H.E. Baiba Braže
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Baiba Braže currently serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.
From 2020 to 2023, Baiba Braže held the post of Assistant Secretary General of NATO for Public Diplomacy. Within her remit, she devised and oversaw strategic communications activities across all NATO civilian and military bodies and commands.
Baiba Braže joined the Foreign Service in 1993. Within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has worked in the Department of International Law, the Division of International Political Organisations, served as Head of the Humanitarian Affairs Division, Counsellor to the Task Force for Preparation of EU Accession Negotiations, Director of the First Political Department (European Affairs), Head of the Directorate of Security Policy and International Organisations, and Head of the Communications Directorate. From 1998 to 1999, Baiba Braže served as Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Vilis Krištopans.
From 2016 to 2020, Baiba Braže was posted as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and from 2003 to 2008, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while also representing Latvia in the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. From 1996 to 1998, Baiba Braže served as First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Latvia to the UN in New York. In 2015 and 2016, she was non-resident Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the Republic of Indonesia.
Baiba Braže holds a Master’s degree in Communication Science from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Latvia and graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Latvia. She has also studied political science at the Faculty of History and Philosophy of the University of Latvia, as well as Southeast Asian and Thai Buddhism studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.
Amb. Andrejs Pildegovičs
Ambassador at Large for Global and Multilateral Affairs – Special Envoy for Latvia’s UNSC Candidacy 2026-2027 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia
Andrejs Pildegovičs is Ambassador at Large for Global and Multilateral Affairs – Special Envoy for Latvia’s UNSC Candidacy 2026-2027 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.
Since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia in 1994, he has been posted as Permanent Representative of Latvia to the United Nations in New York (2018- 2023), Ambassador of Latvia to the United States of America (2007-2012) as well as serving as State Secretary, Under-Secretary of State – Political Director, Head of Asia and Africa Division, Press Secretary, Head of Asia and Africa Division, Senior Desk Officer for Central Asia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.
In the course of his career, Andrejs Pildegovičs also held several positions at the Chancery of the President of the Republic of Latvia: Head of the Chancery, and Foreign Affairs Advisor to the President Dr. Vaira Vike-Freiberga (2000-2007).
In 1994, A.Pildegovičs graduated in Chinese History and Language from St. Petersburg University.
Arkady Mil-Man
Senior Researcher and the Head of the Russia Program at the Institute for National Security Studies
Arkady Mil-Man is a senior researcher and the Head of the Russia Program at the Institute for National Security Studies. He was the Israeli Ambassador to Russia (2003-2006) and Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan (1997-2000). He began his career at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Senior researcher of the Soviet Union at the Center for Political Research. He later headed the department in the Center responsible for the research of Russia and the Far East. Mil-Man also served as Deputy Head of the Group of Israeli diplomats in Moscow (1989-1990) before the renewal of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. He founded the Israeli Embassy in Kazakhstan (1992) and became the first Israeli Chargee d'Affairs in that country. Later he worked as a Counsellor and Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in the Israeli Embassy to Russia and held different positions in the headquarters of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for post-Soviet countries. After his diplomatic career, Mil-Man worked, among other positions, in the Israeli high-tech sector, managing a venture capital fund with his partners that invested in Israeli start-ups. Mil-Man studied at Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University (political science, international relations, and history).
David O’Sullivan
EU Sanctions Envoy
David O’Sullivan was appointed as EU’s Sanctions Envoy in December 2022 and formally took up his role in the second half of January 2023.
Prior to his appointment as Sanctions Envoy, he was a Director General of the Institute for International and European Affairs, a leading Irish think tank. Prior to that, he joined the Brussels office of the law firm of Steptoe and Johnson LLP as a Senior Counsellor (2019-2022).
David O’Sullivan served as Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to the United States from November 2014 until February 2019.
Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, he was the Chief Operating Officer of the EU's new diplomatic service, the ‘European External Action Service’. He had previously held a number senior positions within the European Commission including Director General for Trade (2005- 2010); Secretary General of the European Commission (2000-2005); and Chief of Staff to Commission President Romano Prodi (1999-2000). Before joining the Commission, he started his career with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs (1977-1979).
He is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and the College of Europe (Bruges), and holds Honorary Doctorates from the Dublin Institute of Technology and Trinity College Dublin. He was awarded the EU Transatlantic Business Award by the American Chamber of Commerce in 2014. In 2019, he was awarded the Légion D’Honneur by France and made a Grand Officier de l’Orde de Léopold by Belgium. He is Chairman of the Governing Board of the European Policy Centre, and a Member of the Governing Board of the King Baudouin Foundation
Paulis Iljenkovs
Deputy Head, Financial Intelligence Unit of Latvia
Paulis has 7 years of experience in anti-financial crime and sanctions compliance, having worked as a lawyer at Deloitte and since 2019 – at the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Latvia.
In 2023, Paulis was appointed the Deputy Head of FIU in charge of core financial intelligence functions, including operational analysis,
strategic analysis and public-private partnerships for combatting money laundering.
In 2024, Paulis was assigned with setting-up the framework for FIU becoming the national competent authority for sanctions implementation.
Since April 2024, Paulis is the Deputy Head of FIU Latvia in charge of FIU’s functions related to international sanctions.
Paulis was a member of the Steering Group of the Europol Financial Intelligence Public Private Partnership (EFIPPP) until 2023.
He has a Master’s degree in law and he is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS).
H.E. Edgars Rinkēvičs
President of the Republic of Latvia
President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, is a Latvian public and political figure and the long-serving Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia (from 25 October 2011 until 7 July 2023). From October 2008 to July 2011, he worked as Head of the Chancery of the President of Latvia during the presidency of President Valdis Zatlers (2007–2011). Long-serving State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia (from August 1997 to October 2008), serving as Head of the Office for the Organisation of the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government (2005–2007) and Deputy Head of Delegation for the negotiations on Latvia's accession to NATO (2002–2005). From May 1997 to August 1997, he was Acting State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, and between September 1996 and May 1997 he was Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia.
Between March 1996 and September 1996, he worked as Director of the Policy Department of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, having joined the Ministry in 1995 as Senior Policy Officer.
Dr. Andris Sprūds
Minister of Defence of the Republic of Latvia
Dr. Ilze Znotiņa
Board of AST Holding
Board of AST Holding
Tobias Spöri
Senior Research Fellow at the Berlin-based think tank d|part and a Long-term Researcher in the Department of Political Science at the University of Vienna
Tobias Spöri is a Senior Research Fellow at the Berlin-based think tank d|part and a long-term researcher in the Department of Political Science at the University of Vienna. He holds a PhD from the University of Vienna and a postgraduate degree from the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna (IHS). His research focuses on the transformation of democracy in Europe, European integration, and EU enlargement.
Tinatin Khidasheli
Chairperson at Civic IDEA
Tinatin Khidasheli heads a Georgian think-thank Civic IDEA, fighting the Soviet legacy in Georgia, confronting Russian propaganda, and advocating for sound defense and security policy for Georgia. Tinatin is teaching at the Caucasus University bachelor’s and Master’s programs Hybrid Warfare and Georgian Defense Policy, as well as Challenges of 21st-century Leadership at the Georgian Institute of Public Administration for Masters Programs students.
Mrs. Khidasheli, at different times, served as the first female Minister of Defense of Georgia. She chaired the Parliamentary Committee for European Integration and the Inquiry Commission into Violations of Freedom of Speech and Telecommunication laws at the Parliament of Georgia. Before that, she was an elected member of the Tbilisi City Council and founder and chair of the largest Human Rights advocacy group in the entire post-soviet space, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association. Tinatin was a member of the National Anti-Corruption Council for four years under the president of Georgia.
Mrs. Khidasheli is a lawyer by education. She holds an LLM in International Law from Tbilisi State University and an MA in Political Science from Central European University in Hungary. She was awarded a Human Rights Lawyers’ scholarship, spent a year at the Washington College of Law, and was selected as a Yale World Fellow. Mrs. Khidasheli was presented the Freedom Fighter Award by President GW Bush and the CEU Impact Award for Outstanding Career Achievement. She is a fellow at the Prague Civil Society Center and CEVRO. She has published numerous articles and reports in scholarly journals and media outlets.
Sven Jürgenson
Board Member, International Centre for Trade Transparency and Monitoring
SVEN JÜRGENSON
Date and place of birth: April 2, 1962, Tartu, Estonia
Education:
1992 IIAP (Institut International d’Administration Publique, International Institute of Public Administration), Paris, diplomacy and consular affairs
1986-1987 IH (Ingenieurhochschule) Dresden, data processing
1980-1987 Tallinn Polytechnic Institute, data processing (master’s degree)
Employment history:
2023- Board member, International Centre for Trade Transparency and Monitoring
2022- Sabbatical as the spouse of the ambassador to Dublin
2015-2022 Ambassador, Permanent representative to the UN, Permanent Mission of Estonia to the United Nations in New York
2014-2015 Ambassador to France, Monaco and Tunisia, Embassy of Estonia in Paris
2010-2015 Ambassador to France and Monaco, Embassy of Estonia in Paris
2010 Ambassador to France, Permanent Representative to the OECD, Embassy of Estonia in Paris
2006-2010 Foreign Policy Adviser to the President of Estonia
2003-2006 Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2000-2003 Ambassador to the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, Embassy of Estonia in Washington, D.C.
1998.2000 Ambassador, Permanent representative to the UN, Permanent Mission of Estonia to the United Nations in New York
1996-1998 Non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey
1996.1998 Director General of the Political Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1995.1996 Director of the Division for Security Policy and International Organizations, Deputy Political Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1995 Minister Counsellor, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of Estonia in Vienna
1993.1995 Counsellor, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. to Austria, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia, Embassy of Estonia in Vienna
1993 Counsellor, Political Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1991.1993 Counsellor, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of Estonia in Helsinki
1991 Counsellor, Office for Estonian Culture in Helsinki
1990.1991 Senior data processing specialist, Estonian Institute
1987.1990 Junior researcher, Chair of Data Processing, Tallinn
Polytechnic Institute
Languages: Estonian, English, German, French, Finnish, Russian
Marital status: Married, three children
Minna Ålander
Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and a Non-resident Fellow with the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
Minna Ålander is a Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and a Non-resident Fellow with the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). Her research focuses on NATO, security in Northern Europe, Nordic defence cooperation, Arctic security, as well as German and Finnish security and defence policy. Previously, Ålander worked at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin. She holds a joint Master’s degree in International Relations from the Free University of Berlin, the Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of Potsdam.
