Samsung taps Microsoft policy veteran for EU role

Jeremy Rollison (center), then Microsoft’s EU policy chief, speaks on digital sovereignty and tech partnerships during a panel in Szczecin, Poland, hosted by Poland’s EU delegation and its Ministry of Digital Affairs in May 2025. (Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU)

Samsung Electronics has appointed Jeremy Rollison, former head of European Union policy at Microsoft, as vice president of European public affairs, placing a seasoned digital policy strategist in Brussels as European regulators tighten their grip on global tech firms operating in the region.

Rollison began his role on Monday at Samsung’s European Public Affairs office in Brussels, reporting to Executive Vice President Lee Sang-joo. He spent more than a decade leading Microsoft’s engagement with EU institutions, including during the development and rollout of the Digital Markets Act, a landmark law aimed at curbing the market power of large digital platforms.

The appointment comes as Samsung expands its risk management capacity in the EU, which accounted for 17 percent of its total revenue last year at approximately 50.1 trillion won ($33.97 billion). As the company’s second-largest overseas market, Europe is increasingly governed by instruments like the DMA.

Samsung was excluded from the DMA’s initial “gatekeeper” list in 2023, but the company’s close technical and commercial integration with designated firms — including Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta — places it within reach of future regulatory scrutiny.

Rollison’s arrival positions Samsung to interpret and respond to developments in real time, from within the EU policymaking environment.

Prior to Microsoft, Rollison held EU-focused roles at Nokia and the European Digital Media Association. He holds master’s degrees in European studies from Sciences Po in Paris and the University of Bath, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond in the United States.

The move aligns Samsung more closely with the public policy models used by US tech giants, which maintain full-time lobbying operations in Brussels to preempt legislative risk.