Speaker details

Biography

Anthony is a barrister, educated at Trinity College Dublin, and Cambridge University. He lectured at Trinity College Law School, before joining Advocate General Nial Fennelly as a legal adviser at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. After a time in the Commission Legal Service, where he represented the EU in major competition cases, he joined the cabinet of Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes. He later became her Head of Cabinet (private office), both as Competition Commissioner and as Vice-President for the Digital Agenda. In 2014 he was appointed director for telecoms policy in DG Connect (the commission’s technology department), where he led negotiations on the abolition of mobile roaming surcharges. In 2019 Anthony joined the cabinet of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as her digital adviser, also advising on single market, industrial and competition policy. He was subsequently her acting head of cabinet and senior economic adviser. In September 2025 he joined DG Competition as Deputy Director-General for State aid. He was appointed Director-General of DG Competition in April 2026.