Jovana Marović
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of European Affairs of the Government of Montenegro
Her entire professional and academic career is devoted to the European integration process of Montenegro and the Western Balkans.
Jovana Marović (PhD, Faculty of Political Science Belgrade) also worked as an advisor for the EU in the multilateral department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro (2004-2007), an advisor for international relations and European integration in the Cabinet of the Mayor of Budva Municipality (2007-2008), the research coordinator at the Institute Alternative (think tank, 2010-2016), a special advisor to the Minister of Labor and Social Welfare (2016), the executive director of the Politikon Network (think tank, 2016-2021), and the vice president of the Civic Movement URA (2021-2022). Jovana has been a member of BiEPAG since 2015.
Areas of expertise:
EU enlargement, Western Balkans, democracy, rule of law, anticorruption, regional cooperation, EU political system, citizenship and democratic deficit.
Iikka Korhonen
Director of the Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT)
Iikka Korhonen works as the director of Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT), which conducts research and analysis of major emerging market countries, especially Russia and China. He received his doctorate from the Helsinki School of Economics, now part of the Aalto University. He has been a visiting researcher at European University Institute, Oesterreichische Nationalbank, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Kyiv School of Economics, Hitotsubashi University and Yokohama National University. Research interests of Dr. Korhonen include monetary and exchange rate policies in emerging market countries as well as economic effects of raw material abundance and corruption. He has studied for decades both the Russian and Chinese economies. Since 2014 Dr. Korhonen has also written extensively on the effects of economic sanctions.
Linda Ozola
Deputy Mayor of Riga
Deputy Mayor of Riga Linda Ozola – a Latvian philologist, interpreter, and politician. Her political career started in 2017 as a representative of the Riga City Council and continued as a Member of the Latvian Parliament Saeima. After municipal elections in 2020, she left Saeima for the position of Deputy Mayor of Riga. Her responsibilities are international relations, security and public order, civil defence, corruption prevention and issues of good governance and transparency.
Linda is a mother of twins; she is a hard-working person guided by values of humanism and sharing. She aims at making Riga an open and socially responsible capital that offers high quality of life for its residents and city guests.
Dr. Marie Mendras
Political Scientist in the Field of Russian and Ukrainian Studies, and Europe-Russia Relations
Dr. Marie Mendras is a political scientist in the field of Russian and Ukrainian studies, and Europe-Russia relations. She is professor at Sciences Po University and researcher with the National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris. In 2019, she was a visiting professor at Hong Kong Baptist University. In 2016-17, she served as Kennan Institute Expert at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. She was Associate Fellow at Chatham House in 2011-2016 and professor at the London School of Economics in 2008-10. In previous years, she served as a part-time consultant at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Defense. Marie Mendras was educated at Essex University, Sciences Po and INALCO in Paris, Johns Hopkins University SAIS, and Harvard University.
Marie Mendras is the author, among many other publications, of Russian Politics. The Paradox of a Weak State (Hurst, London & Columbia University Press, New York, 2012); “The Rising Cost of Russia’s Authoritarian Foreign Policy” (2015); "Russian Elites Worry. The Unpredictability of Putinism" (2016); “Ukraine-Russie : trente ans de divorce”, Esprit, July-August 2019; https://libmod.de/en/france-late-autocritique-russia-first-ukraine-second-policy-mendras-2/, "Tyranny and War. How Putin Gambles His Rule on Ukraine", The Tocqueville Review/Revue Tocqueville (Vol. 44, N.2, 2024). Her latest book is La guerre permanente. L'ultime stratégie du Kremlin (Calmann-Lévy, Paris, 2024).
Max Seddon
Financial Times' Moscow Bureau Chief
Max Seddon is the Moscow bureau chief for the Financial Times. He leads the FT's coverage of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, as well as how the war is transforming power and money in Russia.
Méabh Mc Mahon
Senior Correspondent and Lead News Anchor for Euronews Based in Brussels Covering European and Global Affairs
Méabh Mc Mahon is a senior correspondent and lead news anchor for Euronews based in Brussels covering European and global affairs. She is the host of Euronews' popular weekly talk show, 'Brussels, my love?'. Méabh often sits down with world leaders, EU Commissioners and government ministers and travels across the continent for her reporting. An experienced conference moderator, Méabh has hosted a number of live TV shows and events over the past few years on array of topics from AI, to climate change to foreign affairs.
Toms Platacis
Head of Financial Intelligence Unit of Latvia
Toms Platacis has been serving as the Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit of Latvia (FIU Latvia) since September 28, 2023. He previously held the role of Acting Head from June 1, 2022, and has been a Deputy Head since January 2021.
With extensive experience in financial crime prevention, Toms led the Strategic Analysis and Cooperation Coordination Division at FIU Latvia, where he played a key role in implementing the Public-Private Partnership.
His expertise extends to international evaluations, having contributed as a peer reviewer for Moneyval/FATF. He also leads Latvia’s delegation to MONEYVAL and FATF.
In addition to his role at FIU Latvia, Toms serves as the Regional Representative of the Egmont Group Europe I Regional Group as of July 2023.
His prior experience includes working with law firms such as Deloitte Legal, where he specialized in financial crime prevention.
Toms has been recognized as the "Rising AFC Professional of the Year 2023" by ACAMS, and was listed in Forbes Baltics 30 under 30 list.
Tomass Pildegovičs
Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia on Security and Societal Resilience
Tomass Pildegovičs currently serves as an Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia on Security and Societal Resilience. From
2022-2024, he worked as a Senior Expert at the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. Prior to that, he served as a
Policy Advisor in the European Parliament, working on issues related to foreign interference in democratic processes, hybrid threats, and
EU-Russia relations.
Tomass is currently a PhD candidate in Politics and International Relations at the University of Cambridge, where he also completed his
MPhil in Politics and International Relations with Distinction. He also holds a BA in International Relations with First Class Honours from the Department of War Studies, King’s College London.
He has also been named a CEPA Transatlantic Denton Fellow (2024), a Warsaw Security Forum New Security Leader (2023), and GLOBSEC Young Leader in Security and Defence (2021).
Prof. Alan Riley
Visiting Professor at the College of Europe, Natolin. A Member of the Advisory Committee of the Energy Community, Vienna and a Senior Fellow. Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Professor Riley is a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe, Natolin. A member of the Advisory Committee of the Energy Community, Vienna and a Senior Fellow. Atlantic Council, Washington DC. He specializes in antitrust, trade and energy law and EU policy issues.
Professor Riley runs the EU Economic Security course at the College of Europe. He is also a member of the Advisory Committee of the Energy Community, which acts as its judicial panel which has its seat in Vienna. It applies EU energy law under the ECT Treaty to Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and the non-EU Balkan states. He was founding chair of the Competition Law Scholars Forum (clasf) and is co-editor of the Competition Law Review. He is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, Washington DC.
In addition, he has advised several EU states and energy companies, along with the European Union institutions, on EU energy law issues and related strategy questions. This has included advising on the legal and strategic options surrounding Nord Stream 2. It has also included providing assistance on energy security and legal strategy issues to the Prime Minister of an allied state funded by the EU. Professor Riley has also been advising states and enterprises on economic security issues, in relation to European foreign direct investment rules.
From 2007 to 2015, he held a chair in international commercial law at the City Law School, Grays Inn, part of City, University of London. Prior to that, he held a number of academic appointments in London, Nottingham and Edinburgh. He holds a PhD from the Europa Institute, Edinburgh University and qualified in 1991 as an English solicitor. He was written over 50 academic papers, and numerous articles and op eds for the New York Times, The Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal.
Kaspars Melnis
Minister for Climate and Energy, Latvia
Mr. Kaspars Melnis is the minister for Climate and Energy of the Republic of Latvia.
Mr. Kaspars Melnis is a politician with extensive experience in local politics - he was a member of the Rezekne Municipality Council and member of the 14th Saeima, representing the political party “Union of Greens and Farmers”. The Minister was a board member of the Latvian Farmers' Union and the Cooperation Council of Farmers' Organizations, as well as chairman of the board of the Association of Livestock Farms, etc.
Currently, as the Minister of Climate and Energy of the Republic of Latvia, he has clearly set a main goal - stabilisation for energy prices, as well as energy independence and security.
Ilya Kiriya
Professor of Grenoble Alps University in Francem, Member of Laboratory Gresec
Ilya Kiriya holds a Ph.D. in journalism from Moscow State University and Ph.D. in information and communication sciences from University Grenoble Stendhal (France). Since October 2024 he is a full professor of Grenoble Alps University in Francem, member of Laboratory Gresec. Before leaving Russia he served as professor and director of School of media at National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow for 16 years. His academic works are related with political economy of public sphere in Russia and its governance. He is author of many scholar publications in French, English, Russian, Spanish in international journals.
Prof. Julian Lindley-French
Chairman of The Alphen Group (TAG), Senior Fellow at the Institute for Statecraft in London, Director of Europa Analytica in the Netherlands, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London, and a Fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Julian Lindley-French Ph.D, MA (Oxon.), MA (Distinction), FRHistS
In September, Professor Dr Julian Lindley-French has just published his latest book, The Retreat from Strategy (London: Hurst) with General Lord Richards. He is Chairman of The Alphen Group (TAG), Senior Fellow at the Institute for Statecraft in London, Director of Europa Analytica in the Netherlands, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London, and a Fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. He was also Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the National Defense University in Washington. He was educated at the University of Oxford, UEA and the European University Institute in Florence
He has thirteen books to his name, including the award-winning Oxford Handbook of War and NATO: The Enduring Alliance, many major reports and articles and has held three professorial chairs, including Eisenhower Professor of Defence Strategy. He was also Strategic Advisor to two Chiefs of the British Defence Staff. Since leaving Oxford in 1981 he has served all over the world and held senior policy, operational and project positions for the UK, NATO, EU, and UN and was Director at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and UN.
