Hugo Barker
Sir John Houblon Adjunct Fellow in Defence FinanceMain areas of expertise: Defence finance, dual-use technology and national security
Hugo Barker is Chief of Staff at the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB) Development Group, leading strategic operations, high-level stakeholder engagement and policy development. He has a background in economic governance, national security and emerging technologies, having provided expert advice on governmental initiatives and playing a key role in developing NATO’s DIANA evaluation process. He is pursuing a PhD as the inaugural Lord David Sainsbury Scholar at Imperial College London.
Benedict Baxendale-Smith
Cuthbert Collingwood Adjunct Fellow in Maritime StrategyMain areas of expertise: Defence and security, British defence policy and sea power
Benedict Baxendale-Smith is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Defence Studies at King’s College London, researching the role of the maritime-air domain in the Indo-Pacific strategies of Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Previously, he worked for a Member of Parliament, and held a position at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, DC. He holds an MA in International Relations with distinction from Durham University.
Stephen Booth
David Ricardo Adjunct Fellow in Political EconomyMain areas of expertise: Political economy of the UK and European Union, trade, regulation and immigration policy
Stephen Booth is Director of International Strategy at TheCityUK, an industry-led body which represents financial and related services. Previously, he was Head of the Britain in the World Project at Policy Exchange, and Director of Policy and Research at Open Europe. He is an experienced public policy analyst and political commentator, with work focusing on the United Kingdom’s international economic relationships and global trends that affect Britain’s international position.
Dr Hillary Briffa
Anne Warburton Adjunct Fellow in National SecurityMain areas of expertise: National security, grand strategy and the role of small states in British strategic policy
Dr Hillary Briffa is a Senior Lecturer in National Security Studies and Assistant Director of the Centre for Defence Studies in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. She is on the editorial board of the open access, peer-reviewed Small States and Territories Journal, and regularly consults on foreign policy and defence issues for both His Majesty’s Government and international governments, ranging from Estonia to Fiji.
Prof. Mark Galeotti
Anthony Jenkinson Adjunct Fellow in Russian GeopoliticsMain areas of expertise: Russian foreign, security and defence policy
Prof. Mark Galeotti is Director of Mayak Intelligence and an Honorary Professor in the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at University College London. He has advised and given evidence to a wide range of bodies, from the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Commons and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly to the International Criminal Police Organisation and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.
Dr Melanie Garson
Ada Lovelace Adjunct Fellow in Technology GeopoliticsMain areas of expertise: Cybersecurity, emerging and disruptive technologies, and defence resilience
Dr Melanie Garson is an Associate Professor in International Security and Conflict Resolution at University College London, specialising in disruptive technologies and the future of defence and resilience. She advises governments, companies and policymakers on cyber resilience and the geopolitics of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum technology and space policy. She is also an accredited mediator and qualified solicitor, and teaches on international negotiation and diplomacy.
Ben Goodwin
Timothy Garden Adjunct Fellow in Air PowerMain areas of expertise: Air power, defence technology innovation and the evolution of warfare
Ben Goodwin is a fighter pilot with experience in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Eastern Europe and Central Africa. He has been posted to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and NATO in Brussels. Previously, he worked at the trading arm of a large bank, focused on foreign exchange and government bonds. He holds a BA in International Relations and History from the University of Sydney.
Deniz GĂĽzel
Henry Wotton Adjunct Fellow in International LawMain areas of expertise: International law and lawfare
Deniz Güzel is an English-qualified lawyer with a particular focus on public international law and international arbitration. His research focuses on legal warfare. Prior to private practice, he worked at the United Nations International Co-Prosecutor’s Office at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). He holds an MA in International Peace and Security from King’s College London and an LLB from the University of Bristol.
Chris Hague
Herbert Austin Adjunct Fellow in Defence IndustryMain areas of expertise: Defence industrial policy and British defence policy
Chris Hague is Senior Policy and Communications Manager at Make UK Defence, leading on government affairs and industrial policy reform to drive economic growth, strengthen deterrence and increase access to Ministry of Defence work for SMEs, mid-tiers and non-traditional suppliers. He also played a key role in the Labour Party’s defence team, working alongside the Rt. Hon. John Healey MP, and worked on the International Policy Team prior to the 2024 general election.
Dr William James
Sir Eyre Crowe Adjunct Fellow in Grand StrategyMain areas of expertise: Grand strategy and British defence policy
Dr William James is an Assistant Professor in Strategic Studies at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Navy’s Strategic Studies Centre. He holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford, and previously held research fellowships at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, the University of Oxford and King’s College London. He published his first book, British Grand Strategy in the Age of American Hegemony, in 2024.
