Executive Biography

30 years of combined professional experience in political science, sociology, politics, public policy and public administration in academia, civil service, consulting, advisory and analytical fields in Lithuania, the Western Balkans and the EU Eastern Partnership countries.

Darius Žeruolis graduated from Vilnius University (Bachelor's degree) and Trent University (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, BA degree) in Sociology. Then he went on to study Political Science and Government at Central European University (Budapest, MA degree) and London School of Economics (MSc degree).

During 1995–2007 he lectured in Comparative Politics and Quantitative Research Methods to bachelor's degree students of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University. There he also led seminars on Development Policy in Third World Countries and master's thesis research seminars in European and European Integration Studies at the MA level. Since 2013, he has been a social partner of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University. Darius Žeruolis was a winner of best academic publication award in 1996 from the Lithuanian Association of Political Scientists.

In 1998–2007 and 2020–2024, Darius Žeruolis held several posts in Lithuania’s civil service. During 1998–2003, he was the Director of the Integration Strategy Department at the European Committee under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and a member of the Coordination Group of Lithuania’s Negotiations Delegation for EU Membership. In 2004–2005, he led Department of the EU Policy Analysis and Interinstitutional Coordination at the Office of the Government of Lithuania, and in 2005–2007, he was the Deputy Government Secretary of Lithuania with responsibility for EU Affairs. For his service in 2004 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order "For Merits to Lithuania" by the President of the Republic of Lithuania. In 2020–2024, Darius Žeruolis worked as an advisor to Ms Ingrida Šimonytė, the Prime Minister of the 18th Government of the Republic of Lithuania in charge of strategic planning, public administration, reforms, foresight and change management.

During 2007-2020, as a manager and (or) as a senior public policy expert Darius Žeruolis implemented or contributed to about 40 various public policy development and evaluation, public administration, strategic planning and capacity building projects in Lithuania and ten Western Balkans and EU Eastern Neighborhood countries, including long-term (permanent) residence and work in Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo. He developed in-depth knowledge of these countries. He has authored and co-authored about 50 public policy studies and assessments.

In 2013-2016 he worked as the director of ESTEP Vilnius, a consultancy specializing in public policy analysis, evaluations of public administration, European integration management and EU support.

Darius Žruolis authored and co-authored 25 academic publications in Lithuanian and English, the most important of which are two books prepared together with co-authors (Klaudijus Maniokas, Ramūnas Vilpišauskas and others) - Lithuania's Path to the European Union: European Unification and Lithuania's Negotiations for Membership in the European Union (in English, Vilnius: Eugrimas, 2005) and The First Decade of Lithuania in the European Union: Transformation or Imitation? (in Lithuanian, Vilnius University Press, 2015). Two recent publications are Rebuilding Ukraine. An Assessment of EU Assistance (Chatham House, UK, together with Kataryna Wolczuk) and a report on Lithuania for the Bertelsmann Foundation Transformation Index (2020).