The Singapore Defence Technology Summit (Tech Summit) is a unique gathering of global thought leaders from government, industry, academia, and think tanks, to network, confer, and collaborate in the development of defence and security capabilities.
Attendees include:
- Defence technology policy makers
- National Armament Directors and Chief Technology Officers
- Government Chief Technology Officers
- Chief Executive Officers and Chief Technology Officers from the industry
- Thought leaders from academia and think tanks
Recently, the world has witnessed unprecedented disruptions originating from diverse areas such as technology, geo-politics and health, and these have rippling effects because of the deep, interdependent linkages in the world today. We have seen first-hand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the economy, exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains, military operations, and accelerated the pace of digitalisation worldwide.
Tech Summit 2021 will examine the impact of recent disruptions to government organisations and industries, postulate new disruptors and vulnerabilities, discuss how to organise themselves for future disruptions, and perhaps even seize unexpected opportunities for growth.
moderators & speakers
- Mr Patrice CaineChairman and CEO, Thales Group (France)
Mr Patrice Caine
Chairman and CEO,
Thales Group (France)Mr Patrice Caine is a graduate of the École Polytechnique and the École des Mines ParisTech, and holds the rank of Ingénieur en Chef du Corps des Mines. He began his career in 1992 with the pharmaceutical group Fournier before becoming an advisor on mergers, acquisitions and corporate strategy at Charterhouse Bank Limited in London, United Kingdom.
From 1995 to 2000, he held several executive positions in the French administration. From 2000 to 2002, he served as the Technical Advisor on Energy at the cabinet office of the French Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry.
In 2002, Mr Caine joined the Thales Group's Strategy department before being appointed to manage the following operating units – Air & Naval, Communication, Navigation & Identification, Air Systems, Radio-communication Products, Network & Infrastructure Systems and Protection Systems.
In February 2013, he was appointed Senior Executive Vice-President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Performance Officer, and joined the Executive Committee.
In December 2014, Mr Caine was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Thales.
After being awarded the National Defence Medal, he was named Knight of the National Order of Merit in 2014 and Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2017.
- Dr Emmanuel ChivaDirector, Defence Innovation Agency (France)
Dr Emmanuel Chiva
Director,
Defence Innovation Agency (France)On 1 September 2018, Dr Emmanuel Chiva was appointed director of the new French Defense Innovation Agency, and member of the executive committee of the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA).
Before heading the Agency, Dr Chiva was Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Strategy Officer of AGUERIS, a subsidiary of John Cockerill Defence which specialises in military training and simulation for land systems, with an emphasis on embedded simulation. Aged 52, Dr Chiva spent more than 20 years in the military simulation domain for various companies. In particular, he created and managed the military simulation business of MASA GROUP, a company that specialises in behaviour modeling and Artificial Intelligence (AI). In parallel, between 2014 and 2019, he was chairman of the Research, Technology and Innovation committee for the French Land Defense & Security Industry Association (GICAT).
Dr Chiva is a graduate of the French École Normale Superieure, and holds a Ph.D. in Biomathematics and AI. He is an expert in the fields of AI, complex systems and biomimetics, and has authored more than 25 papers on AI and innovation. He is also a former auditor and advisor for IHEDN (French National Institute for Higher Defense Studies). Dr Chiva is a reserve Captain in the French Navy, and serves at the French Navy General Staff. He was awarded the decoration of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor on 12 December 2019 by the French Minister of Armed Forces for his service.
Dr Chiva is married and father of one child.
- Mr Chng Kai FongSecond Permanent Secretary, Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (Singapore)
Mr Chng Kai Fong
Second Permanent Secretary,
Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (Singapore)Mr Chng Kai Fong is the Second Permanent Secretary of the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group.
Mr Chng was Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) from October 2017 to October 2021. Before EDB, Mr Chng was the Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. He had also served in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Civil Service College, Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Communications and Information. As part of the Public Service’s development programme, Mr Chng was also seconded for two years to Shell.
Mr Chng graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Master in Engineering in 2001, and from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business with a Master of Science in Management in 2012.
