moderators & speakers

• 
  Mr James AllenExecutive Vice
  President,
  Booz Allen Hamilton (USA)
  

  Mr James Allen

  Executive Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton (USA)

  Following 36 years supporting cyber and intelligence missions in the US and abroad for the National Security Agency (NSA), Mr James Allen joined Booz Allen Hamilton, where he most recently led the strategic planning for the firm’s national security business, setting the direction of the National Security Group’s US$3 billion business with a focus on cyber security in the Intelligence Community (IC) and other markets. Mr Allen also oversaw the firm’s support of clients at NSA, Cyber Command, and the US Armed Forces, in addition to enabling cyber-related businesses in other government agencies, commercial and international markets. He guides the National Security Group’s core mission strategy to focus on the mission forward, the desire to deliver innovative, highly-valued services, capabilities, and solutions that directly impact core national security missions across national intelligence, military intelligence and cyber mission providers, as well as provide functional support to the broader government and commercial markets.

  Mr Allen concluded a distinguished career with the NSA, including his time as Deputy Director for analysis and production. He continues to serve the IC as a member of multiple boards and panels. Prior to joining the NSA, Mr Allen served in the US Navy as a Cryptologic Officer and Surface Warfare Officer, with service afloat and ashore.

  Mr Allen holds a Master of Arts in Telecommunications from The George Washington University, Master of Arts in National Security Studies from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Arts with distinction in Russian from the University of Virginia.

• 
  Mr Callan CarpenterVice President, Digital
  Twin Solutions, Unity Technologies (USA)
  

  Mr Callan Carpenter

  Vice President, Digital Twin Solutions, Unity Technologies (USA)

  Mr Callan Carpenter brings 36 years of experience in the high-tech industry to his role as Vice President of Digital Twin Solutions at Unity Technologies. In this capacity, he leads a global team responsible for custom application development, enterprise system integration, and hardware/software systems for industrial clients from a variety of sectors including architecture, engineering and construction, manufacturing, energy, retail/e-commerce and others. Prior to Unity, Mr Carpenter spent over a decade at Autodesk where his most recent title was Vice President of Global Named Accounts. Before joining Autodesk, Mr Carpenter held executive roles in sales, marketing, engineering and general management for 20 years in the aerospace and electronics industry. Mr Carpenter holds degrees in engineering and business management from the University of Texas, and currently resides in Austin, Texas.

• 
  Dr Chan Yew WingDeputy Chief Executive
  Officer (Systems),
  DSO National
  Laboratories (Singapore)
  

  Dr Chan Yew Wing

  Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Systems), DSO National
  Laboratories (Singapore)

  Dr Chan Yew Wing is currently the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Systems) of DSO National Laboratories. He leads DSO’s efforts in the system of systems integration and development of new system concepts to meet the demands of the Singapore Armed Forces.

  Dr Chan has a Ph.D. degree in aeronautical engineering from The University of Manchester. His research interest in flight sciences and system engineering saw the indigenous development of new autonomous aerial and underwater vehicles.

  In his service to defence, Dr Chan spent several years in Singapore’s Ministry of Defence in various appointments where he led the formulation of the research and development master plans, and development in both systems and emerging technologies.

• 
  Prof Deeph ChanaCo-Director, Institute for
  Security Science
  and Technology,
  Imperial College London (UK)
  

  Prof Deeph Chana

  Co-Director, Institute for Security Science and Technology,
  Imperial College London (UK)

  Prof Deeph Chana has extensive experience leading science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programmes and initiatives in academia, industry and government, also known as the triple helix. He is currently Co-Director of the Institute for Security Science and Technology at Imperial College London, and the founder and Director of a technology development consultancy specialising in critical-infrastructure and smart city applications. Among other active projects, he is the co-founder of the UK government funded research institute in trustworthy industrial control systems on cybersecurity at Imperial, and leads the collaboration with investors in Singapore on the security of cyber-physical systems in critical infrastructure. Prof Chana is currently involved in several successful commercial technology projects in the small and medium-sized enterprise sector.

  In his previous role, Prof Chana worked as a senior technology policy official in the UK government where he led the delivery of the Department for Transport’s security and resilience technology mission. He also oversaw a wide-ranging STEM research and development portfolio; set currently active national security government policies, and led numerous STEM diplomacy engagements for the UK. He delivered critical policy advice to four Secretaries of State – covering incidents including the 2005 London tube bombings and the 2006 liquid explosives aviation plot – and served as Chairman of key national and international security technology policy working groups and committees.

  Prof Chana holds MSci and Ph.D. degrees in Physics from King’s College London.

• 
  Dr Todd CitronChief Technology Officer,
  The Boeing Company (USA)
  

  Dr Todd Citron

  Chief Technology Officer, The Boeing Company (USA)

  Dr Todd Citron is Chief Technology Officer, Vice President and General Manager of The Boeing Company, where he oversees the development of technologies that break barriers and increase the competitiveness and quality of Boeing products. His work also includes oversight of Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, as well as five US and seven international research centres.

  Prior to his current role, Dr Citron was Vice President of Engineering for Boeing Defense, Space & Security, where he was responsible for ensuring world-class technical integrity for all defence, space and security products and services. He led a 20,000-person international engineering organisation that included teams across each division of the business.

  Dr Citron was previously Vice President and Chief Engineer for Defense, Space & Security Development. There, he managed the engineering support for key focus programmes under the business portfolio, improving execution through early deployment of critical resources and proven processes from across the company. His responsibilities also include creating and implementing a strategy to enhance engineering quality and affordability.

  Previously, Dr Citron was Vice President of Mission Assurance and Senior Chief Engineer of Systems Engineering for Defense, Space & Security Engineering. In this role, he was responsible for the broad application of systems engineering and principles focused on issue prevention, risk reduction and mission success. He was also in charge of the development and deployment of the mission success strategy, policy and practices, and served as independent approval authority for mission readiness of the Defense, Space & Security’s businesses and programmes. As Senior Chief Engineer for Systems Engineering, he focused on technical risks, issues and opportunities, strengthening technical decisions that achieved the “right engineering” the first time.

  Earlier in his career, Dr Citron served in a number of business programme management and engineering leadership roles, where he developed advanced space systems such as the Boeing 702SP – a small satellite platform – which has won awards from the Aviation Week and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He also created innovative architectures for satellite-based IP data systems, and designed the company's first digital payload, where he played the role of Programme Manager. The technical and financial success of this programme led to a multibillion-dollar business that is now a major part of the Boeing satellite portfolio.

