MODERATORS & SPEAKERS

• 
  MG Salman Alharbi Deputy Minister of Defense for Strategic Affairs,
  Ministry of Defense (Saudi Arabia)
  

  MG Salman Alharbi

  Deputy Minister of Defense for Strategic Affairs, Ministry of Defense (Saudi Arabia)

  Major General (MG) Salman Alharbi was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Defense for Strategic Affairs for Saudi Arabia in May 2024, as he is in charge of the strategic guidance of policy, strategies and plans development across the entire Ministry of Defense.

  MG Alharbi has extensive experience in the government sector, specifically within the Ministry of Defense, in addition to being part of a committee in the Royal Court for several years.

  Before assuming this position, MG Alharbi served as the defence attaché at the Saudi Arabian Embassy Washington, D.C. and Ottawa since July 2022. Prior to that, he was the Deputy Military Advisor to His Royal Highness the Minister of Defense.

  In the beginning of his service, MG Alharbi joined King Faisal Air Academy and he continued his flight training in the US, graduating from US Naval Flight Officers Program in December 1996. After graduation, he joined the (F-15s) squadrons in the Royal Saudi Air Force, progressing to become an instructor on these aircrafts and also on Jet Stream aircraft. He then moved to King Faisal Air Academy to work as an instructor and a flight commander.

  MG Alharbi holds a Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Sciences from King Faisal Air Academy, a Master's degree in Military Science from the Mubarak Al-Abdullah Joint Command and Staff College in Kuwait, a postgraduate certificate in Security and Strategy from King's College London and a certificate in International Security and Strategic Leadership Studies from the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK.

• 
  Mr Waleid Al Mesmari President, Space and Cyber Technologies,
  EDGE Group (UAE)
  

  Mr Waleid Al Mesmari

  President, Space and Cyber Technologies, EDGE Group (UAE)

  Mr Waleid Al Mesmari is President of the Space and Cyber Technologies cluster at EDGE, one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defence groups. In his current capacity, he spearheads the strategic direction and operational oversight of the cluster, which comprises four innovative entities: KATIM, BEACON RED, ORYXLABS, and FADA. Under his leadership, the cluster drives cutting-edge advancements across secure communications, cyber resilience, intelligence solutions, and space exploration technologies.

  Mr Al Mesmari is deeply committed to ensuring that the Space and Cyber Technologies cluster delivers unmatched client experiences and measurable results. He collaborates with multidisciplinary internal teams to implement strategies that align with EDGE's broader vision for innovation and excellence in the technology sector.

  Before joining EDGE, Mr Al Mesmari held the position of Manager of Business Analysis and Strategic Planning within the UAE Government, where he specialised in cybersecurity. His ability to anticipate long-term opportunities and align them with operational priorities significantly enhanced the organisation's capacity to achieve its objectives.

  Mr Al Mesmari's career reflects a profound understanding of the intersection between technology, strategy, and leadership, positioning him as a key figure in advancing EDGE’s high-tech and cyber capabilities.

• 
  Mr Ylber Bajraktari Senior Advisor,
  Special Competitive Studies Project (USA)
  

  Mr Ylber Bajraktari

  Senior Advisor, Special Competitive Studies Project (USA)

  Mr Ylber Bajraktari serves the Special Competitive Studies Project as a Senior Advisor, with focus on defence and intelligence matters, as well as special projects.

  Previously, he served as a geopolitical strategist with the Investment Strategy Group at Goldman Sachs. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Mr Bajraktari spent 13 years with the US Department of Defense (DoD) and the White House. During that time, he served as a Senior Fellow in the Office of Net Assessment, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Defense Policy and Strategy, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy to the Secretary of Defense, and several different roles dealing with US policy towards the Middle East.

  Mr Bajraktari is the recipient of the DoD Distinguished Civilian Service Medal – the highest award given to career DoD civilian employees. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from American University, a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College.

• 
  LG Aymeric Bonnemaison Commander,
  French Cyber Command (France)
  

  LG Aymeric Bonnemaison

  Commander, French Cyber Command (France)

  Lieutenant-General Aymeric Bonnemaison was born on 24 February 1968 in Nevers, France. He belongs to the General Delestraint class of the Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan Military Academy.