Mr Chng is married with two daughters and a son. In his younger days, he freelanced as a Euphonium player and an amateur conductor. These days, he waves his hands when classical music is playing on the radio, to the bewilderment of his children.
- BG Kelvin FanChief of Staff – Joint Staff / Singapore Armed Forces Inspector-General (Singapore)
BG Kelvin Fan
Chief of Staff - Joint Staff / Singapore Armed Forces Inspector-General (Singapore)Brigadier General (BG) Kelvin Fan joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1998. He is an Air Warfare Officer by training and has held a diverse range of senior command and staff appointments in MINDEF/SAF including Head Air Plans, Director (Policy), Head Air Operations, Commander Air Defence and Operations Command, and Chief of Staff – Air Staff. He currently holds the appointment of Chief of Staff – Joint Staff and SAF Inspector-General.
BG Fan is also a member of the Singapore Administrative Service. Between 2007 and 2009, he was responsible for the Integrated Resorts and Sentosa in the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He is also currently a Board Director for Changi Airport Group.
In 1998, BG Fan was awarded the SAF Overseas Scholarship. He graduated with a Master of Economics from Cambridge University and a Master of International and Developmental Economics from Yale University. BG Fan was also a 2010 graduate of the US Air Force Command and Staff College, where he was the Vice-President of the International Officers. In 2013, BG Fan was awarded the SAF Post-Graduate Scholarship as well as the Lee Kuan Yew Post-Graduate Scholarship, and subsequently graduated with a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
For his contributions to the SAF, BG Fan was awarded the Public Administration Medal – Silver (Military) in 2015 and the Long Service Medal (Military) in 2018.
BG Fan is married to Yvonne and they have three daughters.
- Ms Elizabeth HengDirector Technology Strategy and Policy Office, Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
Ms Elizabeth Heng
Director Technology Strategy and Policy Office,
Ministry of Defence (Singapore)Ms Elizabeth Heng is Director Technology Strategy and Policy Office in the Ministry of Defence, Singapore. Prior to this, she held various appointments in the Defence Science and Technology Agency, overseeing capability development in sensors, and acquisition management of guided weapons and communication systems.
She holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Nanyang Technological University, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School (USA), and a Master of Science in Defence Technology and Systems from the Temasek Defence Systems Institute.
- Dr Naveed HussainChief Technology Officer, Vice President and General Manager, Boeing Research & Technology (USA)
Dr Naveed Hussain
Chief Technology Officer,
Vice President and General Manager,
Boeing Research & Technology (USA)Dr Naveed Hussain is Boeing’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Vice President and General Manager of Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T), Boeing’s advanced central research and development unit. In his role as CTO, Dr Hussain accelerates Boeing’s innovations and technology by leading the development and implementation of the company’s enterprise technology investment strategy.
As a trusted research, technology and technical organisation, BR&T develops innovative technologies that break barriers, enabling the development of future aerospace solutions while improving the cycle time, competitiveness, quality and performance of existing Boeing products and services.
Appointed to his BR&T position in 2018, Dr Hussain leads a team of scientists, technologists, technicians and engineers who collaborate with research and development partners worldwide to solve the aerospace industry’s toughest challenges. These also include Boeing subsidiary, Aurora Flight Sciences, which specialises in creating advanced aircraft through the development of versatile and intuitive autonomous systems. Additionally, Dr Hussain has oversight of the operations at five research centres in the United States and seven international research centres in Australia, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Russia and South Korea.
Dr Hussain earned a Bachelor of Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy from Stanford University, all in mechanical engineering. He also completed a master’s degree in business administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
- Dr Sungwoo HwangPresident and CEO, Samsung SDS (South Korea)
Dr Sungwoo Hwang
President and CEO,
Samsung SDS (South Korea)After spending years as a research fellow at the NEC Corporation in Japan and a professor of electrical engineering at Korea University, Dr Hwang joined the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) from 2012 to 2020, and built his career focusing on technology development.
During his time as Deputy President and President of SAIT, he was especially successful in key technology research and business development. His distinctive methodology and leadership contributed to finding the next growth engine.