  Dr Citron has published numerous technical papers, and has three patents in the areas of error correction, signal processing and adaptive antennas. He was also chosen to participate in the National Academy of Engineering's Frontiers of Engineering.

  Dr Citron received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with distinctiofrom Purdue University, and a Master’s and doctorate degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

• 
  Vice Admiral Arie Jan
  de WaardNational Armaments
  Director and Director, Defence Material
  Organisation (Netherlands)
  

  Vice Admiral Arie Jan de Waard

  National Armaments Director and Director, Defence Materiel
  Organisation (Netherlands)

  Vice Admiral Arie Jan de Waard was born in Leeuwarden on 16 September 1961. After naval officers’ training at the Royal Netherlands Naval College, he became an engineering officer in 1985 and served on board several types of frigates. Throughout 1999, he served aboard the M-class frigate HNLMS Van Nes as Marine Engineering Officer. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Twente and later on obtained his Ph.D. at the same university in 1999. On 1 January 2008, he was appointed General Director of the Naval Maintenance and Services Agency and promoted to Commodore. In 2012, he was Deputy Director Operational Readiness at the Defence Staff. Vice Admiral Waard was appointed Principal Director of Business Management in 2014 and promoted to Rear Admiral. In 2015, he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral and appointed Director of the Defence Materiel Organisation and National Armaments Director.

• 
  Honorable Dana DeasyFormer Chief
  Information Officer,
  US Department of
  Defense (USA)
  

  Honorable Dana Deasy

  Former Chief Information Officer, US Department of Defense (USA)

  Honourable Dana Deasy has been in the technology field for over 40 years. He has spent most of his career as a Global Chief Information Officer leading large complex organisations across multiple industries including aerospace, automotive, conglomerates, oil and gas, financial services and government. He has led the technology department for a number of large multinational corporations, and most notably the US Department of Defense, the largest and most complex technology organisation in the world.

  Mr Deasy has significant international business experience working oversees in both Germany and the United Kingdom. He is currently on the board of Deutsche Bank USA, and serves as a technology advisor to chief executive officers. He is also an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

• 
  LG(Armament) Gaël
  Diaz de TuestaDirector International
  Development Directorate,
  Directorate General of Armaments (France)
  

  LG(Armament) Gaël
  Diaz de Tuesta

  Director International Development Directorate,
  Directorate General of Armaments (France)

  LG(Armament) Gaël Diaz De Tuesta joined the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) in 1999. In the span of 10 years, he occupied several positions under various aeronautical programmes, and was the technical manager of the Rafale programme. From 2010 to 2015, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary under the Secretariat-General for National Defence and Security, an entity under the aegis of the Prime Minister. He was in charge of the French interagency coordination regarding weapons of mass destruction proliferation and its associated international coordination.

  Between 2015 and 2019, he was successively appointed Head of the Western Europe Cooperation Division – which he now leads – and Defence Equipment Attaché at the French Embassy in London. As the direct representative of the DGA in the United Kingdom, his main duty was to support the French Ambassador in the Franco-British armament cooperation.

  In 2019, LG(Armament) Tuesta was appointed Director of Western Europe and Northern America within the International Directorate of the DGA. During his time there, he defined and implemented the French international armament policy with Western European and Northern American partners. On September 2022, LG(Armament) Tuesta became Director of the International Directorate of the DGA.

• 
  BG(Ret) Dr Daniel GoldHead, Directorate of
  Defense Research
  and Development,
  Israel Ministry of
  Defense (Israel)
  

  BG(Ret) Dr Daniel Gold

  Head, Directorate of Defense Research and Development,
  Israel Ministry of Defense (Israel)

  BG(Ret) Dr Daniel Gold is Head of Israel’s Defense Research and Development Directorate at the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since July 2016.

  Dr Gold is responsible for the defence research and development policy for Israel, including monitoring its implementation. He is in charge of all research and development (R&D), technology infrastructure, full-scale development, and capabilities development including special directorates (space, unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles and rockets defence, robotics and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence/cyber/digital and dual-use technologies).

  Dr Gold holds two Ph.D.s. which he unprecedentedly completed concurrently within a period of two years – a Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering and a Ph.D.  in Business Management, both from Tel-Aviv University. He has held several positions within the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) and Israel Air Force, including management of IMOD and IDF’s key projects such as Head of IMOD/IDF R&D Unit, Head of the main UAV/Drones projects, Head of Electronics & Electronic Warfare and Head of Armament & Avionics Divisions.

  Dr Gold also founded the Gold R&D Technology and Innovation LTD company which offers consultancy and business-technology ventures and development. In addition, Dr Gold was Head of the Israel National Committee for Commercial/Civilian Cyber R&D, and is a board member of the Israel Brain Technology Organization.

  In 2012, Dr Gold was awarded the prestigious National Defense Prize for his initiation and management of the “Iron Dome” missiles and rockets defence system, which made its first operational interception just three years after its programme launch. Under his leadership, the R&D Unit has been awarded the National Defense Prize 14 times.

  He is a four-time recipient of the Israel Air Force Prize, a recipient of the Singapore Defence Technology Distinguished Fellowship Award, and was selected Man of the Year in 2012 by Forbes Magazine-Israel.

  Dr Gold was honored to light the torch during the opening ceremony of Israel’s Independence Day in 2015. In a national competition held during Israel’s 70th Anniversary by the Ministry of Economy and Industry, the Iron Dome system implemented by Dr Gold was selected as The Most Innovative Israeli Technology of all times since the establishment of the State of Israel.

  The most recent achievement was the initiation of Israel’s National Technology Center for the Combat against the Corona Epidemic. Under Dr Gold’s leadership, the center coordinated various ventures at a national level, including the defence R&D, academy, industry, start-ups and medical communities, and focus its efforts which contributed significantly to Israel’s success in supporting his medical staff. This limited the extent and severity of the epidemic, enabling a gradual return to normalcy, which is currently under way.

  In addition, Dr Gold has initiated and implemented dual–use technologies framework and projects with start-ups, private/public venture capitals, government-owned and commercial companies.

• 
  Mr Sean GourleyFounder and Chief
  Executive Officer,
  Primer (USA)
  

  Mr Sean Gourley

  Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Primer (USA)

  Mr Sean Gourley is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Primer. Previously, he was Chief Technology Officer of Quid, an augmented-intelligence company he co-founded in 2009. Prior to Quid, Mr Gourley worked on self-repairing nano-circuits at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Ames Research Center.

  Mr Gourley holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Oxford, where his research as a Rhodes Scholar focused on complex systems and the mathematical patterns underlying modern war. His research was published on the cover of Nature, a multidisciplinary science journal.

