Elżbieta Bieńkowska was a member of the European Commission from 2014-2019.  During that time her role focused on the Single Market, Industry and Entrepreneurship with a portfolio including European legislation and undertakings for the industry, SMEs, Single Market enforcement, Space and Defense Programs among many others.

From 2013-2014, she served as Deputy Prime Minister in Poland, as the Minister of Infrastructure and Development managing infrastructure projects including roads, railways, air transport and maritime policy. From 2011-2014 she served as a Senator in Poland.  From 2007-2013 she served as the Minister of Regional Development in Poland responsible for planning, preparing and implementation of the whole EU Structural and Cohesion Funds for Poland, coordinating regional and national development programs. On top of that responsible for the preparation of the national long- and medium-term development and urban policy.

From 1996 she worked in regional administration in Silesia, Poland, as Governors Plenipotentiary for Regional Development Strategy (1997-1999) and from 1999-2007 Head of European Department in Silesian Regional Authority.

She is a graduate of Jagiellonian University Philology Faculty and National School of Public Administration in Warsaw, MBA studies in Warsaw School of Economics.   She has been recognized as a Scholar of British Foreign Office (1995), European Union (1999) and German Marshal Fund (2001) . She has also been awarded the Kingdom of Norway Order of Merit and Order of Merit of the Republic of Greece.