Since 2020, he has been leading Samsung SDS as President and CEO, to transform it into a global tech company by advancing its technologies and building future technology capabilities.
- Dr Irit IdanExecutive Vice President for Research and Development, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (Israel)
Dr Irit Idan
Executive Vice President for Research and Development,
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (Israel)Dr Irit Idan is the Executive Vice President for Research and Development at RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems – Israel’s third largest defence company that is a global leader and pioneer in the development of breakthrough defence systems for land, naval, air superiority and cybersecurity.
Dr Idan received her Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in 1994. She received many academic awards such as the international Amelia Earhart Fellowship and the Minerva Fellowship. In 1994, she was also awarded the Katzir Fellowship, and began working at RAFAEL.
She serves on the Board of Directors of several companies, both in Israel and abroad, and is a member of the Technion Council and the Technion International Board of Governors.
Dr Idan served as a senior member of the steering committee at Israel’s Grand Strategy Forum, which was led by Prof Uzi Arad. The Forum submitted its report to the President of Israel in 2017.
- Dr Hao LiCEO and Co-Founder, Pinscreen (USA)
Dr Hao Li
CEO and Co-Founder,
Pinscreen (USA)Dr Hao Li is Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Pinscreen, a start-up that builds cutting edge AI-driven virtual avatar technologies. He is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Computer Vision Group at the University of California, Berkeley. Before that, he was an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southern California, as well as the Director of the Vision and Graphics Lab at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies.
He is known for his seminal work in virtual avatars, human digitisation, performance capture, as well as his recent efforts in deepfake analysis technologies. He was previously a visiting professor at Weta Digital, a research lead at Lucasfilm, and a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia and Princeton universities. He was named the top “35 Innovators Under 35” by MIT Technology Review in 2013, and was also awarded the Google Faculty Award, the Okawa Foundation Research Grant, as well as the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Early Career Chair. He won the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award in 2018, and was named the DARPA ISAT Study Group in 2019. In 2020, he won the ACM SIGGRAPH Real-Time Live! “Best in Show” Award.
- Dr Sean McFateProfessor of Strategy, Georgetown University and the National Defense University (USA)
Dr Sean McFate
Professor of Strategy,
Georgetown University and the National Defense University (USA)Dr Sean McFate is a professor of strategy at Georgetown University and the National Defense University. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington DC think-tank, and an Advisor to Oxford University’s Centre for Technology and Global Affairs. Dr McFate began his career as an officer and paratrooper in the US Army, and he is a consultant to the Pentagon and intelligence community.
His latest book, The New Rules of War: Victory in the Age of Durable Disorder, was named Book of the Year by The Economist. Dr McFate has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, and similar outlets. He has also appeared on multiple platforms like the Cable News Network, British Broadcasting Corporation, Sky News, Fox News, Microsoft National Broadcasting Company, National Public Radio, Columbia Broadcasting System, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, and The Economist.
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 - Prof Tanya MonroChief Defence Scientist, Department of Defence (Australia)
Prof Tanya Monro
Chief Defence Scientist,
Department of Defence (Australia)Professor Tanya Monro commenced the role of Chief Defence Scientist in March 2019. Prior to this, she was the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of South Australia. Professor Monro was the inaugural director of the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing and the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics at the University of Adelaide.
Professor Monro obtained her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Sydney, and was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom. Her honours and awards include: the Bragg Gold Medal for the best Ph.D. thesis by an Australian university student (1998), the Prime Minister's Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year (2008), South Australia's Australian of the Year (2011), Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research (2015), ARC Georgina Sweet Laureate Fellowship (2013-2018), and South Australia winner of the Australian Award for Excellence in Women's Leadership (2019).
Professor Monro is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, the Optical Society in America and the Australian Institute of Physics. She is also a board member of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
- BG David NeoDeputy Secretary (Technology) and Future Systems & Technology Architect, Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
BG David Neo
Deputy Secretary (Technology) and Future Systems & Technology Architect,
Ministry of Defence (Singapore)BG David Neo is the Deputy Secretary (Technology) and Future Systems and Technology Architect at the Ministry of Defence, Singapore. Prior to this, he served in various command and staff appointments in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) including Director Joint Operations (J3), Head Joint Plans and Transformation Department (J5), and Commander 3rd Singapore Division, and ground tours in the Commando Formation. He also served in the Singapore Civil Service, and was Group Chief of the Silver Generation Office. He currently serves on the boards of Defence Science Technology Agency, Temasek Defence Systems Institute and Cap Vista Pte Ltd.
