Meet our diverse roster of international experts, thought leaders, and practitioners. Discover the unique insights and experiences each guest brings to our discussions on global risk, security, and geopolitics.
Bram Verelst works at the Institute for Security Studies as Senior Researcher on Conflict Prevention, Management and Peacebuilding in the Great Lakes Region. Before joining the ISS, Bram worked as a research fellow at the Department of Conflict and Development Studies, Ghent University, Belgium and as a political analyst for the Belgian Ministry of Defence,…
Juanita Goebertus Estrada is the Director of the American Division at Human Rights Watch. Between 2018 and 2022, Juanita was a Congresswoman in Colombia, dedicating her term to the implementation of the Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Previously, she was head of the transitional justice group at the…
Ellen Van Damme, PhD, is a criminologist specialising in ethnographic research on women, gangs, and migration. From 2016 to 2020, she was a PhD fellow of the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO) at the Leuven Institute of Criminology (LINC), KU Leuven. Her doctoral research focused on the role of women in and around gangs in Honduras. In…
Mariana Gonzalez is a partner and patent attorney at Basham, Ringe y Correa, with over 16 years of expertise in patent prosecution, IP transactions, and litigation, particularly within the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotechnology sectors. Her dual qualifications as a chemist and a lawyer, along with a master’s in top management and certification as a…
Wolf-Christian Paes is a Senior Fellow of Armed Conflict at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He has more than two decades of experience of working on conflict and post-conflict settings with a focus on Security Sector Reform (SSR); Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) of ex-combatants and arms control. Listen to his episode about Arms Trade…
Amanda McClelland is the Senior Vice President of Prevent Epidemics at Resolve to Save Lives, where she leads a team working to accelerate progress to make the world safer from epidemics. Amanda is a notable expert in international public health management and health systems strengthening, especially in emergency health, epidemic control, disease prevention and response…
Dr. Messmer discusses the deterioration of Russia’s relationship with the West, the importance of protecting NATO member’s critical infrastructure, arms control, nuclear risk reduction and the significance of continued international co-operation. Before joining Chatham House, Marion was the Co-Director of BASIC, where she led on the organisation’s nuclear risk reduction and disarmament work. She is…
Juan Carlos is the leader of Santamarina y Steta’s transactional and financial practice area, with 30 years of experience advising various national and international organizations on the development and implementation of investment and financing projects in Mexico. His areas of expertise include Mergers and Acquisitions, Project Finance and Infrastructure. His talent, practical and business acumen, and…
Dr. Meltzer is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He works on international economic relations with a focus on the intersection of digital technology and international trade and investment. He also leads the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) initiative which focuses on how USMCA can strengthen international economic cooperation in North America. Meltzer has testified before…
Dr. Leila Alieva is an Associate of Russian and East European Studies (REES) at the Oxford University School for Global and Area Studies. She also teaches a course on the Political Economy of Energy Transition at Oxford’s Department of Continued Education and is currently working with Friends of Europe. Originally from Azerbaijan, Dr. Alieva founded…
