Anne Birgitte Lundholt
Anne Birigitte Lundholt (born 11 June 1952) is a member of the Danish Conservative People's Party and businessperson who served in the Danish Government and the Folketing. She was deputy director of the industry organization Textile Industry from 1980 to 1988, deputy chair of the Junior Chamber Denmark between 1983 and 1984 and CEO later chair of the Furniture Manufacturers Association (later the Danish Furniture Industry) in 1988. Lundholt was appointed Minister of Industry in 1989 and as Minister of Energy the following year, standing down from both posts in 1993. She was a member of the Folketing for the Ringkøbing County constituency from 1990 to 1997. Lundholt was appointed Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1990. Early life and education Lundholt was born in Fredericia on 11 June 1952. She is the daughter of the engineer Niels Ebbe Lundholt and the office assistant and homemaker Aase Andreasen Lundholt. Lundholt has one elder brother and was raised in Fredericia. In 1966, she joined the Young Conservatives in Fredericia to protest the cooperation of the Social Democrats and the Socialist People's Party after the two parties gained the most seats in the Folketing. Lundholt was the Young Conservatives' chair from 1969 to 1970, and became a mathematics student at in 1971. She then studied political science at Aarhus University between 1971 and 1977. Lundholt enrolled in the Home Guard and was a member of the constituency board of The Conservative People's Party in Aarhus during her time at Aarhus University. Career She unsuccessfully ran for the Folketing at the three general elections held each year from 1975 to 1979 in the constituencies of , and . Following Lundholt's graduation as cand.scient.pol. in 1977, she moved to Copenhagen and was employed as a secretary at the from 1977 to 1980. Lundholt endorsed equality between men and women but not positive discrimination due to her belief that "women had to fight on their existing terms". In 1980, she became office manager and later deputy director of the industry organization Textile Industry. Lundholt simultaneously studied for a higher diploma in foreign trade at the Copenhagen Business School until 1983. From 1983 to 1984, she was deputy chair of the Junior Chamber Denmark. Lundholt was appointed CEO of the Furniture Manufacturers Association (later the Danish Furniture Industry) in 1988 and was promoted to chair the following year. She was an examiner at the Copenhagen Business School's course in international economics and business management between 1988 and 1989 and again from 1993. Lundholt accepted the offer of the post of Minister of Industry by the Prime Minister Poul Schlüter and she took up the position on 2 December 1989. The following year, she was appointed Minister of Energy to become a dual minister and she served in the position from 18 December 1990 to the fall of the Schulter government on 24 January 1993. At the 1990 Danish general election, she was elected to represent the constituency of Ringkøbing County for The Conservative People's