  Mr Gourley has served as a political advisor, briefed the United States Central Command at the Pentagon and addressed the United Nations in Vienna. He sits on the Knight Commission, and has served as a member of the Board of Directors at the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.

  He is a two-time New Zealand track and field champion, and a TED Fellow.

• 
  Prof Martial HebertDean and University
  Professor, School of Computer Science,
  Carnegie Mellon
  University (USA)
  

  Prof Martial Hebert

  Dean and University Professor, School of Computer Science,
  Carnegie Mellon University (USA)

  Prof Martial Hebert is a University Professor of Robotics, and Dean of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. His research interests include computer vision and robotics, especially recognition in images and video data, model building and object recognition from 3D data, and perception for mobile robots and intelligent vehicles. His group has developed approaches for object recognition and scene analysis in images, 3D point clouds, and video sequences.

  In the area of machine perception for robotics, Prof Hebert’s group has developed techniques for people detection, tracking, and prediction, and for understanding the environment of ground vehicles from sensor data. He currently serves as editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Computer Vision.

• 
  Mr Peter HoExecutive Chairman,
  HOPE Technik (Singapore)
  

  Mr Peter Ho

  Executive Chairman, HOPE Technik (Singapore)

  Mr Peter Ho is Executive Chairman of HOPE Technik Pte Ltd, a company he co-founded in 2006. HOPE Technik has businesses in the engineering of professional service robotics and special-purpose vehicles.

  Mr Ho received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the National University of Singapore in 2003, where he started the NUS Formula SAE Race Car engineering team, as well as a programme for the Robotic Exploration at the Great Pyramid in Egypt with National Geographic.

  Mr Ho subsequently joined Team Petronas Touring Cars, a race car engineering team that competed in the British, German and Asian Touring Car Championships, at which he concluded his stint as chief engineer.

  Having satisfied his decade-long thirst for race car engineering, he returned to Singapore and co-founded HOPE Technik (together with Mr Michael Leong, Mr Jeff Tang and Mr Ng Kiang Loong).

  HOPE Technik has grown into a leading engineering company in Singapore with a global clientele of multinational companies and government agencies in sectors including healthcare, defence, homeland security, semi-conductor, food and various commercia and industrial arenas.

  Mr Ho was awarded the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from NUS in 2009, and was a finalist for Singaporean of the Year 2015 by The Straits Times.

  Mr Ho holds various appointments in engineering, agriculture, education and government.

• 
  Mr Chris JohnsonSenior Vice President,
  Nokia Enterprise (UK)
  

  Mr Chris Johnson

  Senior Vice President, Nokia Enterprise (UK)

  Mr Chris Johnson is Nokia’s Senior Vice President for Enterprise Global Sales. He joined Nokia on 1 September 2017 and has been leading the organisation with a focus on bringing mission critical communications technology, enterprise networks, industrial automation and digitalisation solutions to customers in key enterprise verticals like transportation, logistics, advanced manufacturing and the public sector.

  Previously at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Mr Johnson was Managing Director for the Middle East, Mediterranean & Africa region. Before this, he worked at the NCR Corporation, Energy Market Company and Sequent, and held IT Sales, Sales Leadership and General Manager positions across a variety of technology businesses around the world.

  Mr Johnson graduated from the University of Humberside in Hull with a B.A.(Hons) in Business Studies. He enjoys sports, cooking, writing, and playing and listening to music.

  Follow Mr Johnson on LinkedIn at:
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-johnson-85219434

• 
  Prof Henric JohnsonGlobal Head of Science
  & Innovation, Business Sweden (Sweden)
  

  Prof Henric Johnson

  Global Head of Science & Innovation, Business Sweden (Sweden)

  Prof Henric Johnson is a full-time professor in computer science, and the Global Head of Innovation and Science at Business Sweden. He is a former Diplomat in Washington D.C. where he acted as the Swedish Science and Innovation Counselor to the United States. He is also a member of the European Commission expert group which supports the strategic coordinating process for partnerships under Horizon Europe, Roskilde University Board of Directors and the University of Colorado Boulder’s external advisory board for research and innovation. He was a visiting professor at Stanford University, and a former senior Wallenberg-Vinnova fellow at the Nordic Innovation House in Silicon Valley. Prof Johnson was also part of the Stanford Academy Leadership Program and the Stanford Fellow program.

  Prof Johnson has been an academic leader for several years, where he held the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Prorektor) position at Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden – in which he is currently a professor. He was also Director of the Center for Electronic Security and an initiator of the Blue Science Park.

  Prof Johnson has a well-established network in Europe and the United States, and collaborates with several research groups, industry partners, profit and non-profit organisations worldwide. He was a research scientist at the Advanced Research and Development department at Ericsson in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, and was also part of a Biometric start-up company. He previously studied at Virginia Tech, and was a visiting scholar at the University of California Davis’ Security Lab.

  For his research and impact on the industry, he was awarded The TelecomCity Prize, Teacher of the Year, and the Ericsson Research Foundation Award.

• 
  Honorable Frank Kendall IIISecretary, U.S.
  Air Force (USA)
  

  Honorable Frank
  Kendall III

  Secretary, U.S. Air Force (USA)

  Honorable Frank Kendall is the 26th Secretary of the Air Force, and is responsible for organising, training, and equipping the US Air and Space Forces. In this capacity, he directs the Department of the Air Force’s annual budget exceeding US$173 billion, provides air and space forces to combatant commanders for global military operations, and is accountable for the welfare of nearly 700,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian Airmen and Guardians and their families.

  Mr Kendall has more than 50 years of experience in engineering, management, defence acquisition, and national security affairs across private industry, government, and the military. He was a consultant to defence industry firms, non-profit research organisations, and the Department of Defense in the areas of strategic planning, engineering management, and technology assessment. Additionally, he is an attorney, and was active in the field of human rights, working primarily on a pro bono basis.

  Earlier in his career, Mr Kendall was Vice President of Engineering for Raytheon Company, providing management and direction to the engineering functions throughout the company for internal research and development. He also served as a Managing Partner at Renaissance Strategic Advisors, a Virginia-based aerospace and defence sector consulting firm.

  Within government, Mr Kendall held numerous posts including Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, as well as Deputy Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Tactical Warfare Programs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He is a former member of the Army Science Board and the Defense Intelligence Agency Science and Technology Advisory Board, and was a consultant to the Defense Science Board.

