New director for multi-billion defense purchases

Poul Taankvist is appointed as the new director of corporate governance in the Danish Ministry of Defence, tasked with addressing poor financial management and inadequate reporting to politicians. He will oversee eight agencies and 20,000 employees, and is responsible for defense procurement with a budget of around 200 billion Danish Krone allocated for the upcoming years. Taankvist’s experience includes leadership roles within the Ministry of Finance and prior defense positions as an economic director. The position was reinstated after being vacant for some time following sharp criticism of the Ministry of Defence’s property management accounting practices by the National Audit Office of Denmark. As part of a broader reshuffle, other key appointments include a new head of the Material and Procurement Agency, an economic director, and a new capacity director.