Speakers
(in alphabetical order)
Benjamin Ben Ari
Commander of the Military Reserve Forces of the Israel Defense Forces
Brigadier General Benjamin Ben Ari has been the Commander of the Reserve Forces Corps of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since 2021. Before assuming his current duties, Brigadier-General Benjamin Ben Ari served as the Head of the ‘Commando Brigade’ from 2016 to 2021. Between 2011 and 2016, he was the Brigade Commander of the ‘Negev Brigade’ and the Operations Officer at the ‘Negev Brigade’ (1993-2000). In 1990-93, Brigadier-General Benjamin Ben Ari served as the Commander of the ‘Dovdevan Brigade,’ where had previously been enlisted between 1988 and 1990.
Heiko Borchert
Co-Director of Defense AI Observatory
Dr Heiko Borchert is Co-Director of the Hamburg-based Defense AI Observatory at the Helmut Schmidt University and runs Borchert Consulting & Research AG, a strategic affairs consulting boutique. For more than 25 years, he has been working on a broad set of national security and defence issues, engaged in setting up various defence capability and technology development consortia for the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) as well as the Preparatory Action on Defense Research (PADR). Dr Borchert was instrumental in several defence export campaigns of major European defence companies.
Joslyn Brodfuehrer
Associate Director with the Transatlantic Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council
@jabrodfuehrer / @AtlanticCouncil
Joslyn Brodfuehrer is an Associate Director with the Transatlantic Security Initiative (TSI) at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. In this capacity, she supports TSI’s efforts to strengthen the transatlantic alliance against emerging security threats. She previously served as a programme assistant at the National Endowment for Democracy’s International Forum for Democratic Studies, where she supported the centre’s information space and emerging technologies research portfolios. Prior to joining the International Forum, Ms Brodfuehrer held internships at the US Department of State and the Office of the US Trade Representative. Ms Brodfuehrer holds an MPh in politics and international studies from the University of Cambridge.
Kateryna Chernohorenko
Deputy Minister of Defenсe for Digital Development, Digital Transformations, and Digitization in Ukraine
Kateryna Chernohorenko is the Deputy Minister of Defense for Digital Development, Digital Transformations, and Digitization since autumn 2023. Since the inception of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, she has been an integral part of the reform team, spearheading the launch of next-generation electronic services such as eBaby for the parents of newborn children, electronic hospital services, and the COVID certificate within the Diia platform. When the full-scale war began, Kateryna worked on strengthening the technological component of the Security and Defense Forces, initiating the launch and leading the Army of Drones project. Kateryna’s key directions at the Ministry include services for military personnel and conscripts, combat and non-combat digital systems, and innovations.
Karl Ford
Director of Defence Planning at NATO Headquarters
Karl Ford CB CBE has served as the Director of Defence Planning at NATO HQ since May 2023. He leads the NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP) which includes, in close cooperation with national delegations and national capitals, crafting Political Guidance for Defence Planning, developing specific NATO Capability Targets, and conducting regular Reviews of national defence programmes, plans, and resources. His Directorate also compiles defence-related burden-sharing reports (e.g., implementation of the Defence Investment Pledge) and conducts analysis on defence expenditure. He chairs the Defence Planning and Policy Committee for relevant issues. Following a cadetship to Bath University, he commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1989.
Charles Fries
Deputy Secretary General for Peace, Security and Defence at European External Action Service
Charles Fries is the Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in charge of Peace, Security and Defence (DSG-DEF), a job he has held since 2020. From 2012 to 2020, he served as Ambassador of France to Morocco and then Turkey. He was also French Ambassador to the Czech Republic (2006-09). Mr Fries’ previous appointments include Diplomatic Advisor to the French Prime Minister (2009-12), Advisor for European Affairs to the French President Jacques Chirac (2002-06) and to the French Foreign Minister (1993-95). Throughout his career, Mr Fries has held a number of other senior positions in the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office, including Secretary-General for European affairs.
Robbie Gramer
National Security Reporter at POLITICO
Robbie Gramer is a national security reporter at POLITICO based in Washington, where he covers the White House and State Department. Prior to joining POLITICO, Mr Gramer served as diplomatic correspondent at Foreign Policy Magazine for eight years.
