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.
Dania Thafer is the Executive Director of the Gulf International Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank focused on political, economic, social, and security developments across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, as well as Iran, Iraq, and Yemen. She also serves as a Professorial Lecturer at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Center for…
Marcus D. King is Professor of the Practice in Environment and International Affairs in the Science and Technology in International Affairs Program (STIA) at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He holds a joint appointment at Earth Commons, Georgetown’s Institute for Environment & Sustainability. Prior to Georgetown, King was the John O. Rankin…
Michael Julian is the creator of the ALIVE active shooter survival training program and a 30-year veteran of the private security industry. As President and CEO of MPS Security and Protection, he has led executive protection details, workplace violence prevention engagements, behavioral threat assessment teams, and active shooter response training for clients across the United…
John Goedschalk is a climate change economist, sustainability advocate, and entrepreneur whose work focuses on the intersection of economic development, conservation, and sustainable finance. With more than a decade of experience in climate policy, conservation, and bio-economy development, he has worked extensively on nature-based solutions, carbon finance, and sustainable business models designed to support both…
Zsuzsanna is foreign policy specialist, former politician, author and founding director of the CEU Democracy Institute Leadership Academy. Before joining the CEU Democracy Institute, Zsuzsanna Szelényi was Richard von Weizsäcker fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin and Europe’s Future Fellow of the Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen. She is conducting research on…
Doug Weir is Director at the Conflict and Environment Observatory, where his work focuses on the environmental dimensions of armed conflict and military activity. His research examines how war and security policies contribute to environmental degradation, with a particular emphasis on pollution, ecosystem damage, and the long-term risks associated with military emissions. Doug is widely…
Edmund Fitton-Brown is a former British diplomat, counterterrorism specialist, and one of the leading British voices on terrorism, Iran, proxy warfare, and Middle East security. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where his work focuses on Arabian Peninsula issues, terrorism, and its enablers. He is also a Senior…
Benjamin Neimark is a Reader at the School of Business and Management and a former Fellow at the Institute of Social Science and Humanities (IHSS) at Queen Mary University of London. He is a human geographer and political ecologist whose research focuses on the environmental and social impacts of global supply chains, extractive industries, and…
Frederick Otu-Larbi is a climate and environmental scientist whose work focuses on climate change, natural resource governance, and environmental management, particularly in West Africa. With over a decade of experience, he has delivered practical, climate-focused solutions for governments, businesses, and communities. He is currently based at the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana,…
Jon-Paul Gabriele is a crisis management practitioner and founder of Crisis City, where he helps organisations prepare for the moments every business hopes will never happen but many eventually face. With more than 15 years of experience managing real incidents across government and global enterprises, he understands the difference between a crisis plan that looks…