In 2022, he published Future War and the Defence of Europe (Oxford: Oxford University Press & Stuttgart: Kosmos) with US General (Ret.) John R. Allen and US Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges. In 2022 he also drafted the Shadow NATO Strategic Concept for NATO Secretary-General, and in March 2023 presented A Comprehensive Strategy for a Secure Ukraine to NATO and partner defence ministers. In May 2023, he published North Atlantic Treaty Organization – Third Edition (New York: Routledge).
He has advised on several NATO strategic concepts and British national security and defence strategies. He is also Director of the high-level trilogy of Future War conferences at Wilton Park. In April 2024 he published the TAG Transatlantic Compact and has just completed a new strategy Dealing with Russia. In 2026, he will publish Future War in the Indo-Pacific (London: Hurst) with Generals Allen (USMC), Hodges (US Army) and Ryan (Australian Army).
Kristīne Bērziņa
Managing Director of GMF Geostrategy North
Kristīne Bērziņa is the Washington, DC-based managing director of GMF Geostrategy North. She is responsible for leading programming on US, Nordic, Baltic, and Arctic security and defense issues, and provides analysis on NATO and US and European foreign policy.
Bērziņa also leads GMF's Across America initiative, which takes European officials into the US heartland to build regional connections on security issues. She is a frequent commentator in international media, including The New York Times, the BBC, CNN, NPR, France 24, Deutsche Welle, and The New Yorker. She is a co-host of Drošinātājs (The Fuse), a Ukraine-focused podcast and Latvian radio program.
Bērziņa previously worked on countering autocratic influence as head of GMF's Alliance for Securing Democracy's geopolitics team and, while based in Brussels and Berlin for the organization, on transatlantic security and energy issues. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science and history from Yale University and a master's degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge.
Joshua B. Stinson
A Former Member US Army Special Forces Operator and a CIA-trained Intelligence Officer in the Defense Intelligence Agency
Edge Autonomy, where he brings a unique background to lead the company’s growth activities. Mr. Stinson’s experience and knowledge spans across Intelligence Operations, Business, and National Security policy. A former member US Army Special Forces Operator and a CIA-trained Intelligence Officer in the Defense Intelligence Agency, Mr. Stinson has nearly 25 years of national security experience.
Prior to his current role, Mr. Stinson was a Vice President of Business Development at QinetiQ, Inc. and also served as the Director of the National Intelligence Center at Huntington Ingalls Industries, managing all intelligence programs in support of the US Department of Defense and Intelligence Community (IC). Mr. Stinson previously served as the chief intelligence representative for all U.S. Special Operations Forces operations throughout Northwest Africa and helped shape clandestine intelligence collection priorities for US Special Operation Command – Europe (SOCEUR).
Mr. Stinson holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University with a concentration in International Security and U.S. Foreign Policy. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pepperdine University.
Heather A. Conley
President of the German Marshall Fund
Heather A. Conley is the sixth president of the German Marshall Fund. Ms. Conley arrives at GMF after 12 years at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where she most recently served as senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic and as director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program. At CSIS, Ms. Conley developed the acclaimed Kremlin Playbook series, a dedicated research effort that examined the doctrine and methodology of Russian malign economic behavior and its methodology across Europe. She also is a recognized expert on the Arctic region, focusing on the Russian Arctic, climate transformation and U.S. policy toward the region.
Ms. Conley previously served four years as executive director of the Office of the Chairman of the Board at the American National Red Cross, where she supported the first comprehensive reform of the governance structure of the American Red Cross Board since 1947, incorporating modern best-governance practices. She worked closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the International Movement’s policies and programs in the Middle East and elsewhere.
From 2001 to 2005, Ms. Conley was deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs with responsibilities for U.S. bilateral relations with the countries of Northern and Central Europe. She co-led the U.S. interagency effort to enlarge NATO and secure Senate ratification of an Amended NATO Treaty, and she created a senior level U.S. dialogue with the eight Nordic and Baltic states, the Enhanced Partnership in Europe (e-PINE).
Earlier in her career, she worked at an international consulting firm led by former U.S. deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage.
Ms. Conley began her career in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. She was selected to serve as special assistant to the coordinator of U.S. assistance to the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union, and she has received two State Department Meritorious Honor Awards.
Conley frequently appears as a foreign policy analyst and Europe expert on CNN, MSNBC, BBC, NPR, and PBS, among other prominent media outlets. She received her B.A. in international studies from West Virginia Wesleyan College and her M.A. in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Dr. Thomas Withington
Analyst and Writer Specialising in Electronic Warfare, Radar and Military Communications and a Research Associate at the Royal United Services Institute
Dr. Thomas Withington is an award-winning analyst and writer specialising in electronic warfare, radar and military communications and a Research Associate at the Royal United Services Institute. He has written widely on these subjects for a range of specialist and general publications. He also works as a consultant and adviser in these areas for several leading government and private sector clients. Furthermore, Dr. Withington provides regular commentary on security and defence aspects of electromagnetic spectrum use for major media organisations around the world.
Mats Warstedt
Senior Vice President, Nordics, PATRIA GROUP
Born in 1962, Mr. Mats Warstedt holds a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm and a degree in Business Administration from the Stockholm School of Economics (Handelshögskolan).
Since 2019, Mr. Mats Warstedt has held various positions within the Finnish Patria Group, currently assuming the position as Head of Market Area Nordics & Baltics. From 2012 to 2018, Warstedt headed RUAG Space AB (now Beyond Gravity Sweden AB), a world-leading manufacturer of computer, microwave and structural equipment for the space industry.
Earlier assignments include various management positions within the Saab Group such as Gripen campaign director, managing director for Saab Barracuda and Saab Group marketing director.
Warstedt is currently a Board member of Unibap AB, listed on Nasdaq First North in Stockholm. Former board assignments include Arianespace S.A., Invisio Communications AB (OMX Mid Cap) and RUAG Space AB.
With experience as helicopter pilot in the Swedish Army, Warstedt is a keen sports pilot with international merits in precision flying. Other hobbies include cycling and marathon running. Mats Warstedt is married to Kristina and they have three children age 31 to 35 years.
Liene Briede
RTU Vice Rector for Innovations I EIC Ambassador
Liene Briede has worked in innovation ecosystem improvement for 20 years, managing several business support programs and promoting cooperation with the European Institute of Technology (EIT) and its knowledge and innovation communities. She was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the RTU Science and Innovation Centre in 2022, leading to a vast portfolio of innovation support projects and infrastructure for innovation capacity building. From 2021 to 2023, she served as a member of the European Innovation Council and the Latvian Startup Association board. In 2023, she was invited to join the RTU management team as Vice-Rector for Innovation and became a Member of the State Competitiveness Council, organised by the Chancery of the President of Latvia.
Siemtje Möller
Parliamentary State Secretary to the Minister of Defense
Siemtje Möller serves as Parliamentary State Secretary to the Minister of Defense. Appointed in December 2021, she represents Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius in the areas of security policy, cyber/ information technology, forces policy, strategy and operations, and personnel. Concurrently, she serves as member of the German Parliament for the 26th constituency (Friesland-Wilhelmshaven-Wittmund) since September 2017. She was the first woman to serve as parliamentary spokesperson on defense for the Social Democratic Party. A party member since 2010, she was also spokeswoman of the influential Seeheimer Circle.
Born July 20, 1983 in Emden, Siemtje Möller studied French, Spanish, and politics at the Georg-August-Universität in Göttingen before becoming a high school teacher in Berlin and Wilhelmshaven. She also gained work experience at the United Nations in New York, BBJ Consulting in Brussels, and the World Bank in Washington, D.C.
Elina Egle
Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Board of Federation of Security and Defence Industries of Latvia (FSDI Latvia) and Member of the Board of the Competence Centre ‘’DefInno’’
Elina Egle has remarkable experience in leadership of national and sectoral business organisations. Since 2013 Elīna Egle is Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Board of Federation of Security and Defence Industries of Latvia (FSDI Latvia) and Member of the Board of the competence centre ‘’DefInno’’.
Before that she was Adviser to State President on Economics, Entrepreneurship and Employment in Chancery of the State President of Latvia and General Director of Employers Confederation of Latvia. Corporate experience is gained working with corporate affairs and public relations at Aldaris (part of Carlsberg Group).
Currently, E. Egle's responsibilities include coordinating the representation of the Latvian delegation of the NATO Industry Advisory Group and cooperation with the European Commission's Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space, the European Defence Agency and partner organisations abroad. International experience was gained working in International Labour Organisation of United Nations where she was consulting employers’ organizations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. E. Egle has been Member of Executive Committees of International Organization of Employers, Business and Industry Advisory Committee to OECD and BusinessEurope for many years.
Her educational background was built within PhD studies and the M.A. degree in Social Sciences of Political Science on European Public Administration and European Studies at the University of Latvia.
She is a member of Society of Political Scientists of Latvia, co-founder and Member of the Board of Women for Security, co-founder of CSR Latvia and Chairperson of the Council of Business Union of Latvia. As godmother of the National Armed Forces Navy ship "M-08", she promotes the contribution of sailors to the defense and security.
Dmitri Teperik
Senior Policy Expert on Societal Resilience, FIMI, Disinformation, Crisis Communication and Civil Security
Dmitri Teperik
Director
National Centre of Defence & Security Awareness (NCDSA), Estonia
Dmitri Teperik has over a decade of top-level experience contributing as a director or a leading subject-matter expert to a range of international research projects, interdisciplinary studies, development cooperation programmes, professional trainings, and outreach activities on comprehensive resilience and complex measures against foreign hostile influence and disinformation. He has conducted research into a number of key areas, including the socio-psychological factors that shape societal resilience and cohesion, cognitive security, cross-sectoral crisis management, media consumption, situational awareness in an information environment, and the interdependencies between strategic communication and civic behaviour patterns. His principal areas of interest are Ukraine, the Baltic states and post-communist countries in Eastern Europe.
