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.
Alexander Mesarovich earned his PhD (Politics) at the University of Edinburgh. His thesis analysed the impact of informal political networks on the EU accession processes of Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia. Since finishing his PhD, Alexander has been a teaching assistant at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Stirling and has worked as a…
Imad Salamey holds the position of Associate Professor in the fields of Political Science and International Affairs at the Lebanese American University. He earned his doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Political Science from Wayne State University in the United States. His current academic interests are centered on subjects related to political economy, communitarian politics, conflict resolution,…
Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at FDD, where his primary focus revolves around issues pertaining to Iranian security and politics. He previously held the positions of research fellow and senior Iran analyst at FDD. Prior to his tenure at FDD, Behnam was engaged in non-proliferation matters at a Washington-based think-tank specializing in arms…
Owais Arshad is a geostrategist who advises on geopolitical developments, sanctions regimes, export controls, and international finance. His clients have spanned both public and private sector entities such as central banks, financial regulators, commodity traders, hedge funds, and private equity firms. He has spoken at leading industry fora on emerging risks such as DeFi protocols…
Oleh Savitskyi is a world-class climate and energy policy expert. Oleh has 10 years of experience in the field – from youth climate activism to consulting the Ministry of Environment of Ukraine. Oleh participated in the UNFCCC conferences COP21 in Paris in 2015 and in Glasgow in 2021. Oleh is a fellow of the Michael Succow Nature…
Nerida Williams has over thirteen years experience as a media and communications specialist in the humanitarian and development sectors, including with the United Nations and several INGOs. Her field experiences include Ghana, Lebanon, Nepal, Somaliland, Sri Lanka, Vanuatu, Tonga, Indonesia, India, Palestine, Kiribati, Sudan, the Cook Islands, the Maldives, and most recently to the Ukrainian…
Roger Burrows is Professor in Global Inequalities in the School of Policy Studies at the University of Bristol, UK and Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Centre for Cities at the University of Melbourne, Australia. His most recent research has been on the social impacts of the global superrich and, more recently, the role of digital…
In 2014, Norma Bastidas a single-mother, a survivor of sexual violence, human trafficking and ultra athlete broke the Guinness World Record for Longest Triathlon after swimming, biking and running 3,762 miles (6,054 km) from Cancún, Mexico to Washington, D.C. She views this incredible athletic feat as a metaphor for the incredible trials faced every day…
Pashtana Durrani is an Afghan feminist, activist, and educator. At a very young age she founded LEARN Afghanistan, which is the first-ever digital school network to be present in Afghanistan. After the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, Pashtana was forced into exile, like so many other people trying to escape the many new risks…
Dr Neil Melvin is Director International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). His current research is focused on emerging international security dynamics in key regions around the world, notably Europe and Eurasia, the Gulf and Middle East, East Africa and the Horn, and the Indo-Pacific. Prior to joining RUSI, Dr Melvin was…
