Kai Leichsenring is Executive Director at the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Vienna, since 2016. His background is in Political Sciences/Social Policy (Dr.phil., University of Vienna) and Organisational Development Consultancy. He specialised in comparative and applied social research and policy consultancy with a focus on population ageing, health and long-term care, and related issues such as governance and financing, quality management, labour conditions, user involvement and informal care. Apart from coordinating many national and European R&D projects, he collaborated with a number of regional and national governments, and international agencies (UNECE, OECD, WHO, Worldbank, UNDP). He has represented the research community at the UNECE Standing Working Group on Ageing and its Bureau since 2016. Moreover, he designed and facilitated workshops, conferences and trainings, and published a wide range of reports, books and articles, e.g. ‘A Research Agenda for Ageing and Social Policy’ (Ed. With A. Sidorenko), Cheltenham 2024: Edward Elgar.