Dr Melanie Leonhard was born on 14 July 1977 in Hamburg, Germany, is married and has one son.

Education and professional experience
2013 – 2015 Head of the Department of Urban History at the Archaeological Museum Hamburg, City Museum Harburg and Helms Museum
2009 PhD in Social and Economic History at the University of Hamburg
2008 – 2013 Research Assistant in Corporate Communications and Project Organisation Marketing at E.R. Capital Holding in Hamburg
2005 – 2007 Doctoral scholarship at the German Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven
1998 – 2004 Studies of social and economic history, subsidiary subjects Politics and Geography
1996 – 1997 Voluntary social year
1996 A-levels at the Lessing-Gymnasium in Hamburg

Political career
Since Dec. 2022 Chairwoman of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Innovation
2020 – 2022 Chairwoman of the Ministry of Labour, Health, Social Affairs, Family and Integration
2015 – 2020 Chairwoman of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Family and Integration
Since 2018 Chairwoman of the Hamburg Social Democratic Party
Since 2014 Deputy Chairwoman of the Hamburg Social Democratic Party
2011 – 2015 Member of the Hamburg State Parliament, family policy spokesperson and deputy faction leader in the 21st legislative period
2004 – 2011 Member of the Harburg Parliament, Youth Committee and Urban Development Committee, Deputy Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Group