  Mr Kendall is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point. He served 11 years as an active duty Army officer, including assignments in Germany, teaching engineering at West Point, and held research and development positions. He holds a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the California Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration from the C.W. Post Center of Long Island University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

  Over the course of his career as a public servant, Mr Kendall was awarded the following federal civilian awards: Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive (Senior Executive Service), Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive (Senior Executive Service), and Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service. He also holds the following military awards (US Army): Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal, and National Defense Service Medal.

• 
  Mr Josh Kennedy-WhiteSenior Advisor,
  Interos Inc (USA)
  

  Mr Josh Kennedy-White

  Senior Advisor, Interos Inc (USA)

  Mr Josh Kennedy-White is a highly regarded global risk management, cybersecurity, and technology leader with more than 25 years’ experience across multiple geographies and sectors.

  As a senior advisor for Interos Inc, a fast-growing global supply chain risk management and operational resilience company, Mr Kennedy-White provides strategic counsel and insights into advance supply chain security and resilience strategies for some of the world's largest private and public sector organisations.

  In addition to his role with Interos, Mr Kennedy-White also serves as Managing Director for Arqit, a company utilising transformational quantum encryption technology to ensure the safety of data for governments, enterprises and citizens. In this position, he is responsible for Arqit's security business across Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

  Mr Kennedy-White established and led the intelligence and national security practice as a former Managing Director for Accenture. He also led Accenture's security practice across Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East during a period of transformational growth.

  Mr Kennedy-White is a regular speaker and media commentator on cybersecurity and technology issues. He remains closely connected to the security ecosystem through DivisionX Global, his venture catalyst firm.

  Mr Kennedy-White holds directorships in the United Kingdom (UK), Saudi Arabia and Australia. He is also a Principal Advisor to Nominet Cyber, a non-profit organisation which provides cybersecurity services to the UK's National Cyber Security Centre and Australia’s Cyber Security Centre.

• 
  Dr Ee-Eul KimPresident and Chief
  Executive Officer,
  Satrec Initiative
  (Republic of Korea)
  

  Dr Ee-Eul Kim

  President and Chief Executive Officer, Satrec Initiative (Republic of Korea)

  Dr Ee-Eul Kim was appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer of Satrec Initiative in 2019.

  He joined the company in 2000 as Head of Electro-Optical Payload Development, and has held various engineering and business leadership roles within the company.

• 
  Dr Dale LambertChief of Information
  Sciences Division, Defence
  Science and Technology Group, Department of
  Defence (Australia)
  

  Dr Dale Lambert

  Chief of Information Sciences Division, Defence Science and
  Technology Group, Department of Defence (Australia)

  Dr Dale A. Lambert is the Chief of Information Sciences Division in the Defence Science and Technology Group within the Australian Department of Defence in Adelaide, Australia. He is a world-leading scientist in High-Level Information Fusion, the process in which a machine automatically combines multiple signal, image and text data sources to comprehend current events automatically and predict future events. Early in his career, he was contracted by the Australian Defence to design and implement an artificial intelligence system for Sweden’s airborne defence for four years. Later in his career, he provided administrative oversight of the largest cooperation in defence science and technology between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

  The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organisation, presented Dr Lambert with the IEEE Harry Rowe Mimno Award at a ceremony in Washington DC in 2015 for excellence in technical communication. He was also awarded the Public Service Medal in the 2020 Australia Day Honours List for outstanding public service in the use of artificial intelligence in surveillance and reconnaissance, command and control, intelligence and autonomous platforms. In 2021, he was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.

  Dr Lambert holds: a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a first-class Bachelor of Arts Honours in Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence, a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, a Doctor of Philosophy in Artificial Intelligence, a Graduate Certificate of Management in Scientific Leadership, and a Doctor of Science in Information Fusion. The Doctor of Science degree is the highest qualification awarded by the University and is of a higher standing than either a Masters by Research degree or the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

• 
  BG Lee Yi-JinChief of Digital and
  Intelligence Service
  / Director Military
  Intelligence, Singapore
  Armed Forces (Singapore)
  

  BG Lee Yi-Jin

  Chief of Digital and Intelligence Service / Director Military Intelligence, Singapore Armed Forces (Singapore)

  BG Lee Yi-Jin joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1999 and spent his formative years in the Artillery. He went on to serve in various command appointments, including Commanding Officer of the 21st Battalion, Singapore Artillery; Commander of the 3rd Singapore Infantry Brigade; and Commander of the 6th Singapore Division/ Headquarters Sense and Strike. During the national fight against COVID-19, BG Lee oversaw national contact tracing operations as the Commander of the Health Surveillance Task Force.

  BG Lee also held various staff appointments within the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the SAF, including Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Plans) in the Army; and Group Chief, Policy and Strategy/MINDEF Transformation at MINDEF. Most recently, as Director Military Intelligence/Chief of Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence, he helped to lay the foundations for the establishment of the Digital and Intelligence Service.

  BG Lee graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Chicago and a Master of Arts in International Policy Studies from Stanford University. He attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College, where he was awarded the General Dwight D. Eisenhower Award as the top international graduate. In 2016, BG Lee was conferred the Public Administration Medal-Bronze (Military).

• 
  IGA Dominique LuzeauxDirector Defence
  Digital Agency,
  Directorate General
  of Armaments (France)
  

  IGA Dominique Luzeaux

  Director Defence Digital Agency, Directorate General of Armaments (France)

  IGA Dominique Luzeaux graduated from École Polytechnique in 1987 and École Nationale Supérieure des Techniques Avancées in 1989 as an armament engineer. He first started out as research engineer in artificial intelligence and robotics. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Paris XI in 1991, and was a visiting research scientist at the University of California, Berkeley from 1991 to 1992.

  Within the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), he held various positions such as expert, project manager and director.

  As Director of the Complex System Engineering Department from 2002 to 2004, he was in charge of the research and technology programmes in system engineering methods and tools, as well as modeling and simulation. He was the French representative for the NATO Research and Technology Organisation and WEAG technical panels.

  As Director of the Technical Center for Information Systems from 2004 to 2007 he was in charge of the reorganisation of the technical and human resources dedicated to the DGA’s information system infrastructure. From 2008 to 2009, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems.

  From 2009 to 2013, IGA Luzeaux was Director for Land Systems Acquisition, and was responsible for the technical and financial execution of the military programmes for land systems, which amounted to yearly payments of over EUR1 billion. He was also the French representative for several bilateral and multilateral agreements. IGA Luzeaux was named Honorary Private First Class of the Army for his personal involvement in various armament programmes, among which was the Unitary Rocket Launcher.