Matthias Hespe
Policy Advisor for Maritime Security at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Matthias Hespe is the Policy Advisor for Maritime Security in the International and Security Affairs Department at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in Berlin. Before joining KAS headquarters in July 2024, he worked for two years as a Scientific Associate in the KAS Regional Programme Political Dialogue South Caucasus based in Tbilisi (Georgia) and Yerevan (Armenia). Mr Hespe gained work experience at the German Bundestag, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), among others, and worked in Ukraine in 2017-18. He holds an MA in political science from the University of Bonn.
Tomas Jermalavičius
Head of Studies and Research Fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security
Tomas Jermalavičius is the Head of Studies and Research Fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security. Prior to joining the ICDS in 2008, he served at the Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL), first as Deputy Director of its Institute of Defence Studies and Lithuania’s senior national representative (2001-04) and later as Dean of the College (2005-08). In 1998-2001 and 2005, he was with the Defence Policy and Planning Department of the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence, including as the department’s deputy director. Since 2017, he has been a visiting professor at the Natolin Campus of the College of Europe in Warsaw. He is also an associated fellow of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA). He holds a BA in political science from Vilnius University, an MA in war studies from King’s College London, and an MBA degree from the University of Liverpool.
Marko Kaseleht
CEO of SensusQ
Marko Kaseleht is a CEO and co-founder of SensusQ, as well as a seasoned defence industry specialist and combat veteran with an extensive background in leadership and organisational management. After a distinguished 13-year career in the armed forces, where he held pivotal leadership roles in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr Kaseleht transitioned to the private defence sector in 2016. In his defence industry career, Mr Kaseleht has held a variety of roles, from business development to senior management.
Krzysztof Król
Senior Advisor to the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Poland
Lieutenant General Krzysztof Król is the Senior Advisor to the Chief of General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces. Having joined the Polish Army in 1987, he has held a number of positions in Polish Land Force structures. Throughout his career, he commanded the UNIFIL engineering support unit in Lebanon and was ACOS G3 operations, Multinational Division Central-South in Iraq. He led Command Support Brigade MNC NE and was deputy commander of Multinational Corps Northeast. In 2018, he was assigned as Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces and subsequently, in 2020, as Chief of Staff, Allied Joint Forces Command Brunssum. His education includes postgraduate studies in defence policy at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto and a PhD at the Academy of National Defence in Warsaw.
Łukasz Kulesa
Director of Proliferation and Nuclear Policy at the Royal United Services Institute
Łukasz Kulesa is the Director of Proliferation and Nuclear Policy (PNP) at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). The PNP group conducts research and convenes dialogues on nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons issues, as well as WMP non-proliferation and the nexus between civil and military nuclear programmes. His personal research interests include nuclear and conventional deterrence, arms control, Euro-Atlantic security, NATO and Russian security policy, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the transatlantic security relationship. Prior to joining RUSI, Mr Kulesa was Deputy Head of the Research Office at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (Warsaw).
Kaimo Kuusk
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Estonia
Kaimo Kuusk is the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Estonia, a position he assumed in September 2024. Mr Kuusk is responsible for leading the work of the ministry and coordinating the activities of the Estonian Defence Forces, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Centre for Defence Investment, the Defence Resources Agency, the Estonian War Museum, as well as the Defence League. Before being appointed as Permanent Secretary, he served as Estonia’s Ambassador to Lithuania. Prior to that, Mr Kuusk was the Estonian Ambassador to Ukraine, where he coordinated the delivery of Estonia’s military aid following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. From 1998 to 2019, Mr Kuusk held various positions in the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, with the last nine years as Deputy Director General. In 2019, he began working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Bureau. Mr Kuusk graduated from the University of Tartu with a degree in political science and continued his education in the Civil Servants’ Course at the Baltic Defence College and the University of Oslo. He has been awarded the Order of the White Star, 5th Class, and the Order of the National Coat of Arms, 3rd Class.