  After a year at the Army Signal School, LG Bonnemaison served as an airmobile platoon leader within the 4th Army Aviation Regiment. Promoted to captain in 1995, he first joined the Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Brigade (BR) being posted to the 54 EW Regiment (54 RT) as deputy, then commander of a Forward Electronic Recce Company where he developed the first light electronic patrols. Throughout this period, he was regularly engaged in several overseas operations as close air support team leader and also as tactical intelligence units leader.

  In 2000, LG Bonnemaison returned to the Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan Military academy in order to take command of an officer cadets company from the Combined Arms School. Promoted to major in 2001, he graduated from the Joint Forces Staff College in 2004. The same year, he was posted again to the BR and took over head of the operations of the 44 EW Regiment in Mützig; he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 2005. During these years, LG Bonnemaison was deployed to Afghanistan as senior intelligence advisor to the French Senior National Representative to the International Security Assistance Force and then to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire where he commanded the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance battle group of the Opération Licorne.

  In 2009, LG Bonnemaison took command of the 54 RT in Haguenau and ensured the operational preparation of its companies engaged in Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. He was promoted to Colonel in 2010.

  From 2011 to 2016, LG Bonnemaison joined the Army Staff and then the General Staff in the anticipation and planning fields, in particular as operational coherence officer in charge of major intelligence sensor programmes. At the same time, he was an auditor at the Institute of Advanced Studies in National Defense within the Armament and Defense Economics session.

  LG Bonnemaison joined the Ministry of Defense in 2016 to command an operational cyber defence service until his promotion to the rank of Brigadier General in 2020; he then became deputy director in charge of operations. During these six years, he carried out numerous international missions in some 20 countries.

  LG Bonnemaison was appointed Commander, Cybercom of the French Department of Defense in September 2022 and was promoted to Major General on the same date. Since September 2024, he was raised to the rank and title of Lieutenant-General.

  Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honor and the National Order of Merit, LG Bonnemaison is married and has five children. He is the author of several articles and co-author of the book Attention Cyber! Vers le combat cyber-électronique published in 2013.

• 
  Mr Oliver Burkhard Chief Executive Officer,
  thyssenkrupp Marine Systems GmbH (Germany)
  

  Mr Oliver Burkhard

  Chief Executive Officer, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems GmbH (Germany)

  Mr Oliver Burkhard worked in the National Accounts department of the German Federal Statistical Office from 1991 to 1997, following his apprenticeship as a public administration clerk from 1988 to 1991. From 1993 to 1998 he also studied business administration at Mainz University of Applied Sciences in parallel with his work.

  In 1997, Mr Burkhard moved to the IG Metall metalworkers’ trade union, where he was Political Secretary on the Federal Executive Committee. From 2002 to 2004 he was District Secretary/Secretary for Collective Bargaining at IG Metall in North Rhine-Westphalia, before returning to the IG Metall Federal Executive Committee in 2005 as head of the collective bargaining policy department. At the end of 2007, Mr Burkhard became the youngest-ever District Manager of IG Metall´s largest district in North Rhine-Westphalia.

  Mr Burkhard has been a member of the Executive Board and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of thyssenkrupp AG since 2013. In this function, he has company-wide responsibility for Human Resources and the management of the service companies. In 2022, Mr Burkhard was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, in addition to his duties as Member of the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp AG. He also continues to be responsible for the service companies and the South America region at corporate level. In 2025, he resigned from his CHRO mandate at thyssenkrupp AG and will continue his position as CEO at thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.

  Mr Burkhard is also active in various honorary positions. He is a member of the board of the Hans Böckler Foundation and on the extended executive committee of the Economic Forum of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, a member of the Latin America Committee of German Economy and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the HR services company PEAG Holding GmbH.

• 
  Ms Safra Catz Chief Executive Officer,
  Oracle (USA)
  

  Ms Safra Catz

  Chief Executive Officer, Oracle (USA)

  Ms Safra A. Catz is the Chief Executive Officer of Oracle Corporation and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. At Oracle, she previously served as President, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, and Senior Vice President. Ms Catz is also a lecturer on the faculty of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Oracle Education Foundation since its founding in 2000 and has served as Chair since 2004. Ms Catz is on the Board of Trustees of In-Q-Tel. Prior to Oracle, she held various positions at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette including Managing Director in Investment Banking. Ms Catz also served on the Board of Directors for HSBC Holdings and The Walt Disney Company.

