Jernej Drofenik was born in 1972 in Celje. After graduating from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Ljubljana in 1997, he joined the scientific team at the Institute of Chemistry in Ljubljana, where he received his PhD in 2002. After completing his studies, he joined the Phytosanitary Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, where he worked in the field of registration of plant protection products. In the first years he helped to set up a pesticide evaluation system. In 2009, he was appointed Head of the Plant Protection Products Division. In 2013, he was appointed Director of the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection. Currently, as Deputy Director-General of the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection, he is responsible for helping to coordinate the work of the Administration, managing key projects, assisting with organisational and financial matters, and implementing work-related policies.