Stuart Lau
NATO correspondent for POLITICO
Stuart Lau is the NATO and EU-China Correspondent for POLITICO Europe. Prior to joining POLITICO, he was a Reuters journalist fellow at the University of Oxford and a journalist at BBC World Service. Mr Lau’s current coverage focuses on the political and diplomatic dimension of NATO, as the Alliance evolves around changes in the security situation in its immediate neighbourhood, political leadership across the Atlantic, geopolitical landscape in other theatres, as well as top leadership at NATO itself.
Nuno Lemos Pires
National Defence Policy Director at the Ministry of National Defence of Portugal
Major General Nuno Lemos Pires is currently assigned as National Defence Policy Deputy Director at the Ministry of Defence of Portugal and Professor at the Portuguese Military Academy in Lisbon. He served in several units including: Military Operations and Strategy at the PRT War College; Intel Officer at the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Spain; Military Assistant to the Commander at NATO Joint Command Lisbon; Mechanized Battalion Commander at the PRT Mechanized Brigade; Corps Cadet Commander, Deputy Commander, Coordinator of the PhD in History, Security Studies and Defence and Professor at the Military Academy; Training Director at the Combined Arms School; Defence Policy Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Defence; Commander of the European Union Training Mission in Mozambique (EUTM-Moz). During his assignments, he participated in missions in Mozambique, Angola, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. With 10 books published, he cooperated in more than 100 books, articles, and projects written in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, especially related to military history, strategy, and international relations. Army Major General Nuno Lemos Pires holds a PhD in history, defence and international relations, a master’s in military science, and a postgraduate in military history.
Susan Lilleväli
Undersecretary for Defence Readiness at the Ministry of Defence of Estonia
Susan Lilleväli is the Undersecretary for Defence Readiness at the Ministry of Defence of Estonia, where her responsibility is to coordinate the work of Defence Readiness, Defence Willingness, and Strategic Communication Departments. Before assuming this position, Ms Lilleväli was in charge of the Ministry of Defence’s strategic communications. Ms Lilleväli has extensive working experience in the private sector and has completed a one-year professional internship in the field of research and communication in Washington, DC. She has a master’s degree in national security and resource strategy from National Defense University in Washington, DC, and a master’s degree in communication management.
Andrus Merilo
Commander of the Defence Forces of Estonia
Major General Andrus Merilo is the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces. He started his military service in 1992 as a conscript in the Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion and continued his career in the Estonian Infantry Company of the Baltic Battalion. Major General Merilo has served in numerous positions in the Defence Forces, including the Chief of Operations Department of the Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces, Chief of Administration for the Chief of Defence, Commander of the Scouts Battalion, and Commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade. His military education includes studies in the Finnish National Defence University, Command and General Staff College and Army War College in the US. Major General Merilo has been deployed to Lebanon, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Kristen Michal
Prime Minister of Estonia
@KristenMichalPM / @EstonianGovt
Kristen Michal has served as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia since July 2024. Before assuming this position, he was the Minister of Climate (2023-24), a ministry he founded from scratch. Prime Minister Michal previously held ministerial portfolios in economic affairs and infrastructure (2015-16) and justice (2011-12). He was a member of the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th convocations of the parliament (Riigikogu), where he headed several Riigikogu committees. In 2003-11, Prime Minister Michal was the Secretary General of the Estonian Reform Party. He was an advisor to the Prime Minister (2002) and an advisor to the Minister of Regional Affairs and the head of the minister’s office (2001-02). In 1999-2001, he was an advisor to the Reform Party faction of the Riigikogu and, in 1996-99, an advisor to the Reform Party faction of the Tallinn City Council. Prime Minister Michal graduated from University Nord in 2009 with a degree in law and studied law at the master’s level at Tallinn University in 2010-14.