From 2016 to 2023, Dmitri Teperik led the development cooperation programme Resilient Ukraine, which concentrated on evaluating and fortifying national resilience in vulnerable communities in Ukraine. In 2016, Dmitri Teperik was a co-founder of the international training and cooperation platform Resilience League, which focused on equipping young professionals and experts with practical skills and tools for developing cognitive resilience against hostile disinformation, societal polarisation and harmful radicalisation.
Dmtiri Teperik holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Tartu, Estonia, and has participated in a number of professional advanced training programmes in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as in NATO and EU programmes.
Dmitri Teperik has authored over 70 publications, including policy reports, articles, analytical studies, and others, on a range of topics related to societal resilience, disinformation, media and information literacy, strategic communication, and civil security.
Ariela Blätter
President and CEO of WIIS
Ariela Blätter is the President and CEO of WIIS. She has more than 20 years of experience in the peace and security field as an international lawyer, grantmaker, social entrepreneur and nonprofit leader.
Most recently, Ariela served as a senior grantmaker on mass atrocity prevention and response for the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund. Here, she spearheaded new philanthropic investments in civilian protection, women peace & security, and launched a local action fund with conflict-affected community partners in Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar.
Ariela co-founded the consulting firm Strategy for Humanity, stewarding its growth to an 8-person staff serving over 30 public and private sector clients. Ariela’s work included creating the inaugural research agenda for the Georgetown’s Institute for Women Peace & Security and strategically re-launching the George Washington University’s Global Women’s Institute.
Ariela has held senior management roles at Amnesty International USA, Citizens for Global Solutions and Refugees International. She has twice served as an NGO Permanent Representative to the United Nations, working on the negotiations on the Arms Trade Treaty and the International Criminal Court’s Rome Treaty.
While at Amnesty, Ariela founded its award-winning global center for preventing and responding to human rights violations in armed conflict. Brokering a groundbreaking public-private partnership, she secured Amnesty’s place as the first human rights organization to use commercial satellite technologies for preventative conflict and displacement monitoring. In recognition of this work, she was appointed by former Secretaries Madeleine Albright and William S. Cohen to serve on the U.S. Genocide Prevention Task Force, resulting in the establishment of the U.S. Government’s Atrocities Prevention Board.
Ariela has served as adjunct faculty at the School of International Service at American University in Washington DC and has published peer-reviewed scholarly articles.
She holds a law degree from Trinity College (Dublin) and a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
H.E. Gabrielius Landsbergis
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Lithuania
H.E. Gabrielius Landsbergis
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Lithuania
Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is a prominent Lithuanian statesman who currently serves as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 18th Government of the Republic of Lithuania, under the leadership of Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.
Minister Landsbergis has been the Chairman of the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats since 2015. Additionally, he worked as a Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2016 and has been a dedicated Member of the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania since 2016.
Minister Landsbergis has also served as a diplomat at the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the Kingdom of Belgium and to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, as well as at the Office of the Government.
Jonatan Vseviov
Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia
Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia
Jonatan Vseviov took office as Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2021. Before his current job, Vseviov was the Estonian ambassador to the United States since August 2018.
From 2008 to 2018, Vseviov worked at the Estonian Ministry of Defence, where he rose to the position of secretary general.
Prior to his appointment as Secretary General in January 2016, Vseviov served as the Undersecretary for Defence Planning, Acting Undersecretary for Defence Policy, and Director of the Policy Planning Department.
While working at the Ministry of Defence, Vseviov played a leading role in shaping Estonia's defense policy domestically and internationally. He is the author of the Concept for Comprehensive Approach to Defence (2009) and the National Defence Strategy of 2010 – documents that led to significant conceptual change in organizing defense in Estonia.
In 2012, he was one of the main drafters of the national defense development plan (2013–2022). He has been involved in the development of the current deterrence and defense posture of NATO, including the execution of the Enhanced Forward Presence of NATO in the Baltic States and Poland.
Jonatan Vseviov has completed conscript service and is a reserve officer. He is a graduate of the Department of Political Science at the University of Tartu and has earned a master’s degree with honors in security studies from Georgetown University.
He has been awarded the Third Class Order of Merit of the White Star, the First and Third Class Cross of Merit of the Ministry of Defence, the First Class decoration of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, and the Cross of Merit of the Estonian Defence Forces (twice).
Shashank Joshi
The Economist's Defence Editor
Shashank Joshi, The Economist's Defence Editor
Shashank Joshi is The Economist‘s defence editor. Prior to joining The Economist in 2018, he served as Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and Research Associate at Oxford University’s Changing Character of War Programme. He has published books on Iran’s nuclear programme and India’s armed forces, written for a wide range of newspapers and journals, and appeared regularly on radio and television. He holds degrees from Cambridge and Harvard, where he served as a Kennedy Scholar from Britain to the United States.
Zoran Nechev
Head of Centre for EU Integration, Institute for Democracy IDSCS
Zoran Nechev heads the Center for EU integration of the Institute for Democracy, a think tank organisation from North Macedonia. He is a Europe’s Futures Fellow 2021/22 at the Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen (IWM) in Vienna. Mr. Nechev has been working as an associate fellow at DGAP since July 2021. He specialises in EU-Western Balkans relations, external dimensions of justice and home affairs, corrosive capital and malign influences. Previously, he has been an academic guest at the Center for International and Comparative Studies, ETH Zürich examining the effects of EU’s conditionality policy on rule of law in the Western Balkans. As a former Senior Associate Fellow at the EU Institute for Security Studies, he was involved in activities related to the ‘Global Strategy’, resilience and Balkan Futures. Mr. Nechev is currently a PhD candidate at Institute for European Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Prof. Gulnaz Sharafutdinova
Professor of Russian Politics and Director of King's Russia Institute at the Kings College London
Professor Gulnaz Sharafutdinova,
Professor of Russian Politics and Director of King's Russia Institute at the Kings College London
Professor Gulnaz Sharafutdinova is a political scientist and an expert on Russian politics with the research agenda focused on political economy, social psychology and public opinion, authoritarian governance and legitimation, and centre-regional relations.
Gulnaz has recently published an award-winning The Red Mirror: Putin's Leadership and Russia's Insecure Identity (Oxford University Press, 2020) that explores issues of authoritarian legitimation in Russia after the 2014 Crimea annexation. Her most recent book is The Afterlife of the Soviet Man: Rethinking Homo Sovieticus (Bloomsbury Press 2023) that presents the intellectual biography of selected writers and thinkers who have contributed to knowledge-building on the effects of communism on people living under communism.
Gulnaz has joined King's Russia Institute in 2013. She holds a PhD from the George Washington University, and speaks Russian, Tatar, and English.
Gulnaz is currently doing research on issues of political and social psychology of authoritarianism, including Russian exceptionalism, collective ressentiment, and Russian public reactions to the war in Ukraine. Exploring the effects of digitalization in authoritarian governance is another element of her research program.
Brian Whitmore
Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, Assistant Professor of Practice, University of Texas-Arlington
Brian Whitmore
Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, Assistant Professor of Practice, University of Texas-Arlington
Brian Whitmore is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and assistant professor of practice at the University of Texas-Arlington.
He is also the founder and author of the Power Vertical Blog and host of the Power Vertical Podcast, both of which focus on Russian affairs. Whitmore was previously a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) from 2018 to 2020 and senior Russia analyst for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) from 2007 to 2017. Prior to joining RFE/RL, Whitmore worked as a foreign correspondent for the Boston Globe in Moscow and Prague.
He also worked as a graduate lecturer with the Department of Government and International Studies at the University of South Carolina as a visiting lecturer with the History Faculty at Mechnikov National University in Odesa, Ukraine, and the International Relations Faculty at St. Petersburg State University in Russia.
His work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Atlantic, the New Republic, Foreign Policy, World Politics Review, Newsweek, and elsewhere. He has appeared as a guest commentator on CNN, the BBC World Service, NPR, Bloomberg, and various other media.
A native of New Haven, Connecticut, Whitmore earned an MA in political science from Villanova University in 1987 and BA in politics from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia in 1986.
Dr. Gunda Reire
Head of the Chancery of the President of Latvia and Director of the Center for International Studies
Currently, Head of the Chancery of the President of Latvia and Director of the Center for International Studies. She has served as Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. She also holds the position of Docent at the Riga Stradiņš University and Lecturer at the Riga Graduate School of Law. Combining both academic and practical spheres of politics, she has served as Chief of Staff at the Office of the Speaker of Parliament and Deputy Chairperson of the Strategic Analysis Commission under the auspices of the President of Latvia, and as Advisor to several ministers. She holds a doctoral degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Latvia. Ms. Reire has also studied Political Science at the Humboldt University of Berlin (Germany) and Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (Germany), and she has held a Residing Fulbright Research Fellow position at the John Hopkins University’s SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations. Her core research interests include international peace and security, multilateral cooperation, strategic communication and Russia studies.
Jasper de Jonge
Specialist in Strategic Project Development at the City of Tampere
Jasper de Jonge is a Specialist in the Strategic Project Development team in the Growth,
Innovation and Competitiveness service area at the City of Tampere, Finland. He supports
several smart city initiatives working for the security, resilience, and well-being of the city’s
residents, including Data-Driven City for Citizens, UN Making Cities Resilient 2023, and the
WeGenerate “Human-Centric Walkable City” project to co-create people-centric sustainable
neighbourhoods.
He is a keen researcher of socio-ecological and urban resilience and is dedicated to
supporting the enactment of a combined socially just, green, and digital transition in the EU.
He holds a Master of Social Sciences qualification in the fields of Political Sciences and
Leadership for Change from Tampere University. Throughout his career, he has lived and
worked globally across the diverse environments of Australia, China, and the EU.