Charlotte Kleberg
Vera Laughton Mathews Adjunct Fellow in Maritime LogisticsMain areas of expertise: Defence and security, maritime security, naval strategy and sea power
Charlotte Kleberg holds various project and board advisory roles in the Roll-on, Roll-off (Ro-Ro) shipping sector through Wallenius Lines, Wallenius Marine and United European Car Carriers. She is also an Associate Fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. Previously, she was a Junior Analyst in RAND Europe’s Defence and Security Team. She has a particular interest in strengthening public-private sector collaboration in maritime logistics.
Paul Mason
Aneurin Bevan Adjunct Fellow in Defence and ResilienceMain areas of expertise: British defence policy, the defence industrial base, armaments production and European security
Paul Mason is an author and journalist. Previously, he was the Economics Editor at BBC Newsnight and later at Channel 4 News, reporting on issues from strikes by the People’s Republic of China’s migrant workforce to the Arab Spring. He writes frequently for The New European, Frankfurter Rundschau and Social Europe, and is the British champion for the global campaign for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Matthew Palmer
Sir John Moore Adjunct Fellow in Military AffairsMain areas of expertise: Land warfare, sub-threshold warfare and joint operations
Matthew Palmer is a former British Army officer with deployed operational experience in the Middle East and Europe, including working on Operation SHADER and in the Joint Expeditionary Force. His areas of interest include irregular and sub-threshold warfare, force structure and joint operations. He has a BA from the University of Oxford and is currently undertaking an MSc at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Prof. Alessio Patalano
Herbert Richmond Adjunct Fellow in Maritime StrategyMain areas of expertise: Sea power and maritime strategy
Prof. Alessio Patalano is Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, and leads the King’s Japan Programme in the Centre for Grand Strategy. He is also Director of the Asian Security and Warfare Research Group, and Research Associate at the King’s China Institute. Since 2006, he has been Visiting Lecturer in Naval Strategy and East Asian Security at the Italian Naval War College, Venice.
Jack Richardson
James Blyth Adjunct Fellow in Energy SecurityMain areas of expertise: Energy, environment, climate diplomacy and trade
Jack Richardson is Head of Policy at Octopus Energy. He was previously Policy Adviser to Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero 2023-2024, in DESNZ. Before that, he led the Energy and Environment programme at Onward – a think tank – and the Conservative Environment Network’s climate and energy campaigns. He has also worked in the House of Commons for a Foreign Office minister.
Prof. Deborah Sanders
Adjunct Fellow in Naval AffairsMain area of expertise: Maritime security and maritime power in the Black Sea, small navies strategy and policy, and Ukraine’s military transformation and conflict termination
Prof. Deborah Sanders is Professor of Contemporary Conflict and Strategy in the Defence Studies Department at King’s College London, and a Senior Lecturer in Defence Studies at the Joint Services Command and Staff College. Her research focuses on security in the Black Sea region, encompassing the conflict in Ukraine and maritime security. She is also a NATO adviser on Black Sea maritime issues, and a Visiting Fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre.
Julien Lalanne de Saint-Quentin
François Crouzet Adjunct Fellow in Comparative GeopoliticsMain areas of expertise: Comparative studies, public international law (armed conflicts, maritime, treaties), naval strategy and British-French relations
Julien Lalanne de Saint-Quentin is Head of Defence PPP at Oceonix. Previously, he was an officer in the Marine Nationale for 27 years, commanding a number of warships. He also served in both the British and French ministries of defence in strategy and policy roles, and was Naval Attaché to the French Embassy in London. He teaches defence at Sciences Po, Paris, and France-UK politics at King’s College London.
Dr Mann Virdee
Sir Isaac Newton Adjunct Fellow in Science, Innovation and TechnologyMain areas of expertise: Science and technology, research and development, and infrastructure
Dr Mann Virdee led the Council on Geostrategy’s work on exploring how Britain can build a more competitive and resilient science and technology base. He previously worked for RAND Europe, Parliament, and the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF. His research has covered areas such as AI, energy and infrastructure, quantum computing, R&D, 5G, space, the life sciences, civil service reform and Foreign Direct Investment.
Dr Marc De Vore
Halford Mackinder Adjunct Fellow in Black Sea GeopoliticsMain areas of expertise: Black Sea geopolitics, Ukraine and European security
Dr Marc De Vore is a Senior Lecturer in the School of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews, as well as an Associate Fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. His research centres around the Black Sea region, including Ukrainian and wider European security, and the revisionist challenge to the post-Cold War Euro-Atlantic order posed by Russia.
William Young
William Stanley Jevons Adjunct Fellow in Environmental SecurityMain areas of expertise: Trade, technology and finance
William Young is Director of Strategic Partnerships at BloombergNEF, having previously held positions as Director of Summits, Chief of Staff to the CEO and COO, and Senior Analyst and Team Leader. He also worked in product management for BloombergNEF, and was instrumental in launching its research capabilities. He is Programme Lead for BloombergNEF’s work with the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), and Climate Lead on the New Economy Forum.