  By the end of 2013, he joined as Deputy Director of the Directorate for Infrastructure Networks and Information Systems at the Ministry of Defence, and acted as the Chief Purchasing Officer, with a yearly budgetary envelope of almost EUR1 billion. He was also Head of the Acquisition and Supply Chain Division.

  Since 5 May 2021, IGA Luzeaux was appointed as Director of the newly created Digital Defense Agency, under the French Ministry of Defense, and is in charge of all complex defence digital projects.

  IGA Luzeaux submitted his thesis in 2001, and has supervised many Ph.D. students. He has also published close to a hundred articles in conference reports and international journals, and has written nine books in French and English on nanotechnology, simulation, and complex systems engineering.

  He received the Ingénieur Général Chanson Award in 2006 for his work on military autonomous unmanned ground vehicles.

• 
  Dr Bradley MartinDirector, RAND
  National Security
  Supply Chain
  Institute and Senior
  Policy Researcher,
  RAND Corporation (USA)
  

  Dr Bradley Martin

  Director, RAND National Security Supply Chain Institute and Senior Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation (USA)

  Dr Bradley Martin is Director of the RAND National Security Supply Chain Institute, and a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation.

  Dr Martin retired from the Navy as a Surface Warfare Captain after 30 years of service, including four command tours.

  He has a doctorate in political science from the University of Michigan.

• 
  Mr Bill McDermottPresident and Chief
  Executive Officer,
  ServiceNow (USA)
  

  Mr Bill McDermott

  President and Chief Executive Officer, ServiceNow (USA)

  Mr Bill McDermott is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ServiceNow, a platform for digital business that makes the world work better for everyone. Since he joined the company in 2019, Bill has delivered exceptional growth and customer value, while also cultivating a caring company culture that has been recognised on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies, and Glassdoor Best Places to Work lists.

  Prior to ServiceNow, Bill served as Chief Executive Officer of Systemanalyse Programmentwicklung. His prior career of leadership success also spans several organisations such as Xerox, Gartner, and Siebel Systems. Bill serves on the Board of Directors of Fisker Inc. and Zoom Video Communications.

• 
  Dr Sean McFateProfessor of Strategy,
  Georgetown University
  and National Defense
  University (USA)
  

  Dr Sean McFate

  Professor of Strategy, Georgetown University and
  National Defense University (USA)

  Dr Sean McFate is a defence expert and a professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, and the National Defense University. Additionally, he is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington DC think tank. His career began as a paratrooper and officer in the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, before taking on the role of a global private military contractor for several years.

  Dr McFate authored The New Rules of War (HarperCollins) which was named Book of the Year by The Economist. The book has been translated into nine languages, where it is entitled Goliath: Why the West Doesn’t Win Wars. And What We Need to Do About It (Penguin) in the UK. He also authored The Modern Mercenary (Oxford University Press).

  Dr McFate is a leading expert on the topic, and serves as a consultant to the Pentagon, Central Intelligence Agency, and Hollywood. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, and he has been interviewed on the Cable News Network, Fox News, MSNBC, British Broadcasting Corporation, Sky News, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, National Public Radio, Vice on Home Box Office, and The Discovery Channel. Dr McFate is also a successful novelist.

  Dr McFate holds a B.A. from Brown University, an M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a Ph.D. in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

  Learn more about Dr McFate at:
  www.seanmcfate.com

• 
  General Paul M. NakasoneUnited States Army, Commander,
  United States Cyber Command,
  Director,
  National Security Agency/Chief,
  Central Security Service (USA)
  

  General Paul M. Nakasone

  United States Army, Commander, United States Cyber Command,
  Director, National Security Agency/Chief,
  Central Security Service (USA)

  General Paul M. Nakasone assumed his present duties as United States Army, Commander, US Cyber Command, Director, National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service in May 2018.

  He was previously in charge of the US Army Cyber Command from October 2016 to April 2018.

  A native of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, GEN Nakasone is a graduate of Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he received his commission through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

  GEN Nakasone oversaw the Cyber National Mission Force at the US Cyber Command. He has also commanded a company, battalion, and brigade, and served as senior intelligence officer at battalion, division and corps levels.

  GEN Nakasone has held command and staff positions across all levels of the Army, and served in Joint and Army assignments in the United States, the Republic of Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan. His most recent overseas posting was Director of Intelligence, J2, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Kabul, Afghanistan.

  GEN Nakasone has also served on two occasions as a staff officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

  GEN Nakasone is a graduate of the US Army War College, the Command and General Staff College, and Defense Intelligence College. He holds graduate degrees from the US Army War College, the National Defense Intelligence College, and the University of Southern California.

  GEN Nakasone's awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster), the Defense Superior Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster), Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal (with oak leaf cluster), Army Achievement Medal (with four oak leaf clusters), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Combat Action Badge, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge.

  GEN Nakasone and his wife are proud parents of four children, who form the nucleus of “Team Nakasone”.

• 
  Ms Ng Teng TengDirector (Technology
  Capability), Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
  

  Ms Ng Teng Teng

  Director (Technology Capability), Ministry of Defence (Singapore)

  Ms Ng Teng Teng assumed the role of Director (Technology Capability), Technology Strategy Policy Office in Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), on 1 March 2021.

  As Director (Technology Capability), she leads the development of long-term plans for the Defence Technology Community to deliver technology edge to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Prior to her secondment to MINDEF, she contributed significantly to the development of digital capabilities for MINDEF, the SAF, as well as the Public Service in her various appointments in the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA).

  Ms Ng graduated from the National University of Singapore with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. She was awarded the DSTA Postgraduate scholarship, and holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from the Temasek Defence Systems Institute.

  In recognition of her contributions, Ms Ng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 2021, the DSTA Team Excellence Award in 2010 and 2014, as well as the DSTA Innovation Excellence Award in 2009.

• 
  Honorable Matteo
  Perego di CremnagoUndersecretary for Defence (Italy)
  

  Honorable Matteo Perego di Cremnago

  Undersecretary for Defence (Italy)

  Born in Milan on 18 August 1982, Honorable Matteo Perego di Cremnago graduated with a degree in Philosophy from the University of Milan. Subsequently, he obtained two Executive Masters in Marketing and Corporate Finance from the School of Business Management at Bocconi University.

  Before embarking on an entrepreneurial career in the company founded by his great-great-grandfather – the Cambiaghi hat factory – he worked at Giorgio Armani, where he covered various roles including Trade Marketing and Customer Relationship Management Director, E-Commerce Director, General Manager of Giorgio Armani India, and Chief Operating Officer of Giorgio Armani Brazil.

