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15 February 2024 at 12:45 – 14:15 GMT
Our Whitehall Briefings connect Whitehall officials and other key stakeholders for discussions on a range of topical geopolitical, geoeconomic and geostrategic issues, as well as domestic issues associated with the UK’s leadership on the global stage. A prominent Whitehall official discusses their knowledge and expertise before invited guests engage in discussion and offer valuable input and ideas.
The Whitehall Briefings take place once a month at the In and Out Naval and Military Club. Events are by invitation only and take place strictly off the record.
Keynote speaker

Brig. John Ridge
Director, Defence Innovation, Ministry of DefenceBrigadier John Ridge CBE is the Director of Defence Innovation at the Ministry of Defence. He recently spent six months on secondment at 10 Downing Street. Previously, he spent two years as Director of Strategy and Enterprise Services in Defence Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence. Before joining the civil service, he had an extensive career in the British Army, commanding a bomb disposal squadron and a close support engineer regiment, which included three tours in Afghanistan. He oversaw some of the first deployments for 8 Engineer Brigade in Estonia and South Sudan. He also served as Chief of Joint Force Operations, including a deployment as the Task Force Commander for the UK’s crisis response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Honorary chair

Dr Carl Stephen Patrick Hunter OBE
Honorary Chair, Geostrategy ForumDr Carl Hunter OBE is Chairman of Coltraco Ultrasonics, a high-exporting advanced manufacturer. He is also: Chairman of the British Exporters Association; Director-General of the Durham Institute of Research, Development and Invention; Director of the Centre of Underwater Acoustic Analysis; Professor-in-Practice at Durham University Business School; Visiting Fellow of the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre; and Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology.
Venue
For further information about the Whitehall Briefings, please email Susie McAdam, Events and Operations Coordinator, at: [email protected].