’s climate future.”

Frauke Thies said: 

“Shifting my role from Executive Director to Co-Director Europe allows me to work on EU climate and energy policy in a crucial moment for the transition. More than ever, these areas are linked with other policy fields such as security, trade and industrial policy. Together with Émeline Spire and the team, I look forward to ex­panding the scope of Agora’s European work and advancing on integrated solutions for climate neutrality.” 

Émeline Spire said: 

“I am excited to join forces with Frauke Thies in leading our talented team and working on politically feasible and efficient solutions to accelerate Europe’s progress on the way to climate neutrality. This will entail deepening our partnerships in key member states such as France and Poland and fostering a socially just and cost-efficient transition.” 

About Frauke Thies 

Frauke Thies, now Co-Director Europe at Agora Energiewende, headed Agora Think Tanks (Agora Energiewende, Agora Industry and Agora Agriculture) as Executive Director and in dual leadership with Markus Steigenberger between July 2022 and present. 

Before joining Agora, Thies was responsible for the climate portfolio of the Open Society Foundations in Europe. Prior to that, she worked in European associations for eight years, including as Executive Director of the European business association for digital and decentralised energy solutions, smartEn, from 2015 to 2020, and as Policy Director at SolarPower Europe from 2012 to 2015. Thies started her career at the environmental organisation Greenpeace, where she held various positions in EU energy policy from 2005 to 2012, with secondments to the United States and India. Thies holds a Master of Environmental Sciences from the University of Lüneburg and a Master of Business Administration from Vlerick Business School in Belgium. 

About Émeline Spire 

Émeline Spire, Co-Director Europe at Agora Energiewende, has led the European policy work since October 2024. Prior to this, she headed Agora's power sector work across different geographies as Director Power System Transformation. 

Before joining Agora in January 2024, Émeline Spire worked in the European energy sector for over twenty years, with a focus on the design and operation of electricity markets and systems. She was director for markets and energy transition at the French energy regulator CRE (2021–2023) and head of the Energy Management, Grid Development and EU Affairs department at the Belgian TSO Elia Group (2009–2020). From 2002 to 2008, she led European market integration developments at the French power exchange. Émeline Spire is an engineer and economist. She studied at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, at the College of Europe in Bruges, and at the London Business School.