  In 2018, he was elected Deputy and assumed the position of member of the IV Defense Commission until the end of the legislature. From 22 November 2021 to 12 October 2022, he also joined the III Commission for Foreign and Community Affairs.

  He is the first signatory of the law on the so-called Mini-Naja approved by the Chamber of Deputies on 27 March 2019 – which is an experimental military training course project on the creation of six-month military training courses for young people between 18 and 22 years of age.

  He is also the first signatory of the resolution for the establishment of the Military Rescuer of the Special Forces in the Armed Forces by the Chamber of Deputies’ Defense Commission, which recognises greater economic allowances for the Special Forces.

  On 15 October 2018, he was appointed Deputy Regional Coordinator of Forza Italia in Lombardy, a role he held until 11 June 2019.

  Since 31 March 2021, he has been Vice President of the Forza Italia Group in the Chamber of Deputies.

  On 21 April 2022, he was appointed National Head of the Defense Department of Forza Italia.

  On 27 July 2022, he was awarded the honorary patent of "Target Acquisitor" by the 185th Parachute Regiment Reconnaissance Target Acquisition "Folgore" of the Special Forces of the Italian Army.

  On 31 October 2022, he was appointed Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Defense under the Meloni Government.

• 
  Dr Michael RaskaAssistant Professor
  and Coordinator for
  Military Transformation
  Programme, S.Rajaratnam
  School of International
  Studies (Singapore)
  

  Dr Michael Raska

  Assistant Professor and Coordinator for Military Transformation Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (Singapore)

  Dr Michael Raska is Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Military Transformation Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. His research and teaching are focused on how key nation-states strive to maintain or prolong margins of military-technological superiority through defence innovation; the effects of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) on force planning and warfighting concepts; and open source-based intelligence assessments on emerging threats such as cyberwarfare capabilities and strategies.

  Dr Raska is the author of Military Innovation and Small States: Creating Reverse Asymmetry, co-editor of AI in Defence Innovation: Assessing Military Artificial Intelligence Strategies, Capabilities, and Trajectories, and Defence Innovation and the 4th Industrial Revolution: Security Challenges, Emerging Technologies, and Military Implications. He has published in top tier academic and professional military journals and contributed chapters, policy reports, and commentaries in cooperation with leading research institutes and think-tanks in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has taught and given lectures on the impact of emerging technologies on warfare at Singapore’s Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College, and organised numerous international roundtables, workshops, and conferences at RSIS. He holds a Ph.D. from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, where he was a recipient of the NTU President’s Graduate Fellowship.

• 
  Mr Kusti SalmPermanent Secretary,
  Ministry of Defence (Estonia)
  

  Mr Kusti Salm

  Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence (Estonia)

  Mr Kusti Salm assumed office in May 2021 as Permanent Secretary of the Estonian Ministry of Defence (MoD). Previously, he served as Director-General of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investment, a chief defence acquisition officer of Estonia.

  As permanent secretary, which is the highest civil servant position in the Estonian MoD, Mr Salm supervises and oversees the MoD and various administrative agencies such as the Estonian Defence Forces, Estonian Defence League, Estonian Centre of Defence Investment, Estonian Defence Resources Agency, and Estonian Foreign Intelligence Agency.

  In 2017, he was the Chairman and chief negotiator of the FOP European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP), where EUR500 million was invested in the European Defence Industry. He represents Estonia in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Conference of National Armaments Directors (NAD). He also serves as a member of the NAD Steering Board under the European Defence Agency. Additionally, he serves as a Founding Member of the European Cyber Security Organisation Board of Directors, the biggest EU investment vehicle for cybersecurity.

  Mr Salm started his career in the Estonian MoD as an advisor for EU defence policy. Before assuming his current position, he was Director of the Defence Investments Department from 2016 to 2019, and the Defence Industry and Innovation Department from 2015 to 2016. From 2011 to 2015, he served as an Armaments Cooperation Counsellor and Permanent Representative of Estonia to NATO. Furthermore, he has been the initiator of two Estonian flagship defence research and development programmes – the development of NATO Cyber Range Capability and the EU level programme on Modular Unmanned Ground Systems.

  Mr Salm was born on 17 April 1984 in Tallinn, Estonia. He graduated from the University of Tartu and has a degree in Political Science. He studied Business Administration at Maastricht University as well. Mr Salm also completed the Session Européenne des Responsables d'Armement course in 2014, and the High Level Course at the European Security and Defence College in 2009. In 2015, he was among the first group of graduates from the Estonian MoD’s Future Leadership training programme.

• 
  Dr Axel ScheibelManagement Board
  Member, Krauss-Maffei
  Wegmann GmbH &
  Co. KG (Germany)
  

  Dr Axel Scheibel

  Management Board Member, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann
  GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)

  Dr Axel Scheibel, born in Heiligenrode, Germany, in June 1962, has been a member of the Management Board of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG (KMW) since July 2021.

  As Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer, Dr Scheibel directs operative business and is in charge of technological development. After completing his apprenticeship as an office machinery technician in 1981, and receiving his technical diploma in 1982, Dr Scheibel studied electrical engineering from 1982 to 1989 at the University of Kassel and graduated as a chartered engineer. He then continued his studies as a research associate and doctoral candidate at the Institute for High Frequency Technology at the University of Kassel, and received his doctorate in 1994. At the institute, Dr Scheibel also worked and researched on special projects in the field of mobile communications technology until 1995.

  His professional career at KMW, then Wegmann, began in 1995 as Head of Systems Technology and electromagnetic compatibility. In January 2004, he took charge of the System Development department and was appointed Head of Research and Development in 2009.

  From 2001 to 2009, Dr Scheibel was a member of the advisory board of ATM ComputerSysteme GmbH in Constance, Germany. He also held a seat on the advisory board of the Projekt System & Management GmbH in Kassel, Germany, since 2009. In 2021, Dr Scheibel was appointed to the administrative board of Milrem Robotics in Tallinn, Estonia. In the same year, he was also appointed to the executive board of Hellenic Defence Vehicle Systems S.A. in Greece.

  In the past few years, Dr Scheibel has played a major role as Head of Research and Development, and paved the way for KMW as top military land system manufacturer in Europe. He is responsible for various advanced technology and products such as the Leopard main battle tank, Puma infantry fighting vehicle, Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer, the highly mobile Remote Controlled Howitzer 155 artillery system and the modular Boxer multirole armoured vehicle, as well as the development of the future Franco-German Main Ground Combat System which will be delivered starting 2035.

  Since 2000, Dr Scheibel has been an electromagnetic compatibility lecturer at the University of Kassel, and a land system technology lecturer at the Helmut Schmidt University since 2012. He has also presented at various international events in Detroit, Washington, Tel Aviv and Berlin.