Rym Momtaz
Editor-in-chief of Strategic Europe at Carnegie Europe
Rym Momtaz is the editor-in-chief of Carnegie Europe’s blog Strategic Europe. Prior to that, Ms Momtaz was a senior correspondent in France for POLITICO Europe where, between 2019 and 2022, she covered Emmanuel Macron’s foreign and European policy. She was also co-host of POLITICO Europe’s weekly EU Confidential podcast on European politics and is a regular foreign affairs analyst on French television. A multiple Emmy award-winning journalist-turned-analyst, she specialises in Europe and the Middle East and the interplay between those two spaces. She has particular expertise on French foreign and defence policy, European geopolitics, and the transatlantic relationship. Among her publications is an analysis of French President Emmanuel Macron’s conception of the European security order and agenda-setting articles like “The Macron Method,” “Emmanuel Macron’s Russian Roulette,” and “Emmanuel Macron, Think Tanker-In-Chief.”
Wolfgang Ohl
Deputy Director-General for Military Strategy and Operations at the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany
Major General Wolfgang Ohl is the Deputy Director-General for Military Strategy and Operations at the Federal Ministry of Defence (FMoD). Before assuming this position in 2024, Major General Ohl served as the Chief of Staff at the German Air Force Headquarters in 2019-24. His previous positions include Chief of Division II, Directorate-General for Security and Defence Policy at FMoD (2017-19), Chief of Branch, FMoD Executive Group Information Centre (2016-17) and FMoD Information Centre for Security and Defence Policy (2014-16). Major General Ohl joined Bundeswehr in 1985. In his nearly 40 years of military service, he held the positions of, among others, Chief of Branch I 2 at the Directorate-General for Personnel; Chief of Section II 2 at Bundeswehr Personnel Office; Assistant Chief of Staff J 1 at the Response Forces Operations Command; Commander, Battalion III, at the Air Force Training Regiment, Air Force Fundamental Training Centre; Staff Officer at the Policy Planning Staff, Federal Ministry of Defence. Major General Ohl attended the 43rd National General/Admiral Staff Officer Course (Air Force), Bundeswehr Command and Staff College in Hamburg and holds a degree in economics and organisational science from Bundeswehr University Hamburg.
Guillaume Ollagnier
Director of Strategic Affairs, Disarmament, and Non-Proliferation at the Foreign Affairs Ministry of France
John Andreas Olsen
Net Assessment Analyst at NATO Headquarters
Dr John Andreas Olsen is an active-serving colonel in the Royal Norwegian Air Force currently assigned to NATO Headquarters in Brussels. He is also a professor at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, a non-resident senior fellow of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, a fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, a member of the RUSI Journal editorial board, and an advisory board member of the Air University’s Æther: a Journal for Airpower and Spacepower. Dr Olsen has lectured in more than fifty countries worldwide, received several national and international awards and published a series of books on NATO and airpower.
Jacob Parakilas
Research Leader for Defence and Security at RAND Europe
Dr Jacob Parakilas is the Research Leader for Defence Strategy, Policy, and Capabilities at RAND Europe. Previously, he was the Deputy Head of the US programme at Chatham House, working on issues relating to the US role in the world and foreign perceptions of America. He also worked on the US-UK defence relationship as part of the State Department’s Political-Military team at the Embassy in London. He has also worked as Head of Weapons at Action on Armed Violence, an NGO specialising in armed violence reduction worldwide, and a team leader at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, working on student visas. His professional interests are in American foreign policy, the evolution of warfare, the role of technology in war and peace, US politics, the trade in drugs and arms, and US domestic politics.
Eric Peltier
Deputy Director General for International Relations and Strategy at the Ministry for the Armed Forces of France
Lieutenant General Eric Peltier is the Deputy Director General for International Relations and Strategy at the Ministry for the Armed Forces of France. After graduating from the French Military Academy, Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan in 1990, he earned his commission into the Armoured Cavalry and later attended the CHEM (War College). During his career, he was deployed to several operations abroad, from ALMANDIN in the Central African Republic to TRIDENT in Kosovo and UNIFIL in Lebanon. Promoted to Brigadier General in 2019, he served as Commander of the EU Training Mission in the Central African Republic. He was then head of the Southern Bilateral Cooperation Department within the French Joint Defence Staff, prior to being appointed as Head of Joint International Affairs, as Major General. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant General on 1 August 2024, upon becoming Deputy Director General for International Relations and Strategy. Lieutenant General Peltier is an Officer of the Legion of Honour, Officer of the National Order of Merit, and holder of the Cross of Military Valour with three commendations.