BG Neo holds degrees in Electrical Engineering and Economics from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Master’s degrees from Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was also awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship in 2012.
- Mr Ravi PanditCo-Founder and Chairman, KPIT Technologies (India)
Mr Ravi Pandit
Co-Founder and Chairman,
KPIT Technologies (India)Mr Ravi Pandit is the Co-Founder and Chairman of KPIT Technologies Ltd – an independent software integration partner to Global Automotive Leaders.
He is also Chairman of the K&P Group – which has several subsidiaries such as the Kirtane and Pandit LLP Chartered Accountants and ESOP Direct – and an Independent Director on the board of Thermax Limited.
Mr Pandit is Chairman of the Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute, and is on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research.
Deeply involved in Corporate Social Responsibility programmes and other social activities, Mr Pandit is the Director of WRI India and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme in India. He is also Founder Trustee of Janwani and the Pune International Centre.
An alumnus of the MIT Sloan School of Management, Mr Pandit is a gold medalist and fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, and an associate member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.
Mr Pandit has received the Cummins’ J Irwin Miller Award of Excellence, Rotary Excellence Award for exemplary leadership and outstanding performance, and Maharashtra Corporate Excellence Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship. He has co-authored the award-winning book, Leapfrogging to pole-vaulting: Creating the Magic of Radical yet Sustainable Transformation, with Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar.
- Dr G Satheesh ReddySecretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, Defence Research and Development Organisation (India)
Dr G Satheesh Reddy
Secretary,
Department of Defence R&D and Chairman,
Defence Research and Development Organisation (India)Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, leads the indigenous development of defence systems and technologies.
As the top defence scientist of India, Dr Reddy spearheads the development of major programmes on missiles and strategic systems, fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial defence systems, underwater systems, radar systems, strategic materials, armaments and other defence technologies. A visionary and institution builder, his technology leadership has deeply impacted the development of ‘best in class’ systems for the Indian Armed Forces.
Under his leadership, flagship programmes on many advanced technologies and systems have been conceptualised and realised.
Dr Reddy has helped the fostering of the Eco System with new Young Scientist Laboratories, Research Centres in Academia, Technology transfers and Intellectual Property Rights sharing with Industry, revamped procedures and innovation contests. He has focused on all aspects of defence research, development and production by enabling defence industries.
Dr Reddy’s significant contributions and relentless scientific pursuit have been widely acknowledged. He has been conferred with numerous Honorary Doctorates and Awards. He is the first Indian in over 100 years to be conferred with the prestigious Honorary Fellowship and Silver Medal by the Royal Aeronautical Society, London.
- Dr Will RoperCEO, Volansi / Former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USA)
Dr Will Roper
CEO,
Volansi / Former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition,
Technology and Logistics (USA)For three years, Dr Will Roper served as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. In this role, he led all research, development, procurement and logistics for both the US Air Force and Space Force – an annual budget totalling US$60 billion.
While at the Air Force, Dr Roper took large strides in opening defence market opportunities to commercial companies, spearheading initiatives like AFWERX that connected 2,300 tech companies with the US military. He also led department-wide technology transformations for software, artificial intelligence and digital engineering, and initiated high-tech programmes for hypersonic weapons, autonomous drones, advanced satellites and rockets, as well as a militarised Internet of Things, all while overseeing the day-to-day logistics of 5,300 military aircraft and satellites.
Dr Roper is now the President and Chief Executive Officer of Volansi – a Silicon Valley-backed drone start-up revolutionising the speed and accuracy of aerial delivery in the world’s toughest environments. Volansi currently operates in the US, remote parts of Africa with Fortune 500 partners, and even at sea with the US Navy.