Tampere received the World Smart City Award in the Enabling Technologies category at the
Barcelona Smart City Expo World Congress in 2023 and was awarded the “Human-Centered
Smart City” category at the 2024 Seoul Smart City Gala.
Elina Ribakova
Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics
Elina Ribakova has been a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics since April 2023. She is also a nonresident fellow at Bruegel and a director of the International Affairs Program and vice president for foreign policy at the Kyiv School of Economics. Her research focuses on global markets, economic statecraft, and economic sovereignty. She has been a senior adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security (2020–23) and a research fellow at the London School of Economics (2015–17).
Ribakova has over 25 years of experience with financial markets and research. She has held several senior level roles, including deputy chief economist at the Institute of International Finance in Washington, managing director and head of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Research at Deutsche Bank in London, leadership positions at Amundi (Pioneer) Asset Management, and director and chief economist for Russia and the Commonwealth for Independent States (CIS) at Citigroup.
Prior to that, Ribakova was an economist at the International Monetary Fund in Washington (1999–2008) working on financial stability, macroeconomic policy design for commodity-exporting countries, and fiscal policy.
Ribakova is a seasoned public speaker. She has participated in and led multiple panels with leading academics, policymakers, and C-level executives. She frequently collaborates with CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, and NPR. She is often quoted by and contributes op-eds to several global media, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, Le Monde, El Pais, and several other media outlets.
Ribakova holds a master of science degree in economics from the University of Warwick (1999), where she was awarded the Shiv Nath prize for outstanding academic performance, and a master of science degree in data science from the University of Virginia (May 2023).
Viktors Makarovs
Special Envoy on Digital Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
Viktors Makarovs is Special Envoy on Digital Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia. Since 2014, he has led the Ministry’s work on disinformation, focusing on EU policies and international cooperation on the issue. Before joining the Ministry in 2011, Viktors acquired a background in the Latvian NGO think-tanking community where his two main interests were Latvian political culture and Russia’s foreign and domestic policy. He holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Dr. Karin von Hippel
Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute
Dr Karin von Hippel, Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute
Dr Karin von Hippel became Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on 30 November 2015.
Karin von Hippel joined RUSI after serving for nearly six years in the US Department of State as a Senior Adviser in the Bureau of Counterterrorism, then as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, and finally, as Chief of Staff to General John Allen, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter-ISIL.
Prior to that, she co-directed the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC and was a senior research fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies, King’s College London. She has also worked for the United Nations and the European Union in Somalia and Kosovo, and has direct experience in over two dozen conflict zones.
Dr von Hippel has numerous publications to her name, including Democracy by Force: US Military Intervention in the Post-Cold War World (2000), which was short-listed for the RUSI Westminster Medal in Military History. She holds a PhD from the London School of Economics, an MSt from Oxford University, and a BA from Yale University.
World Economic Forum Special Meeting 2024 | Rising Powers for a Multipolar World
Dr Karin von Hippel joins a panel session examining how can innovation, resources and capacities be shared to generate a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable global future through South-South and triangular cooperation.
Dr. Solvita Denisa-Liepniece
Communication Scholar with an Expertise in Strategic Communication and Cognitive Resilience
Dr Solvita Denisa-Liepniece is a communication scholar with an expertise in strategic communication and cognitive resilience. She is an Assistant Professor at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, and a Senior Program Manager at IREX. Recently, she was a Visiting Research Scholar at Sandia National Laboratories (Center for Global Security and Cooperation), working on a research security topic. From 2022 to 2024, Denisa-Liepniece was working at the United Nations, at the Department of the Global Communications. From 2022 to 2023, she was an elected member of the Committee of Experts on Increasing Resilience of Media (MSI-RES), the Council of Europe. In 2021-2022, Dr Denisa-Liepniece was a Visiting Scholar at the Jordan Centre for Advanced Study of Russia, New York University. Previously, she was an Associate Research Scholar at Yale University (Juris Pageds Visiting Fellow, 2020). From 2016 to 2022, Dr Denisa-Liepniece was a media literacy and disinformation resilience advisor at the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME).
Kalev Kallemets
Co-founder and CEO of Fermi Energia
Kalev Kallemets, Ph.D., is co-founder and CEO of Fermi Energia, company established early 2019 by Estonian nuclear energy professionals and business people to develop Small Modular Reactor deployment in Estonia. Mr. Kallemets earned his Ph.D. from Tallinn University of Technology studying energy economics.
Mr. Kallemets has extensive private & public sector experience from an Estonian private energy company, Ministry of Economic Affairs, deputy director of Geological Survey of Estonia and as Member of Parliament of Estonia.
Dr. Daniel M. Gerstein
Senior Policy Researcher. Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Dr. Daniel M. Gerstein joined the RAND Corporation in December 2014. Previously, he served in the Department of Homeland Security from 2011- 2014 as Under Secretary (Acting) and Deputy Under Secretary in the Science and Technology Directorate, where he was responsible for the organization's $1.2 billion annual budget. Dr. Gerstein has extensive experience in the security and defense sectors in a variety of positions while serving as a Senior Executive Service (SES) government civilian, in uniform, in think tanks, in industry and in academia. He began his professional career in the U.S. Army, serving on four continents while participating in combat, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, counterterrorism, and homeland security. Dr. Gerstein also has extensive experience in international negotiations having served on the Holbrooke Delegation that negotiated the peace settlement in Bosnia; developed and analyzed negotiating positions for the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) talks; and negotiated the destruction of SS-24 intercontinental ballistic rocket motors in Ukraine. He has published numerous books, articles, commentaries, and research on a variety of national security issues. Dr. Gerstein has been awarded numerous foreign, military, and civilian awards, including the Department of State's Distinguished Service Award and the U.S. Army Soldiers Medal for heroism.
Teppo Rantanen
Director for Competitiveness and Innovation at the City of Tampere
Teppo Rantanen, Director for competitiveness and innovation at the City of Tampere, is responsible for several city-wide development programs, with a particular focus on smart city themes [such as the Data-Driven City for Citizens initiative], that shape the strategic economic policy of the city. He leads Tampere through collaboration in extensive international networks toward a metaverse city with a human-centric perspective. From 2002 to 2014 Teppo served as Deloitte Finland’s Chief Executive Officer and from 2014 to 2016 in London as a member of Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Leadership Team. He is currently sitting on the board of Business Finland which is helping Finnish companies to grow and succeed globally.
Teppo and his team from the City of Tampere were receiving the World Smart City Award in the Enabling Technologies category at Smart City Expo World Congress taking place in Barcelona in 2023.
Dalia Bankauskaitė
Partnership Associate Professor at Vilnius University, Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
Dalia Bankauskaitė is an interdisciplinary expert in security policy, strategic communication, societal resilience, and political consulting. She currently serves as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), working on the think-tank’s Democratic Resilience Program. She teaches strategic communications as a Partnership Associate Professor at Vilnius University and provides expertise to the Swedish Defence University. With decades of experience across government, academia, and consulting, she focuses on advancing the understanding of the comprehensive defense doctrine and a whole-of-society approach to security. Her work includes analysis of hybrid aggression and influence operations, cognitive dominance as well as building comprehensive media literacy, societal resilience, and capacity-building programs. She has extensive professional experience in strategic communication in Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Baltic Sea region. Currently, she is a member of the expert group of the Partnership for Peace Consortium (PfPC) under the NATO DEEP program, for drafting the Reference Resilience Curriculum (RRC) for NATO allies and partners. She serves as the team leader for the RRC's Societal Resilience Theme. This curriculum, the first of its kind, supports military education and offers valuable benefits to civilian universities. Additionally, she is an expert in the EU-financed project in strategic communication support for the Government of Armenia, enhancing the efficacy of the state's communication structures.
Scott W. Bray
Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security (ASG I&S)
Scott W. Bray is NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security. Mr. Bray ensures that the NATO intelligence organizations operate as an enterprise to meet the challenging demands of the Alliance. He also is the senior advisor to the Secretary General for intelligence and security matters.
Prior to his current role, Mr. Bray spent his career in the US Intelligence Community and has extensive experience in intelligence analysis and collection, leadership of the Intelligence Community’s East Asia efforts, interagency integration at the IC’s highest levels, and Directorship of Naval Intelligence.
Mr. Bray was the Acting Director of Naval Intelligence during August to November 2023 and the Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence during January 2020 to November 2023, where he led the Naval Intelligence Enterprise, delivered comprehensive intelligence assessments to Navy leadership, oversaw intelligence activities and policies within the Navy, and represented the Navy
in the Intelligence Community. Concurrently, Mr. Bray served as the Director of the Naval Intelligence Activity, an echelon two command for oversight and management of the Naval Intelligence Enterprise.
Mr. Bray served at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence from 2010 to 2020. During 2012 to 2020, Mr. Bray was the National Intelligence Manager for East Asia, the senior US intelligence official for East Asia matters. He oversaw and integrated all aspects of the IC’s collection, analytic, counterintelligence, foreign partnerships, and resourcing efforts for East Asia and served as the IC’s senior representative to the White House and the interagency process for East Asia issues.
During 2010 to 2012, he was the Principal Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Military Issues, where he oversaw the production of National Intelligence Estimates and other assessments on worldwide military issues.
Mr. Bray served as a Special Assistant to the US Defense Attaché in Beijing in 2007-2008. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2007. He held a number of analytic positions within the Office of Naval Intelligence, specializing in submarine operations and readiness, integrated naval warfare, and naval production.
Mr. Bray earned a BS of International Affairs from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1996 and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University in 1998. Georgia Institute of Technology named Mr. Bray a Distinguished Alumnus of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs in 2015. He is a Presidential Rank Award, Director of National Intelligence Distinguished Service Award, Under Secretary of Defense Medallion for Distinguished Service, National Intelligence Superior Service Medal, and Navy Superior Civilian Service Award (two awards) recipient.
