Toomas Hendrik Ilves served as President of Estonia from 2006-16. President Ilves is renowned for making Estonia one of the most digitally advanced nations through innovative policies that invested heavily in the future. In 1996, he was appointed the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, a post he held until 1998 and again from 1999 to 2002. At that time, he successfully steered Estonia into the EU and NATO in 2004. He was a Member of the European Parliament and the first Vice Chairman of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee from 2004-2006. From 1993-96, he served as the Ambassador of Estonia to the United States. He holds an MA from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Columbia University.