Dr Roper has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in physics from Georgia Institute of Technology and a doctorate in mathematics from Oxford University, where he studied string theory as a Rhodes Scholar.
- Mr Raghav SahgalPresident of Cloud and Network Services, Nokia (Finland)
Mr Raghav Sahgal
President of Cloud and Network Services,
Nokia (Finland)Mr Raghav Sahgal is a global leader and entrepreneur in the cloud, software and communications space, paving the path to a secure and digital future.
In his current role as President of the Cloud and Network Services business at Nokia, Mr Sahgal leads the transition of communication service providers (CSPs) and enterprises across the world to cloud-native software and as-a-service businesses.
Mr Sahgal was previously the former president of Nokia Enterprise, where he positioned the business group as one of the market leaders in private wireless networks, and achieved significant growth by delivering mission-critical networks and digital automation solutions to enterprises, including webscale and industrial businesses, as well as government entities.
Mr Sahgal also served as Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Market Services for Nokia Software, where he built the Global Business Center for the Nokia Software business group from the ground up, helping CSPs and enterprises embark on their digital transformation journeys.
Mr Sahgal holds a master’s degree in computer systems management from the University of Maryland, USA, and a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Tulane University, USA. He also received an Executive Business Certificate in General Management from Harvard University, USA.
- 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 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.
- Mr Mike SewartGroup Chief Technology Officer, QinetiQ (UK)
Mr Mike Sewart
Group Chief Technology Officer,
QinetiQ (UK)Mr Mike Sewart is a visionary leader with broad market insights. He has experience in a diverse set of global industry sectors including financial services, retail, manufacturing, central government and more recently, defence. Mr Sewart’s background is in information technology, with a heavy bias towards software development, analytics, AI and cloud computing technologies.
Mr Sewart is currently Group Chief Technology Officer of QinetiQ. In this role, he leads a global function focused on developing innovative products and services, co-creating with customers and leveraging QinetiQ’s wider ecosystem of partners to create new compelling disruptive products and services for customers.
- Prof Yossi SheffiElisha Gray II Professor of Engineering Systems, Director, MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (USA)
Prof Yossi Sheffi
Elisha Gray II Professor of Engineering Systems,
Director,
MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (USA)Dr Yossi Sheffi, Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL), is an expert in systems optimisation, risk analysis and supply chain management. He is author of a textbook and five award-winning management books. His last book, The New (Ab)normal: Reshaping Business and Supply Chain Strategy Beyond Covid-19, was published on 1 October 2020.
Under his leadership, MIT CTL has launched many educational, research, and industry/government outreach programmes, including the MIT Global Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence network involving six academic centres from across the world. In 2015, MIT CTL launched the online MicroMasters programme which saw an enrolment of over 350,000 students from 196 countries.
Outside the institute, Dr Sheffi has consulted with numerous organisations. He has also founded and co-founded five successful companies, all of which have been acquired by large enterprises.
Dr Sheffi has been recognised by numerous academic and industry forums and has won dozens of awards.
He obtained his B.Sc. from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in 1975 and Ph.D. from MIT in 1978.
For more information about Dr Sheffi, visit:
http://sheffi.mit.edu/ - The Honorable Heidi ShyuUnder Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Department of Defense Research and Engineering (USA)
The Honorable Heidi Shyu
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering,
Department of Defense Research and Engineering (USA)The Honorable Heidi Shyu is the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, USA. In this role, she serves as the Chief Technology Officer for the Department of Defense (DoD), where she ensures the technological superiority of the US military, and is responsible for the research, development, and prototyping activities across the DoD enterprise.
She also oversees the activities of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Missile Defense Agency, the Defense Innovation Unit, the Space Development Agency, the DoD Laboratory and Engineering Center enterprise, and the Under Secretariat staff focused on developing advanced technology and capability for the US military.
- Mr Ravinder SinghGroup COO, (Technology & Innovation) and President (Defence & Public Security), ST Engineering (Singapore)
Mr Ravinder Singh
Group COO, (Technology & Innovation) and
President, (Defence & Public Security),
ST Engineering (Singapore)Mr Ravinder Singh is Group Chief Operating Officer (COO), Technology & Innovation, and President/Head Defence & Public Security of ST Engineering, a global technology, defence and engineering group with a diverse portfolio of businesses across the aerospace, smart city, defence and public security segments.