• 
  Ms Gayle Chan Deputy Chief Executive (Information),
  Defence Science and Technology Agency (Singapore)
  

  Ms Gayle Chan

  Deputy Chief Executive (Information), Defence Science and Technology Agency (Singapore)

  Ms Gayle Chan has accumulated many years of experience in the Public Service, spanning various domains such as engineering and strategic planning. In 2021, she took up the role of Deputy Chief Executive (Information) in Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), where she drives DSTA's digital transformation efforts and guides the development of technological capabilities in information, electronic warfare and cyber domains against emerging threats.

  Ms Chan started her career as an engineer with the then Air Systems Division, where she worked on naval helicopter programmes and contributed to the build-up of the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s and Republic of Singapore Navy’s naval helicopter and aviation capabilities. Subsequently, she took on the roles of Head Capability Development for helicopters in 2010 and fighter aircraft in 2013.

  Ms Chan also has extensive experience in other domains. She was appointed Deputy Director (Strategic Planning Office) in Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in 2015, where she developed strategies and technology roadmaps at the Defence Technology Community level.

  Ms Chan assumed her appointment as Deputy Director (Digital Hub) in 2017 and subsequently Director Digital Hub to combine diverse expertise across DSTA with promising digital technologies to ideate, experiment, and rapidly prototype new capabilities for MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces.

  Ms Chan was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2022, the DSTA Excellence Award (Leadership) (Individual) in 2013, DSTA Team Excellence Award in 2010 and DSTA Star Service Award-Team in 2008.

• 
  Ms April Chin Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer,
  Resaro (Singapore)
  

  Ms April Chin

  Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Resaro (Singapore)

  Ms April Chin serves as the Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer (Singapore) at Resaro, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) assurance company specialising in independent, third-party testing of mission-critical AI systems.

  Ms Chin's commitment to Responsible AI began in 2019 at BasisAI, where she played a pivotal role in driving the adoption of governance-by-deployment approaches in AI solutions among enterprises. She has also led multidisciplinary initiatives on the operationalisation of AI governance frameworks into executable processes for business and technology teams.

  Drawing from over a decade of experience as a former Singapore Administrative Service officer, Ms Chin has collaborated closely with senior government officials and C-suite leaders to shape future-ready policies that are anchored on governance principles. As a thought leader in this field, she shares her expertise as a Futures Fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and as an Advisor-Expert at the Chandler Institute of Governance.

• 
  Dr Victoria Coleman Chief Executive Officer,
  Acubed, Head of Research & Technology, Airbus North America (USA)
  

  Dr Victoria Coleman

  Chief Executive Officer, Acubed, Head of Research & Technology, Airbus North America (USA)

  Dr Victoria Coleman is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Acubed, Airbus' Silicon Valley-based research and innovation centre. She also serves as Airbus’ Head of Research & Technology for North America. She reports to Robin Hayes, Chairman and CEO of Airbus Americas, Inc. and the Board of Directors of Acubed.

  Dr Coleman has 35 years of experience and expertise that extends across multiple domains, from cybersecurity and computer science to emerging platforms and software engineering. Prior to joining Acubed, she served as the Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force where she was the preeminent scientific advisor to top leadership, including the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff and Chief of Space Operations. Her responsibilities included assessing a wide range of scientific and technical issues crucial to the department's mission, as well as identifying and analysing technical challenges to provide innovative solutions.

  Prior to her role as Chief Scientist, Dr Coleman served as the 22nd Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency where she oversaw a large suite of disruptive and innovative programmes. She has a strong connection with academia through her service as a Visiting Professor in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley.

• 
  LTG Gaël Diaz de Tuesta National Armament Director,
  Directorate General of Armament (France)
  

  LTG Gaël Diaz de Tuesta

  National Armament Director,
  Directorate General of Armament (France)

  LTG Gaël Diaz de Tuesta joined the Directorate General of Armament (DGA) - an entity of the French Ministry for Armed Forces, in charge of defence procurement, preparation of the future of defence systems and promotion of exports and cooperations in the armament sector - in 1999.