Tobias Kaiser
Representative of the Diehl Stiftung GmbH & Co KG for Political Affairs
Born in 1976, former officer of the german army, after several positions in business, he has been with the Diehl Group since 2018, initially for
Diehl Defence in Berlin, since October 2022 as representative of the Diehl Stiftung GmbH & Co KG for political affairs in Brussels with a
focus on defense and aviation.
James O’Brien
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
James O’Brien assumed his role as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs on October 5, 2023. Ambassador O’Brien
served as Sanctions Coordinator at the State Department beginning in April 2022. He is a former career employee of the State Department and recipient of numerous performance awards and served two previous U.S. administrations as a special Presidential envoy.
As the first presidential envoy for Hostage Affairs between 2015 and 2017, he helped establish the office and worked for the safe return of one hundred American citizens. From 1989 to 2001, he served as Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Principal Deputy Director of Policy Planning, and presidential envoy for the Balkans.
Over the course of his career at the State Department, he has led a large and successful sanctions program and advised on a range of issues, including peace negotiations in Europe, scientific and environmental agreements, and initiatives to investigate and prosecute persons responsible for war crimes. O’Brien has also negotiated agreements protecting intellectual property rights for scientific cooperation with China, promoted environmentally sound international trade regulations for hazardous and recyclable materials, and worked to make public-private partnerships and corporate social responsibility an important element in American foreign policy.
O’Brien was previously a founder and Vice Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, an international advisory firm. He earned a J.D.
from Yale Law School, an M.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, and a B.A. from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. A native of
Nebraska, he is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
https://www.state.gov/biographies/james-obrien/
Charlotte Flindt Pedersen
Executive Director of the Danish Foreign Policy Society
Charlotte Flindt Pedersen is the Executive Director of the Danish Foreign Policy Society.
She is an associate partner at Nordic Consulting Group and board member at the Ebbe Munck Memorial Foundation, the Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy, and Chair of the Folmer and Helle Wisti Foundation for International Understanding. Charlotte Flindt Pedersen
holds a M.A. degree in East-European studies from the University of Copenhagen.
Kristīne Līce
Legislation and International Law Adviser to the President of Latvia
Kristīne Līce has represented Latvia at the European Court of Human Rights since May 2012, and since June 2019 she has also been the Director of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and since June 2022 – the Head of the Legal Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2021, Kristīne Līce was elected Chair of the Council of Europe's Human Rights Coordination Committee for two years.
Kristīne Līce joined the Foreign Service in 1994 as a Specialist in the International Law Division. She later became Head of the International Law Division and then worked at the Permanent Missions of Latvia to the UN in Geneva and New York.
Kristīne Līce holds a law degree from the University of Latvia, and has furthered her studies at Oxford University's Diplomacy Studies Programme.
Kimberly Dozier
CNN Global Affairs Analyst, Covering Foreign Policy, Intelligence, and National Security
Kimberly Dozier is a CNN Global Affairs Analyst, covering foreign policy, intelligence, and national security.
Past posts include AP Intelligence Writer, and 17 years as an award-winning CBS News TV correspondent. She’s covered conflict in
Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Israel and Palestinian areas, Kosovo, and Northern Ireland, producing a body of work that's garnered a
Peabody and several Edward R. Murrow awards. Her book _Breathing the Fire, Fighting to Survive and Get Back to the Fight_ details recovering from a 2006 Baghdad car bomb attack that killed her CBS News camera team and the Army captain they were filming.
Katia Margolis
Artist, Author, Public Intellectual, Political Activist and Teacher
Katia Margolis was born in Moscow in 1973. She is an artist, author, public intellectual, political activist and teacher. She has lived and
worked in Venice since 2004. Her visual artwork is regularly exhibited in Venice as well as elsewhere Europe. She is an author of books,
numerous articles and essays on the arts and literature, as well as translations of Italian, Russian, French, English and Polish prose and
poetry. Katia is also a an artist turned political activist and a popular blogger, vigorously opposing the Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
and takes an active part in programs helping Ukraine and strongly advocates revisiting and decolonisation of Russian culture,
participating in conferences, meetings and forums, teaching courses, publishing articles and releasing interviews. She is a regular
contributor to Radio Liberty/Free Europe.
Dr. Rihards Bambals
Director of Strategic Communication at the State Chancellery of Latvia
Dr. Rihards Bambals is the Director of Strategic Communication at the State Chancellery of Latvia (Government Office). He is responsible for coordinating Latvia's communication with target audiences based on a whole-of-government approach, and he coordinates efforts across different formats between governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to protect information integrity and bolster psychological defenses against information influence operations. R.Bambals has developed Latvia's first doctrine on strategic communication and security of the information space (2023-2027), he is an editor and author of Latvia's first handbook on how to recognize and counter disinformation (2022), and his department has created a platform for citizens to report potential disinformation (www.melnsuzbalta.lv) - one of the first in the world. Rihards has a doctoral degree in political sciences from the University of Latvia (2019).
Inga Samoškaitė
Assistant Director, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council
Assistant Director of Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative
Nino Katamadze
Acclaimed Jazz Artist
Nino Katamadze, an acclaimed jazz artist from Georgia, emerged onto the music scene in 2000 alongside her band Insight during a period of democratic transition in her homeland. Despite prevailing gender stereotypes, Nino, as a young woman artist, surpassed societal boundaries and gained international recognition.
With a distinct musical style, Nino's compositions blend various genres, skillfully weaving together Georgian urban and ethnographic melodies with elements of jazz, rock, and techno. Her performances carry a profound message of love, empathy, unity, and the liberation found through music.
Ukraine holds a special place in Nino's heart, akin to a second home, where her music resonates deeply with many. She served as a judge on the Ukrainian X-Factor for several years, establishing a strong connection with the country and its people.
Nino's commitment to making a positive impact extends beyond her music. In 1995, she established her first fund in Batumi with the purpose of helping disabled individuals. In addition to her philanthropic efforts, Nino has released 6 albums, captivating audiences worldwide with her melodies. She is also renowned for her talent in composing film soundtracks.
In 2019, Nino took a principled stance by refusing to perform in Russia, despite having a packed schedule of 50-60 concerts throughout the year. This decision highlighted her unwavering support for certain values and demonstrated her dedication to staying true to her beliefs.
The year 2022 marked another milestone for Nino as she held 5 charity concerts in Ukraine at the Lviv State Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Nikoloz Rachveli. On 28th March 2022, she further solidified her commitment to making a difference by establishing the Nino Katamadze Foundation. Currently, the foundation cares for 70 children, offering not only physical support but also psychological help to parents.
Amb. Shota Gvineria
Defence and Cyber Studies Lecturer at Baltic Defence College
Amb. Shota Gvineria joined the Baltic Defence College as a Defence and Cyber Studies lecturer in 2019. He is also a non-resident fellow at the Economic Policy Research Center since 2017. Before, Shota has been working on various positions in Georgia’s public sector. Among other positions, he served as the Deputy Secretary at the National Security Council of Georgia. Earlier, he held the position of the Foreign Policy Advisor to the Minister of Defense of Georgia. Through 2010-14, shota served as the Ambassador of Georgia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Amb. Gvineria holds MA in Strategic Security Studies from Washington’s National Defense University. He also earned his MA in International Relations from the Diplomatic School of Madrid and Public Administration from the Georgian Technical University. Shota Gvineria’s main areas of expertise include hybrid warfare, cyber defense policy, Russia’s foreign & security policy, Black Sea security and Eastern partnership region.
Full CV: www.linkedin.com/in/gvineria
Dr. Donika Emini
Executive Director of the CiviKos Platform
Donika Emini, PhD is the executive director of the CiviKos Platform, a consortium of 300 civil society organisations in Kosovo dedicated to establishing cooperative relations between civil society and state institutions. She holds a PhD from the University of Westminster in London, UK, a Master of Public Policy from the University of Erfurt, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Prishtina.
A scholar of international relations and an expert on the Western Balkans, foreign policy, and regional cooperation, she was a Reagan Fascell Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy (2024). She is a member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) and serves as a country analyst for Freedom House. She previously worked for the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies. She has also worked as a research fellow at the E.U. Institute for Security Studies in Paris, Transparency International in Berlin, the Balkan Policy Institute, and the General Consulate of the Republic of Kosovo in New York. Her expertise includes E.U. global conflict management, focusing on the E.U.-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia and security cooperation between the E.U. and the Western Balkans. Her expertise in the Eastern Partnership countries predominantly focuses on cybersecurity as part of E.U.-funded projects.
Rihards Kols
Latvian Politician
Rihards Kols is a Latvian politician, currently a member of the European Parliament, working in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on International Trade and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Previously R.Kols was a member of the 14th Saeima and Chairman of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as a member of the 13th and the 12th Saeima, representing “National Alliance” party. R.Kols has served as the head of the Saeima delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Security and Cooperation Organization (OSCE), represented the Saeima in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). His previous work experience also includes working as the Prime Minister's Parliamentary Secretary, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Culture and interning at the Royal Institute of International Affairs Chatham House. Rihards Kols serves in Latvian National Guard, is a Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and is a member of the Senior Network of the European Leadership Network. R.Kols holds a Master's Degree in Diplomacy and a Professional Bachelor's Degree in Law.
Prof. Eyal Fruchter
Psychiatrist
Prof. Eyal Fruchter is one of the top Israeli psychiatrists specializing in mental health, including Acute Stress Reaction, PTSD prevention and treatment, reisilience and suicide prevention. Throughout his career, Prof. Fruchter has held prominent positions in the field of mental health, including serving as the former Head of the mental health department in the IDF, Director of the Department of psychiatry and mental health at the Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, and the CEO of Mental Health Center Ma’ale Ha Carmel. Prof. Fruchter has also been involved in various teaching programs, conferences and collaborative research with US and European professionals. He also launched online group sessions for military mental health officers at the University of Southern California, School of Social Work Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families and participated in teaching trauma and PTSD prevention to Ukrainian and Polish mental health professionals and teachers working with Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
Dr.sc.ing Renate Strazdina
National Technology Officer Central Europe and Central Asia, Microsoft
Dr.sc.ing Renate Strazdina
National Technology Officer Central Europe and Central Asia
Microsoft
Renate Strazdina has more than 25 years of experience in IT industry and management consulting. At the moment serving as National Technology Officer at Microsoft covering more than 20 countries in Central Europe and Central Asia regions. Before joining Microsoft in 2016 Renate was in EY Executive Director at Management Advisory Department while serving as the Head of the Public Sector in Latvia and the role of Head of the Education Sector in South-Eastern Europe. Since 2021 she is serving as an independent supervisory board member of Swedbank Latvia.
