She was appointed as the first finance minister in Luxembourg in January 2022. From June 2020 until her appointment, she served as the Marshal of the Grand-Ducal Court. From 2016 to 2020 she was the representative of the European Commission in Luxembourg and from 2010 to 2016 Ms. Backes was the diplomatic adviser to Luxembourg Prime Ministers Jean-Claude Juncker and Xavier Bettel. Previously she worked at the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the European Union and at the Luxembourg Embassy in Japan as the Deputy Head of Mission. From 2008 to 2010 she was Deputy Head of the Directorate for International Economic Relations at the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ms. Backes received a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Afterwards she attended the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, where she completed a master's degree in Japanese Studies.