Spengemann immigrated to Canada at age 14 with his family, and settled in the Credit Woodlands neighbourhood of Mississauga.^[7] He completed his secondary education at The Woodlands School.^[8]

Spengemann earned a B.Sc. in psychology from the Mississauga campus of the University of Toronto in 1990.^[9]

Spengemann obtained an LL.B from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University in 1998 and an LL.M focused on European Union Law from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, in 1999. He earned a second LLM (international law) and a doctorate of juridical science at Harvard Law School in the field of political and constitutional theory, under the direction of Anne-Marie Slaughter, in 2006.^[10] In the course of his studies, Spengemann earned a number of awards and distinctions, including a Canada-US Fulbright Scholarship (2001).^[11]

From 1991 to 1995, Spengemen worked with Toronto-Dominion Bank, supervising their Green Line Investor Services. During this time, he oversaw a team of client service employees and compliance management.^[12]

From 2003 to 2005, Spengemann served as a Senior Policy Analyst at the Government of Canada’s Privy Council Office, examining national security law and international regulatory issues in the Canada-U.S. bilateral relationship.^[12]

From 2005 to 2012, Spengemann served as a legal adviser and senior constitutional officer with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. During his service, he negotiated legal protocols with U.S. and Coalition military forces to ensure security, medical and operational support for the UN's activities in the country. Additionally, he led a team of international and Iraqi experts to assist the new Parliament of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government with constitutional and legislative reforms, including oil & gas management, human rights, institutional design and federalism.^[13]

His work in Iraq earned him an Osgoode Hall Gold Key alumni award and recognition as a democracy expert in the University of Toronto’s 'Boundless' Campaign. In 2011, he spent a four-month sabbatical leave as a visiting scholar at the university's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, with a joint appointment to the Balsillie School of International Affairs at the University of Waterloo.^{[citation needed]}

Following his U.N. service in 2012, he became a visiting professor and BMO Visiting Fellow at York University, teaching graduate courses at its Glendon School of Public and International Affairs.^[12] He resigned from this role in 2014 to enter electoral politics.^{[citation needed]}

In 2012, Spengemann became a member of the Liberal Party Riding Association of Mississauga–Lakeshore and took on the portfolio of Vice President for Communications and Outreach. In early 2014, Spengemann declared his intention to seek the federal Liberal nomination for the riding and won the nomination in September of that year.^[14] Spengemann is a supporter of Justin Trudeau.

In the 2015 federal election, Spengemann defeated Conservative incumbent Stella Ambler to win the new Mississauga—Lakeshore electoral district, and secured his seat in both the 2019 and 2021 elections.^[15]

Spengemann is fluent in English and French, as well as German.^{[citation needed]}

• Sven Spengemann – Parliament of Canada biography