Renate holds a Doctorate in Engineering from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology at the Riga Technical University and a master’s degree in management from the University of Latvia. Renate used to be a leading researcher at the Riga Technical University Faculty of Computerscience and Information Technology. For many years she was serving as a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia and the Latvian Information and Communications Technology Association.
Amb. Kelly Craft
Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations
Ambassador Kelly Craft
Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations
(former) and Representative of the United States to Canada (former) Ambassador Craft was sworn in as the Representative of the United States to the United Nations in September 2019 and held the position until January 2021.
While leading the US Mission to the United Nations, Ambassador Craft’s highest distinction of service to her country was the implementation of the historic Abraham Accords – the most significant turning point in the Middle East peace process in fifty years.
Ambassador Craft served as the US Ambassador to Canada from October 2017 until 2019. During her time, she worked through the complex revisiting of the NAFTA treaty, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA.
Ambassador Craft has served on numerous boards including: Advancing American Freedom, the Canadian American Business Council and currently the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship and the Institute for the Study of War.
With Ambassador Craft’s expertise and experience in international affairs, she continues to speak at international forums including the Munich Security Conference, Doha Forum and the GZero Japan Summit. She is a staunch defender of Taiwan and was honored to speak at the Ketagalan Forum emphasizing the importance of regional security issues in the Indo-Pacific. In 2023, Ambassador Craft led the United States delegation to Taipei for an audience with President Tsai and in 2024, had a private audience with President Lai. Upon leaving her official post, the Chinese government-imposed lifetime sanctions prohibiting Ambassador Craft from travel to and business with China, Hong Kong and Macao.
In January 2024, Ambassador Craft and Mr. Craft were chosen by the Republican National Committee to lead the Presidential Trust, which raises funds for the eventual 2024 Republican Nominee for President and Republican candidates for the United States Congress and the United States Senate.
Ambassador Craft is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Morehead State University. She and her husband, Joe Craft, who is also a native Kentuckian, share six children and twelve grandchildren.
Lt. Gen. (R) Ben Hodges
Former Commander, US Army Europe, USA
Lt. Gen. (R) Ben Hodges
Former Commander, US Army Europe, USA
Frederick Benjamin "Ben" Hodges III is a retired United States Army officer who served as commanding general, United States Army Europe. He has been Senior Advisor to Human Rights First since June 2022 and also serves as NATO Senior Mentor for Logistics. He previously held the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis.
A 1980 United States Military Academy graduate, Hodges became an infantry officer, serving as a platoon leader and company executive officer in the 2nd Armored Division (Forward) in Germany. After completing the Infantry Officer Advanced Course in 1984, he served with the 101st Airborne Division. In March 1989 Hodges became an instructor at the United States Army Infantry School. He studied at the Command and General Staff College and graduated from the School of Advanced Military Studies in 1993, becoming G-3 (Chief of Plans) of the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea.
In 2004, Hodges became G-3 of the XVIII Airborne Corps and later simultaneously served as CJ3 of Multi-National Corps – Iraq. He became chief of staff of the XVIII Airborne Corps and was deputy chief of Legislative Liaison at the Office of the Secretary of the Army from 2007. In August 2009, Hodges became director of operations of Regional Command South in Afghanistan. In December 2010 he became director of the Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell at the Joint Staff and in November 2012 took command of Allied Land Command. Hodges became commander of United States Army Europe in November 2014, holding that position for three years until retiring from the United States Army in January 2018.
Marcin Zaborowski
Distinguished Fellow for Future of Security Programme, Globsec
Marcin Zaborowski
Distinguished Fellow for Future of Security Programme, Globsec
Marcin Zaborowski has broad experience in both management and research in foreign and security policy. During his career, Marcin served as the Executive Director of the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) between 2010-2015, Senior Research Fellow at the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) in Paris between 2005-2010, and as the Executive Vice President of the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).
Marcin completed his PhD at the University of Birmingham in the UK and since then has worked at the University of Birmingham, Aston University, and Lazarski University in Warsaw Poland. Since 2020, Marcin worked as Editor-in-Chief at ResPublica Nowa magazine in Warsaw, Poland. Marcin is the author of Germany, Poland and Europe (Manchester University Press 2004), Bush Legacy and American Foreign Policy (EUISS 2008), and the co-author (with Kerry Longhurst) of New Atlanticist: Poland’s Foreign and Security Policy Priorities (Blackwells 2007).
Marcin is a member of the Advisory Council to the Foreign Relations and the European Affairs Committee at the Senate of the Polish Republic and a member of the Nuclear Threat Initiative by the European Leadership Network.
Jason Isaacson
Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer at the AJC
Jason Isaacson,
Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer at the AJC
Jason Isaacson, Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, is a longtime analyst of U.S. political and strategic affairs and an advocate for Arab-Israeli peace. An observer to the 1991-92 Middle East peace talks in Madrid, Moscow, and Washington, he represented AJC at the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna; since 1993, he has coordinated periodic AJC ministerial meetings throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and Asia, including numerous visits that were the first by an American Jewish civic organization. He has lectured periodically at the Diplomatic Institute of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy. In 2002, he was a Senior Visitor at St. Antony’s College, Oxford University. Isaacson directed an AJC initiative to strengthen transatlantic cooperation on Middle East policy – resulting in the opening of the Transatlantic Institute in Brussels in 2004. In 2005, in Tunis, he convened an NGO seminar on tolerance-promotion on the Internet, in conjunction with the UN World Summit on the Information Society. In 2015, he coordinated in Brussels the Defining Moment for Europe conference on strategies to combat resurgent antisemitism. In 2007, the French Minister of Culture and Communication awarded him the rank of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters. In July 2009, King Mohammed VI bestowed on Isaacson the honor of Chevalier of the Order of the Throne of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Amb. Martin Kimani
Executive Director of New York University’s Center on International Cooperation
Amb. Martin Kimani,
Executive Director of New York University’s Center on International Cooperation
Ambassador Martin Kimani, PhD, is the Executive Director of New York University’s Center on International Cooperation (CIC).
From 2021 to 2024, he served as the Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations (UN), where he held the positions of President of the Security Council in October 2021 and President of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Board in 2023. Prior to this role, he was Kenya’s Special Envoy for Countering Violent Extremism and the Director of the National Counter Terrorism Centre. Earlier in his career, he served as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat. Additionally, he directed the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN) and has experience in political risk analysis, bond and currency sales, and trading.
Ambassador Kimani holds a Master of Arts degree and PhD in War Studies from King’s College London and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of New Hampshire. His distinguished service to Kenya has been recognized with two senior presidential honors: Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS) and Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS). He was awarded the German Africa Foundation’s Honorary Award in 2022. He is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
Dana Bjork
Theater and Film Actress
Dana Bjork,
Theater and Film actress
Theater and film actress, theater and event producer, from 2018 - director of Mikhail Chekhov's Riga Russian Theater.
Andrejs Osokins
Pianist, Head of Piano Department in Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, Founder and Artistic Director of the Osokins Freedom Festival
for Ukraine
Andrejs Osokins,
Pianist.
Laureate of the world’s most prominent piano competitions – including the Leeds, Rubinstein, Long-Thibaud, Queen Elisabeth, as well as International German Piano Award – pianist Andrejs Osokins is one of the most sought-after Latvian pianists. He was described by critics as impeccably stylish, praised for his powerful intellect and charisma, wide expressive sound palette, notably convincing in many different styles of music.
Dr. Dirk Stockhausen
Head of Division for International Order, UN Security Council, Peacekeeping, General Assembly of the German Federal Foreign Office
Dr. Dirk Stockhausen
Head of Division for International Order, UN Security Council, Peacekeeping, General Assembly of the German Federal Foreign Office.
Head of Division, Division for International Order, UN Security Council, Peacekeeping, General Assembly of the German Federal Foreign Office since 2023. Joined the German diplomatic service in 2004 with postings in Amman, Khartoum, Brussels (EU) and Ankara. Studied law in Freiburg, Madrid, Bonn (Dr. jur) and Oxford (MJur) with a strong focus on international law.
Heidi Solba
Founder, President, and Head of the Global Network at Let's Do It World NGO
Heidi Solba is the Founder, President, and Head of the Global Network at Let's Do It World NGO. Driven by her belief that "everything is possible," her key mission from 2016 to 2018 was to establish a global network in 150 countries. This network now leads World Cleanup Day already seven years and works toward a waste-free world. As of 2024, World Cleanup Day has been
officially recognized by the UN, celebrated annually on September 20th. Since its inception, over 100 million people from the majority of countries have participated.
Heidi's main goal is to foster systemic change in societies, with a focus on cross-sector collaboration to ensure environmental sustainability. With a diverse background in private, public, and non-governmental sectors, she brings strategic and hands-on expertise in HR and change management, leadership development, organizational growth, circular economy and CSR. She is also an accredited consultant and assessor, also mentor, and trainer.
Wojciech Przybylski
Editor of Visegrad Insight at Res Publica Foundation
Wojciech Przybylski is leading a strategic foresight in CEE on democratic security. He is the Editor of Visegrad Insight at Res Publica Foundation in Warsaw, an advisory board member at LSE IDEAS Ratiu Forum, European Forum of New Ideas, and International Strategy Forum of the Schmidt Futures. Europe's Future Fellow alumnus at IWM - Institute of Human Sciences. Mr Przybylski has been a guest lecturer at the Foreign Service Institute for the U.S. Government, Warsaw University and CEU Democracy Institute. He co-authored a book 'Understanding Central Europe’, Routledge 2017, and 'On the Edge. Poland' Culturescapes 2019, and was widely published in the international press.