• 
  Dr Michael SchoellhornChief Executive Officer,
  Airbus Defence
  and Space (Germany)
  

  Dr Michael Schoellhorn

  Chief Executive Officer, Airbus Defence and Space (Germany)

  Dr Michael Schoellhorn began his career in 1984 in the German Armed Forces, where he served as an officer and a helicopter pilot until 1994, with assignments in Germany and the US. He then worked in academia as a research assistant at the Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg from 1994 to 1999. Dr Schoellhorn joined Bosch in 1999 where he held various senior management positions in the automotive sector in the US, the Czech Republic and Germany, before being appointed Executive Vice President for Manufacturing and Quality in 2012. He became Chief Operating Officer of BSH Home Appliances in 2015.

  Dr Schoellhorn joined Airbus in February 2019 as the Chief Operating Officer. On 1 July 2021, he was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Defence and Space.

  Dr Schoellhorn is President of the German Aerospace Industries Association, as well as a presidium member of the Bundseverband der Deutschen Industrie, the German Industry association. He is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Airbus Operations GmbH, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, member of the Board of Directors of Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc., and member of the Board of Directors of Stratasys.

• 
  Dr Youngwoo SeoExecutive Vice President,
  Hanwha Aerospace
  (Republic of Korea)
  

  Dr Youngwoo Seo

  Executive Vice President, Hanwha Aerospace (Republic of Korea)

  Dr Youngwoo Seo is a field-roboticist and has been building mobile robots including self-driving cars, drones, Hyperloop – a high-speed transportation system – and unmanned ground vehicles for more than two decades. Dr Seo is a seasoned manager with experience in managing diverse groups. He is currently the Executive Vice President of the Land Systems Business Group at Hanwha Aerospace. Before Hanwha Defense merged with Hanwha Aerospace, Dr Seo oversaw and led the Department of Robotics and Autonomous Systems Development at Hanwha Defense.

  Prior to joining Hanwha, Dr Seo oversaw the operations at Atlas Robotics and delivered a technology stack for autonomous mobility by shared autonomy. He also led a team of engineers to develop perception stacks and mission-critical systems for Hyperloop One, now known as Virgin Hyperloop, create an autonomous flight stack for Autel Robotics, deliver parts of the next-generation product for the Special Project Group at Apple Inc, as well as demonstrate autonomous driving at the GM-Carnegie Mellon University Autonomous Driving Collaborative Research Lab. During his doctoral study, he was a member of the Tartan Racing team, the winning team of the 2007 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Urban Challenge, and worked on developing computational ways of augmenting cartographic resources and assessing roadway status for reliable autonomous driving. While working as a research staff for the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, he developed many machine learning algorithms and multi-agent systems to solve real-world, challenging problems.

  Dr Seo holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Master of Science in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Master of Computer Science from Seoul National University.

• 
  Mr David SpirkSenior Counselor,
  Palantir Technologies (USA)
  

  Mr David Spirk

  Senior Counselor, Palantir Technologies (USA)

  Mr David Spirk currently serves as Senior Counsellor at Palantir Technologies, where his focus is on assisting the US government, allied partner, and commercial business.

  Previously, he served as the US Department of Defense (DoD)’s first Chief Data Officer (CDO). In this role, he oversaw the DoD’s Chief Data Office, and instilled a strong focus on warfighters’ needs, data governance and a data-ready workforce. He developed the DoD’s first data strategy, data decrees, and Joint All-Domain Command and Control Data implementation plan.

  Prior to this, Mr Spirk was the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)’s first CDO, and the Director of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the US Special Forces. Mr Spirk also served as Associate Director for Technology Investment at the Secretary of the Air Force’s Concept Development and Management Office. His primary task was to lead the DoD’s pathfinding AI effort, also known as the Project Maven.

  Mr Spirk was previously the Deputy Director of Intelligence at USSOCOM and the US Central Command. At the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, he was the Deputy Associate Director of National Intelligence for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

  Mr Spirk is a former Marine who served across echelons at various US Marine Corps elements on the East Coast.

• 
  Mr Mike StoneChief Executive Officer, FitzRoy Stone Enterprises, and Ex-Managing Partner,
  Global Government,
  IBM (UK)
  

  Mr Mike Stone

  Chief Executive Officer, FitzRoy Stone Enterprises, and Ex-Managing Partner, Global Government, IBM (UK)

  Mr Mike Stone is the Chief Executive Officer of FitzRoy Stone Enterprises and IBM's former Global Managing Partner for Government. While he has eminence across the public sector, Mr Stone’s heritage is in defence, having served 28 years in the British Army and retiring as a Brigadier. Following a second career in increasingly senior roles in the telco and technology sectors, such as Chief Operating Officer of BT International, President of Service Design, Chief Information Officer of BT Global Services, and Global Chief Operating Officer of multinational technology company Mastek, Mr Stone returned to defence as a three-star civilian Chief Digital and Information Officer. In this role, Mr Stone led the Ministry of Defence on a radical transformation journey to adopt and exploit fully the power of cloud, mobility and data.

  Prior to joining IBM, Mr Stone led KPMG's digital disruption capabilities globally across the infrastructure, government, and healthcare sectors. He also served as KPMG’s Global Chair of Defense and National Security, and led in the area of Enterprise 5G across all sectors.

  As IBM’s Global Managing Partner for Government, Mr Stone led a major campaign to help government entities prepare for and deal with future shocks, spring boarding from his previous report on how the government can Emerge Stronger and More Resilient from COVID-19.

• 
  BG(Ret) Jaak TarienVice President of
  Sales and Business
  Development, Cybernetica
  AS (Estonia)
  

  BG(Ret) Jaak Tarien

  Vice President of Sales and Business Development, Cybernetica AS (Estonia)

  BG(Ret) Jaak Tarien has just begun a new career with Estonia’s established technology company AS Cybernetica (www.cyber.ee) where he leads the development of the European Secure Digital Military Mobility System (SDMMS).

  SDMMS is a consortium of 11 entities from 10 nations that develops a secure, ICT-based solution which will facilitate direct and secure exchange of information between nations requesting and approving military movement. Prior to his recent retirement, BG Tarien had a distinguished 28-year military career where he served as Commander of the Estonian Air Force from 2012 to 2018, and Director of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence from 2018 to 2022.

  BG Tarien is a graduate of the United States Air Force (USAF) Academy where he earned his Bachelor of Science in 1998. He also has two Master of Science degrees from Air University (USAF) in 2005 and National Defence University in 2018.