Appointed on 1 January 2021, as Group COO, Mr Singh oversees the development of multi-domain technologies and business innovations across the Group.
As President/Head of Defence & Public Security, he leads the Group’s businesses across Digital Systems, Cyber, Land Systems, Marine and Defence Aerospace, driving the development of products and solutions for Defence, Public Safety and Security, and Critical Information Infrastructure customers.
Mr Singh previously held various leadership roles in ST Engineering, including the President of the Electronics sector and the President of the Land Systems sector. Prior to ST Engineering, Mr Singh served as the Chief of Army in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Deputy Secretary (Technology) of Singapore’s Ministry of Defence. He was awarded the SAF Overseas Training Award (Academic) and was conferred the Public Administration Medal (Military), Silver and Gold.
Mr Singh is Deputy Chairman of the National Environment Agency’s Board, and a board member of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). He is also a member of the Services and Digital Economy Technology Roadmap Steering Committee under Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority; the Committee on Autonomous Road Transport for Singapore, Ministry of Transport; and the Council of the Board for the Teaching and Testing of South Asian Languages, Ministry of Education.
- LTG Thomas H. Todd IIIDeputy Commanding General, Acquisition and Systems / Chief Innovation Officer, United States Army Futures Command (USA)
LTG Thomas H. Todd III
Deputy Commanding General,
Acquisition and Systems / Chief Innovation Officer,
United States Army Futures Command (USA)LTG Thomas H. Todd III began serving as the Deputy Commanding General for Acquisition and Systems and the Chief Innovation Officer at the United States Army Futures Command in July 2020.
He previously served at the executive level in numerous roles: Special Assistant for Acquisition and Systems Management to the Commanding General, United States Army Materiel Command, Program Executive Officer for Army Aviation, Deputy Commanding General of Research, Development and Engineering Command, Senior Commander of Natick Soldier Systems Center, and Modernization Advisor to the Director, Army Capabilities Integration Center.
LTG Todd led the Army and Joint programmes at all echelons, delivering advanced capabilities to Soldiers, joint services, government agencies, and over 60 foreign allied nations. He developed and delivered advanced capabilities CH-47F, H-60M, H-60V, AH-64E, Improved Turbine Engine, MQ-1C Gray Eagle ER, UH-72 Lakota, EMARSS-E, and the Black Hawk Aircrew Trainer. His joint assignments include: Defense Contract Management Agency Special Programs Multi-Service Team, Chief of Contracts, and the Joint Task Force Bravo in the Republic of Honduras. Operationally, he served with the A Co 3/501st Aviation Regiment in the Republic of Korea and the 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Brigade in Fort Hood, Texas.
LTG Todd is a 1989 graduate of The Citadel. He is an Honor Graduate of the Army’s Initial Entry Rotary Wing training and a graduate of the Kiowa and Black Hawk Maintenance Test Pilot courses. He holds Masters of Science degrees in Contract Management and Strategic Studies from the Florida Institute of Technology and the United States Air War College, respectively.
His awards and badges include the Legion of Merit (two oak leaf clusters), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal and other Army and joint commendations and awards. He is an Air Assault graduate and a Senior Army Aviator for the UH-1 Iroquois, OH-58 A/C Kiowa, UH-60 A/L/M Black Hawk and CH-47 D/F Chinook.
LTG Todd resides in Austin, Texas with his wife. They have three children and one grandchild.
- Mr Patrick TuckerTechnology Editor, Defense One (USA)
Mr Patrick Tucker
Technology Editor,
Defense One (USA)Mr Patrick Tucker is the technology editor for Defense One. He is also the author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move?, which was published in 2014.
Previously, Mr Tucker was deputy editor for The Futurist for nine years. He has written about emerging technology in Slate, The Sun, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Technology Review and Wilson Quarterly, and has appeared on Cable News Network, Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, Fox News, British Broadcasting Corporation, and a wide variety of networks and programmes.