Hanno Pevkur
Minister of Defence of Estonia
Hanno Pevkur has been the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Estonia since 2022. Prior to that, he was a member of the 13th and 14th convocations of the parliament (Riigikogu) from 2016 to 2022. He held several ministerial positions: Minister of the Interior (2014-16), Minister of Justice (2012-14), and Minister of Social Affairs (responsible for the fields of work, health, and social protection). Having started his career in law, he went on to serve in the Nõmme District Administration in Tallinn (2000-05), first as an administrative secretary and later as city district elder. In 2005-07, he was a member of the Tallinn City Council, chairman of the Nõmme District Administrative Board, and an advisor to the Minister of Justice. In 2007-09, he was a member of the 11th Riigikogu.
Michael Raska
Assistant Professor at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University
Dr Michael Raska is an Assistant Professor in the Military Transformations Programme at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He has published on the impact of AI on defence and military innovation, revolutions in military affairs, digital warfare, and comparative net assessments of defence innovation strategies and capabilities. His recent teaching experiences include visiting fellowships at the Australian Defence College and invited lectures, seminars, and briefings for Singapore’s Ministry of Defence, Defence Science and Technology Agency, Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College, and all four service branches of the Singapore Armed Forces. In 2024, he was selected as a member of the expert advisory group for the Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GC REAIM).
Mikk Raud
Deputy Director of the Innovation Department at the Ministry of Defence of Estonia
Mikk Raud is the Deputy Director of the Innovation Department at the Estonian Ministry of Defence, where he leads projects on cyber security and policymaking for future technologies. Before joining the Estonian public sector, Mr Raud worked as a technology policy analyst at PayPal in the US and as a cyber security consultant at Control Risks in Hong Kong. Mr Raud holds a BA in law and politics from the University of Hong Kong, an MA in economics from Peking University, and an MA in international policy from Stanford University.
Sven Sakkov
Ambassador of Estonia to Finland
Sven Sakkov has been the Ambassador of Estonia to Finland since 2020. Before assuming his duties in Helsinki, he served as a Director of the ICDS, as a Director of NATO Cyber Centre of Excellence, and as undersecretary for policy (Policy Director) of the Estonian Ministry of Defence. During his 7 years as Policy Director, he was also Estonia’s representative to NATO’s Senior Officials’ Group and High-Level Group. During his three decades in different defence- and security-related fields, Mr Sakkov has worked for President Lennart Meri and been posted to the Estonian Mission to NATO and to the Estonian Embassy in Washington, DC. He has an MPhil degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge and is a graduate of Tartu University and the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.
Rainer Saks
Member of the Management Board at Cybexer Technology
Rainer Saks works in the Estonian cyber defence technology company, Cybexer Technology, where he is a member of the Management Board. Prior to joining the private sector, Mr Saks was the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia from 2015 to 2020. In his public service career, Mr Saks worked as the Director General of the Estonian Information Board (currently the Foreign Intelligence Service), the Director of the Office of the President, and the National Security Coordinator in the Government Office. At the turn of the millennium, Mr Saks was an adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Mr Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who later became the president of the Republic. In addition to his job, Mr Saks writes daily reports about the Russian war against Ukraine since the beginning of the aggression, has joined the PractNet team, as an expert, and participates in an advising project in Moldova.
Kusti Salm
CEO of Frankenburg Technologies
Kusti Salm is the CEO of Frankenburg Technologies, a defence technology company focused on developing and producing innovative, mass-production-ready air defence missiles. Previously, he served as the Permanent Secretary of the Estonian Ministry of Defence. From 2019 to 2021, he worked as the National Armaments Director of Estonia. In 2017 he was the chief negotiator for establishing the European Defence Fund. Moreover, he is the Member of the Board of Directors of the NATO Innovation Fund.