• 
  Ms Lila TretikovCorporate Vice President
  and Deputy Chief
  Technology Officer,
  Microsoft Corporation (USA)
  

  Ms Lila Tretikov

  Corporate Vice President and Deputy Chief Technology Officer,
  Microsoft Corporation (USA)

  Ms Lila Tretikov is the Corporate Vice President and Deputy Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft Corporation, and a leading expert on artificial intelligence (AI) and business transformation. In her role at Microsoft, she applies a cross-disciplinary approach to creating solutions that address some of the world’s most challenging problems, empowering humanity through technology.

  Prior to joining Microsoft in 2018, Ms Tretikov served as Senior Vice President of Engie SA, a multinational energy company, and Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of the Terrawatt Initiative, a non-profit organisation launched by Engie SA and other multinationals with a mission to alter the Earth’s ecology through energy transition to CO2-negative systems. She was previously Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikipedia Endowment, non-profit organisations that support Wikipedia.

  Ms Tretikov attended Lomonosov Moscow State University, where she studied mathematics, and the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied AI and visual arts.

• 
  Mr Kuldar VäärsiFounder and Chief
  Executive Officer,
  Milrem Robotics (Estonia)
  

  Mr Kuldar Väärsi

  Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Milrem Robotics (Estonia)

  Mr Kuldar Väärsi is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Milrem AS (Milrem Robotics), a leading European defence robotics solutions provider. He was responsible for establishing Milrem in 2013, bringing his expertise in the transport and heavy industry, as well as executive management experience to his role in the company. He oversees the corporate direction and long-term strategy for Milrem’s global business operations, and is responsible for overseeing and expanding Milrem’s presence in the defence and security sectors around the world.

  Mr Väärsi is the owner of Sinrob Group and main shareholder of Milrem AS.

  Mr Väärsi is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Estonian Air Navigation Services. He was previously the Chairman of the Board of Estonian Defence Industry Association from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his role in Milrem, he was Chief Executive Officer of SEBE Ltd, the largest public transport bus line operator in Estonia. He has worked in the Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of Estonia, and was also a member of the Board of Elektriraudtee, an Estonian state-owned railway operator.

  He graduated from Tallinn University with a degree in public administration.

• 
  Dr Marjorie VanbaelinghemDirector, Institute
  for Strategic Research
  of the Ministry
  of Armed Forces (France)
  

  Dr Marjorie Vanbaelinghem

  Director, Institute for Strategic Research of the
  Ministry of Armed Forces (France)

  Dr Marjorie Vanbaelinghem is the Director of the Institute for Strategic Research of the Ecole Militaire (IRSEM). She is an alumna of both the Ecole Normale Supérieure and Ecole Nationale d’Administration. Dr Vanbaelinghem holds a Ph.D. in art history, and has taught at several universities in France and Great Britain, from 2001 to 2008.

  Dr Vanbaelinghem started her career in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2009, where she worked on arms control and military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan. She then moved on to become Head of the Business Support and Innovation Office in the Global Economy and Business Directorate. She has also worked at several French embassies in Tokyo, London and Madrid.

  Before joining IRSEM and the French Ministry of Armed Forces, Dr Vanbaelinghem was Consul General of France in Bangalore, India, during the COVID-19 crisis.

• 
  LG Michael VetterDirector General Cyber /
  IT and Chief Information Officer, German Federal
  Ministry of Defence (Germany)
  

  LG Michael Vetter

  Director General Cyber / IT and Chief Information Officer, German Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)

  Lieutenant-General Michael Vetter is an officer at the German Air Force, and is currently the Director General for Cyber and Information Technology, and Chief Information Officer in the German Federal Ministry of Defence. General Vetter commanded the Luftwaffe Maintenance Regiment 2 from 2005 until 2007. From May to December 2013, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Support in the International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command North, Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan. From 2012 to 2017, he commanded the Bundeswehr Logistics Centre. From April 2017 to April 2019, General Vetter was the first Vice Chief of the Cyber and Information Domain Service (CIDS), and the Chief of Staff CIDS Headquarters in Bonn.

• 
  Mr Sven WeizeneggerHead of Bundeswehr Cyber
  Innovation Hub (Germany)
  

  Mr Sven Weizenegger

  Head of Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub (Germany)

  Mr Sven Weizenegger is Director of the Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub (CIHBw) – the digital innovation unit of the German Armed Forces – since June 2020. His tasks include top stakeholder management with federal ministers and state secretaries, as well as the overall strategic and technological orientation of the CIHBw.

  The CIHBw is the first military digital innovation unit in Europe and a role model for comparable digital units in other German federal ministries and agencies. Previously, Mr Weizenegger held various management positions in national and international active corporations and start-ups.

  As Telekom’s first official hacker, Mr Weizenegger rose to the board level, where he developed a new business and was responsible for end-to-end global collaborations with start-ups.

  His many years of experience and extensive expertise in both public and private sectors are crucial for establishing and fostering an innovative start-up culture in the Bundeswehr.

• 
  Mr Marcel ‘Otto’ YonPartner and Founder,
  innovation@scale and Freedom Fund (Germany)
  

  Mr Marcel ‘Otto’ Yon

  Partner and Founder, innovation@scale and Freedom Fund (Germany)

  Prior to founding Freedom Fund in 2023 and innovation@scale in 2020, Mr Marcel ‘Otto’ Yon served as Special Advisor for digital transformation under two ministers of defence in Germany. He initiated and built the Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub, the digital innovation unit of the German armed forces, serving all military branches and civilian administrations under the Ministry of Defence, to spearhead cultural change, collaboration with the international start-up ecosystem, development of a lean start-up as a military capability, as well as the recruitment of serial entrepreneurs.

  Mr Yon has been a start-up entrepreneur for 16 years. He has built two artificial intelligence/computer vision companies from university spin-offs to global market leaders, and exit via US and Australian stock markets, respectively. He has held several positions as non-executive board members in publicly listed, government-owned and private equity backed technology companies.

  Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Mr Yon served as executive director for a government-funded artificial intelligence research institute, and provided advice on mergers and acquisitions with an international investment bank.

  Over the past 20 years, Mr Yon has been constantly recognised as driver of the German high-tech ecosystem, a ‘biometrician’, ‘figurehead of the new economy’, ‘German high-tech elite’ and ‘Changemaker’. He has contributed significantly to building the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, the world’s largest entrepreneurs learning and personal development network in more than 60 countries, and other non-profit entrepreneurship organisations. Mr Yon continues to serve as a reserve officer, and is currently Head of the Task Group Transformation, reporting to the Chief of the German Navy.