Gov. Phil Murphy named Nicola Michels, a longtime veteran of the German-American business community, to lead Choose New Jersey’s Europe office.Gov. Phil Murphy named Nicola Michels, a longtime veteran of the German-American business community, to lead Choose New Jersey’s Europe office.

At the opening the Choose New Jersey office in Berlin, Murphy said Michels will bring New Jersey’s message of “opportunity” directly and regularly to Germany and Europe.

The opening was among the first events on the first of a nine-day trip across Germany and Israel, where the Murphy administration will be pushing to establish economic ties with businesses and expand upon existing trade relationships with both countries.

Having served as U.S. Ambassador to Germany between 2009 and 2013, Murphy said he hopes to tap into his existing network of business officials in the country.

Murphy was joined by administrative officials including Economic Development Authority CEO Tim Sullivan and Choose New Jersey President and CEO Jose Lozano.

Michels, who will serve as the managing director of the Choose New Jersey Europe Office, spent almost 15 years working for the German American Chamber of Commerce in New York City.

She also worked with the German Embassy to push for the expansion of German vocational education and training in the United States.

In that role, Michels was part of the German Embassy’s Skills Initiative and served as a board member of MechaForce New Jersey, an internship manufacturing program.