Patrick Shepherd
Chief Sales Officer at Milrem Robotics
Patrick Shepherd is the Chief Sales Officer of Milrem Robotics. He has over two decades of defence-related experience, including a 16-year tenure at Lockheed Martin where he held various positions, the latest being Strategy and Business Development Manager for the Nordics. He has achieved several industry certifications, and his work has earned him a letter of commendation from the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. Mr Shepherd’s background also encompasses a noteworthy period of service in the United States Army as an Artillery Officer in the 172nd Stryker Brigade in Fort Wainwright Alaska, during which he embarked on a 16-month deployment to Iraq. For his service, he received the Bronze Star in recognition of his contributions. A graduate of Florida State University, Mr Shepherd joined Milrem Robotics in August 2023.
Iro Särkkä
Postdoctoral Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Dr Iro Särkkä is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). Before joining FIIA, she worked as a Researcher and Special Adviser at the Finnish Defence Command (Finnish Defence Forces, FDF) in 2004-13 and as a Senior Advisor at the University of Helsinki in 2020-22. From 2013-19, she completed her doctoral research on Finland and NATO. Dr Särkkä holds both doctoral and master’s degrees in social sciences from the University of Helsinki (major in political science) and is also a graduate of Science Po Lille in France and Pearson College United World College in Canada. Her areas of expertise include Finnish, French, and Nordic security and defence policy, NATO, and questions of political behaviour. Dr Särkkä has recently published on NATO’s nuclear deterrence policy and role in northern Europe, as well as led a research project on Finland’s various defence partnerships as a NATO member.
Polina Sinovets
Director of the Odesa Center for Non-proliferation
Dr Polina Sinovets is a Founder and Head of the Odesa Center for Non-proliferation (OdCNP) at Odesa Mechnikov National University (Ukraine). In this role, she leads the education, training, research, and outreach activities of OdCNP. She is the author and co-author of multiple publications on the nuclear weapons policy of the US and Russia, nuclear deterrence, strategic stability, and European security in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, NATO Defence College Research Papers, War on the Rocks, as well as an author and the editor of Ukraine’s Nuclear History: A Non-Proliferation Prospective (Springer, 2022), Arms Control and Europe. New Challenges and Prospects for Strategic Stability (Springer, 2022), and Russia’s War on Ukraine: The Implication for the Global Nuclear Order (Springer, 2023). In October 2024, Dr Sinovets starts the position of research fellow at the Instituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in Rome (Italy).
Daniel Szeligowski
Head of the Eastern Europe Programme at the Polish Institute of International Affairs
Dr Daniel Szeligowski is the Head of the Eastern Europe Programme and chief analyst on Ukraine at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM). His research interests focus on Ukraine’s political and economic situation, foreign and security policy, prospects for post-war reconstruction, Ukraine’s relations with the European Union and NATO. Dr Szeligowski has written and spoken extensively on Ukrainian affairs. Since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, he has been a member of high-level working groups in Warsaw and Brussels studying future scenarios for Ukraine and Russia. In 2024, he was named one of the 50 Future Think-Tank Leaders worldwide by the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI). Dr Szeligowski is an economist and political scientist. He holds a PhD in political science and public administration from the Warsaw School of Economics.
Jaanus Tamm
CEO at Defsecintel Solutions
Jaanus Tamm is the CEO of Defsecintel Solutions, a company founded in 2018 that develops and manufactures advanced automated and autonomous surveillance systems for border and defence missions, equipped with AI-powered technologies. With over 20 years of industry experience, he is a co-founder of several ICT, security, and defence companies in Estonia, specialising in defence AI, surveillance technology, and C-UAS. Mr Tamm is a well-known expert in defence and security technologies, as well as tech start-up establishment in Europe and Ukraine matters. DefSecIntel has a factory in Ukraine, and its systems are deployed and combat-proven in the country. Mr Tamm is a council member of the Estonian Defence and Aerospace Association and a board member of the Estonian Defence Cluster. He was awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 award.