Magda Jakubowska
Vice President of the Res Publica Foundation
Magda Jakubowska is the Vice President of the Res Publica Foundation, the mother organization of Visegrad Insight and the Europe Future Forum. In this role, she is responsible for strategic foresight and programme planning, institutional cooperation and strategic development, looking at the EU and transatlantic affairs through the lens of democratic security. One of her flagship projects concerns women empowerment in security (#WomenAreNATO). Previously, Magda Jakubowska worked at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
Angel Tîlvăr
Minister of National Defence of Romania
Senator Angel Tîlvăr has been the Minister of National Defence of Romania since October 2022.
From December 2020 to October 2022, he was Chair of the Committee on European Affairs of the Senate.
Until December 2020, he served as Chair of the Committee on European Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies.
Prior to assuming office as Minister of Defence, Mr. Tîlvăr was nominated as Head of the Romanian Parliament Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), in June 2022.
In November 2020, he was elected Chairman of the Committee on Democracy and Security, NATO PA.
Angel Tîlvăr is a member of the Parliamentary Group of the Social Democratic Party, and is in his fifth term as an MP.
As a Deputy, he held several leading positions such as Chairman of the Committee on Education, Science, Youth and Sports and Chairman of the European Affairs Committee. In the Romanian Parliament, he was also a member of the Committee on Human Rights, Cults and National Minorities, the Committee on Defence, Public Order and National Security, the Committee on Culture, Arts and Mass Media, and the Committee on Education.
Through his entire parliamentary activity, Angel Tîlvăr advocates the key role of Romanian Parliamentary Diplomacy in achieving the objectives to address NATO and European priorities.
From December 2014 to November 2015, he was appointed Minister-Delegate for Relations with Romanians Abroad.
Since 2014 Mr. Tîlvăr has been the Coordinator of the Parliamentary Group against Trafficking in Human Beings. He also coordinates the related Report released to the Romanian Parliament on a regular basis.
Prior to his career in politics, between 1985 and 2004 Angel Tîlvăr had a rewarding teaching career for almost two decades.
Mr. Tîlvăr holds a Master's Degree in Political Science, and a PhD in Humanities (International Relations and History).
Martin Sklenár
Former Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic and Distinguished Fellow, Globsec
Martin Sklenár,
Former Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic and Distinguished Fellow, Globsec
Martin Sklenár served as Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic, as part of a technocratic government, from May 15 to October 25, 2023.
Previously, Martin Sklenár served as Director General for Defence Policy at the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic since July 1, 2020. In his capacity, he was responsible for developing and implementing defence policy and defence planning. He was also responsible for Slovakia´s international cooperation in defence related matters.
Martin Sklenár served as the Director for Security Policy at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic between September 2017 and June 2020. He was responsible for developing and implementing security policy as it relates to Slovakia’s membership in NATO and European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy. His department also led the effort of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs to increase capacity in countering hybrid threats.
From 2014 to 2017 Martin Sklenár was posted to the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Washington, DC as Head of Political Section. As part of his responsibilities, he engaged in developing the bilateral U. S. – Slovak relation through cooperation with the U. S. Government, U. S. Congress and non-governmental organizations. He also followed U. S. foreign policy with regard to the situation in Europe, incl. NATO and the EU, Middle East and Asia.
Before taking up his duties at the Embassy, Martin Sklenár directed the Department for Security Policy at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in Bratislava from 2011 to 2013. He transferred to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs from the Slovak Ministry of Defence, where he held various positions between 2003 and 2011, including Director for International Relations. The Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic posted Martin to Brussels to be its representative in the Politico-Military Working Group of the EU Council from 2006 to 2009. In 2010 he deployed to Pristina as a UN Volunteer to work in the Political Affairs Office of the UN Mission in Kosovo.
Martin Sklenár holds a post-graduate degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Matej-Bel-University in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia and has attended several expert courses and seminars, including at Harvard Extension School and the George C. Marshall Center.
Dr. Alina Polyakova
President and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
Dr. Alina Polyakova is President and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) as well as an adjunct professor of European studies at the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Dr. Polyakova is a recognized expert on transatlantic relations, European security, Russian foreign policy, digital authoritarianism, and populism in democracies. She is the author of the book, The Dark Side of European Integration, which examines the rise of far-right political movements in Europe, as well as dozens of major reports and articles in outlets such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, and The Atlantic, and others. She is a frequent commentator in major media outlets, such as Fox News, CNN, and BBC.
Prior to joining CEPA, Dr. Polyakova was the Founding Director for Global Democracy and Emerging Technology at the Brookings Institution and prior to that served as Director of Research for Europe and Eurasia at the Atlantic Council. She has held numerous prestigious fellowships, including at the National Science Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Fulbright Foundation, among others. She also serves on the board of the Free Russia Foundation and the Institute of Modern Russia.
Dr. Polyakova holds a Ph.D. and MA in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA in Economics and Sociology from Emory University.
Philippe Errera
EVP, International Development and Government Relations
SAFRAN
Philippe Errera began his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1996 in the department of common foreign and security policy. From 1998 to 2003, he was Counselor in charge of politico- military affairs at the French Embassy in Washington, before becoming deputy director of the Policy Planning Center from 2003 to 2006.
He was deputy director for Nuclear Non- proliferation and disarmament in 2006-2007, before being appointed adviser then chief of staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2007 to 2010. Philippe Errera was Ambassador, Permanent representative to NATO from 2011 to 2013, before joining the Ministry of Defense as Director of Strategic Affairs in 2013. He was the first Director General for International Relations and Strategy of the Ministry of Defense, from 2015 to 2018.
In 2019, he became Director General for Political and Security Affairs of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. He joined Safran in 2023 as Group’s Executive Vice-President, International Development and Government Relations.
Philippe Errera is a graduate of Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (1992) and Ecole Nationale d'Administration (1996). He is a proud recipient of the Polish and Estonian Defense Medals and Knight of the Legion of Honor (France).
Patricia Nguyen
Gender and Human Security @ NATO
Patricia Nguyen works in the NATO International Military Staff in the Office of the Gender Advisor where she supports the integration of the gender perspective and the implementation of UN Resolution 1325 in military operations, tasks and activities. Patricia holds a Master of Global Affairs with a focus in international security from the University of Toronto and has a background working with government and international organisations in anti-crime capacity building and justice.
Brigadier General Kaspars Pudāns
Commander of National Guard of Latvia
Born 23 March 1976,
Jēkabpils, Latvia
Education Bachelor in Law, National defence Academy, 1998
Master in Quality Management, Riga Technical University, 2012
Military education
1994 - 1998 National Defence Academy, Latvia – Infantry platoon leader
1999 Army Infantry School, U.S. – Infantry Basic Officer Course
2002 École d’Application d’Infanterie, France – Company Commanders Course
2007 École d’État-major, France – Staff Officer Course
2013 General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy, Lithuania – Army Command and Staff
Course
2013 - 2014 Baltic Defense College, Estonia – Joint Command and General Staff Course
2021 Baltic Defense College, Estonia – Higher Command Studies Course
Military service
1998 - 1999 Training Instructor, National Guard Training center
1999 - 2003 Training and Operational staff, National Guard Command
2003 - 2007 Staff Officer, Operations department (J-3), Joint Headquarters
2007 - 2010 Staff Officer, Military representation to the EU
2010 - 2013 Chief Operations Section (G-3/7 Ops), Land Forces Infantry Brigade
2014 - 2016 Chief Plans and Operations branch (G-3/7), Land Forces Mechanized Infantry
Brigade
2016 - 2018 Chief Operations branch (J-3 Ops), Joint Headquarters
2018 – 2021 Chief Intelligence department (J-2), Joint Headquarters
2021 - 2023 Commander, Zemessardze 1st Riga Brigade
2023- Commander of National Guard of Latvia
Maryna Vorotyntseva
Senior Expert, NATO Stratcom Centre of Excellence
Maryna Vorotyntseva joined the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence as a senior expert in its Operational Support Branch in June 2023. In 2022-23, she worked at the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine. She is a former journalist (2003-8), editor-in-chief (2008-15), election campaigns and political communications adviser (2015-19), writer, and publisher. She has been researching Russian propaganda against Ukraine since 2004. In 2020, she co-authored a book How Ukraine Lost Donbas which tells the story of Russian political and propaganda influence in eastern Ukraine from 2003 to 2014.
Ina Strazdina
Foreign News Editor, Latvian Television (Public Broadcasting Company)
Ina Strazdina, Foreign News Editor, Latvian Television (Public Broadcasting Company) has been working in journalism for more than 30 years. She was Brussels Correspondent for Radio Latvia (Public Broadcasting Company) Reporting on EU policies and NATO. Have been reporting from conflict areas such as Afghanistan, Syria, Mali and lately – Russia’s full scale war in Ukraine. Ina Strazdina have been awarded with ‘European of the Year’ Award , as well as ‘Journalists Excellence’ Award, The Order of the Three Stars (the highest state decoration in Latvia) and Public Media Ombudsman Professional Ethics Award for her reports from Ukraine.
Dr. Balkan Devlen
Senior Fellow and Director of the Transatlantic Program at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and an Expert Forecaster and Senior Consultant for Good Judgment
Senior Fellow and Director of the Transatlantic Program at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and an expert forecaster and Senior Consultant for Good Judgment
Barnabás Heincz
Deputy Editor-in-chief and Developer of Hype&Hyper Magazine
Deputy editor-in-chief and developer of Hype&Hyper magazine
Boris Ruge
Acting Deputy Secretary General
Jānis Sārts
Director at the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence
Dmytro Kuleba
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2020-2024)
Senior Fellow and Director of the Transatlantic Program at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and an expert forecaster and Senior Consultant for Good Judgment
Deputy editor-in-chief and developer of Hype&Hyper magazine