Kadri Tammai
Regional Director at NATO DIANA
Kadri Tammai is the Regional Director at NATO DIANA (Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) and a driving force behind innovation and deep-tech startup ecosystems in the New Nordics with over 15 years of experience in startup, security, and dual-use fields. Formerly the Head of Tehnopol Startup Incubator, she has supported hundreds of startup founders and deep tech ventures across sectors such as AI, robotics, cyber defence, health tech, and space tech. Ms Tammai’s expertise extends to fostering dual-use technologies and working with NATO’s cutting-edge innovation programmes. Ms Tammai has also been active as a mentor and lecturer.
Élie Tenenbaum
Director of the Security Studies Center at the French Institute of International Relations
Dr Élie Tenenbaum is the Director of the Security Studies Center at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri). Trained as a military strategy and defence policy expert, he follows French and Euro-Atlantic military doctrine, capabilities, and strategy and works in particular on issues of irregular warfare, the fight against terrorism, and hybrid threats. Dr Tenenbaum was a visiting fellow at Columbia University and has taught international security at Sciences Po and the history of international relations at the University of Lorraine. He is the author of numerous articles and books on history and strategy, including his latest book, co-authored with Marc Hecker, La guerre de vingt ans: djihadisme et contre-terrorisme au XXIe siècle [The Twenty Years’ War: Jihadism and Counterterrorism in the XXI Century], published by Robert Laffont in 2021. Dr Tenenbaum holds a PhD in history (2015) and is a Sciences Po graduate (2010).
Tiina Uudeberg
Undersecretary for Defence Planning at the Ministry of Defence of Estonia
Tiina Uudeberg has been the Undersecretary for Defence Planning at the Estonian Ministry of Defence since 2021. In this position, she is responsible for defence and capability planning, defence investments, defence budget, defence R&D, and industry policies. As the Undersecretary, she also coordinates the Defence Planning Department’s and the Defence Investments Department’s work and exercises oversight over the National Defence Investment Centre. Ms Uudeberg joined the Ministry of Defence in 2004 and worked at the NATO and EU Department, contributing to the formulation of Estonian positions in NATO in various work strands. In 2010, Ms Uudeberg joined the Estonian Permanent Representation to NATO as a diplomat, serving as the Head of the Resource Section and Estonia’s representative at the NATO Resource Policy and Planning Board and Budget Committee. In 2014, Ms Uudeberg joined the Defence Planning Department as a Deputy Director and became the Director in 2015. Ms Uudeberg holds a master’s degree in political science and international relations. She graduated from the Newton Leadership Programme and from National Defense University (Eisenhower School) in the US with an MSc degree in national strategy and defence resource management. Ms Uudeberg has received several honours and decorations, including the National Order of the White Star, V class (2018), and Estonian Ministry of Defence’s Cross of Merit, III class.
Raimundas Vaikšnoras
Chief of Defence of the Armed Forces of Lithuania
General Raimundas Vaikšnoras is the Chief of Defence of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Lithuania. He started his military career in 1991 by being appointed as an intelligence specialist to the Training Unit of the National Defence Department of Lithuania. During his military service, General Vaikšnoras followed the path of a soldier, a sergeant, and an officer. He began in the position of rifleman, then as NCO, he was a section and platoon commander, and later became an officer. General Vaikšnoras graduated from the Platoon and Company Commander Course in Denmark, the Staff Officer Course in Germany, Lithuania, and Sweden, the Joint Command and General Staff Officer Course in the Baltic Defence College (Estonia), as well as the Strategic Defence Studies at the United States Army War College.
Paul van Hooft
Research Leader for Defence and Security at RAND Europe
Dr Paul van Hooft is a Research Leader at RAND Europe. Dr van Hooft’s work focuses on the origins and logic of American grand strategy; European grand strategy and security; nuclear deterrence and strategy; Indo-Pacific security, transatlantic relations; alliances; military innovation, and extended deterrence. Dr van Hooft attained his PhD in political science/international relations from the University of Amsterdam. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Security Studies Program of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), including as a Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow, and a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute (EUI). Dr van Hooft has published in the Journal of Strategic Studies, Security Studies, International Politics, and War on the Rocks, among others. Dr van Hooft is an adjunct professor at Leiden University, where he teaches on nuclear weapons and international security.
(the list of speakers is subject to change)