  From 2003 to 2007, LTG Diaz de Tuesta was the technical manager of the Rafale programme and he was responsible for the qualification of Rafale Standard F2. In 2007, he was appointed advisor to the Minister of Health, Youth and Sports. From 2010 to 2015, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary under the General Secretariat for Defence and National Security, an entity under the aegis of the Prime Minister. He was in charge of the French interagency coordination regarding weapons of mass destruction proliferation and its associated international coordination. Between 2015 to 2019, he took on the roles of Head of the Western Europe Cooperation Division and Defence Equipment Attaché at the French Embassy in London. As the direct representative of the DGA in the UK, his main duty was to support the French Ambassador in the Franco-British armament cooperation.

  In 2019, LTG Diaz de Tuesta was appointed Director of Western Europe and Northern America within the International Directorate of the DGA where he defined and implemented the French international armament policy with Western European and Northern American partners. He acts as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization International Cooperation Director and he is the French representative to the Executive Committee of the Letter of Intent community.

  LTG Diaz de Tuesta became Director of the International Directorate for Cooperation and Export of the DGA in September 2022.

  LTG Diaz de Tuesta is a graduate of the Ecole polytechnique and the Ecole nationale supérieure de l’aéronautique et de l’espace (SUPAERO). He also graduated from the French War College in 2010. Married and father of two children, LTG Diaz de Tuesta was appointed Knight in the National Order of the Legion of Honor in 2018 and Officer of the National Order of Merit in 2022.

• 
  Mr Ted Elvhage Founding Partner,
  Expansion Ventures (Sweden)
  

  Mr Ted Elvhage

  Founding Partner, Expansion Ventures (Sweden)

  Mr Ted Elvhage is a founding partner of Expansion Ventures, a Pan-European seed stage fund based in France, Luxembourg, and Sweden, supporting European sustainable aerospace and defence start-ups.

  Before Expansion Ventures, he co-founded Rymdkapital, the Nordics' first space-focused Venture Capital, and he currently chairs the European Business Angels Network Executive Committee for Space & Defence, promoting European innovation in these sectors.

  With over 20 years of experience of investing, Mr Elvhage has invested in more than 60 advanced technology companies across Sweden, Norway, the USA, and Taiwan. His extensive network spans Europe, South East Asia and Silicon Valley, and his portfolio is diverse, focusing primarily on deep-tech.

  Mr Elvhage's background includes entrepreneurship and executive roles, with significant experience in sales, negotiations, and team development. He has worked with companies ranging from small tech firms to global giants like Mercury and HP. Notably, he is usually the first investor in start-ups, where he sometimes supports them by serving in various roles, including board, advisor to management and Chief Technology Officer.

  Currently, Mr Elvhage is dedicated to supporting Europe's sustainable aerospace and defence sectors via Expansion Ventures, leveraging his vast experience and network to drive innovation and growth.

• 
  Prof Pascale Fung Chair Professor,
  The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong)
  

  Prof Pascale Fung

  Chair Professor, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong)

  Prof Pascale Fung is a Chair Professor at the Department of Electronic & Computer Engineering at The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST), and a visiting professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. She is an elected Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for her significant contributions to the field of conversational AI and to the development of ethical AI principles and algorithms. Prof Fung is also an elected Fellow of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) for her significant contributions towards statistical natural language processing, comparable corpora, and building intelligent systems that can understand and empathise with humans. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) for her contributions to human-machine interactions and an elected Fellow of the International Speech Communication Association for fundamental contributions to the interdisciplinary area of spoken language human-machine interactions.

  Prof Fung is the Director of HKUST Centre for AI Research, an interdisciplinary research centre promoting human-centric AI. She co-founded the Human Language Technology Center. She is an affiliated faculty with the Robotics Institute and the Big Data Institute at HKUST. She is the founding chair of the Women Faculty Association at HKUST. She is an expert on the Global Future Council, a think tank for the World Economic Forum. She represents HKUST on Partnership on AI to Benefit People and Society. She is on the Board of Governors of the IEEE Signal Processing Society. She is a member of the IEEE Working Group to develop an IEEE standard - Recommended Practice for Organizational Governance of Artificial Intelligence. She was a Distinguished Consultant on Responsible AI at Meta in 2022, and a Visiting Faculty Researcher at Google in 2023. Her research team has won several best and outstanding paper awards at ACL, ACL and NeurIPS workshops.

• 
  Dr Bastian Giegerich Director-General and Chief Executive,
  The International Institute for Strategic Studies (Germany)
  

  Dr Bastian Giegerich

  Director-General and Chief Executive, The International Institute for Strategic Studies (Germany)

  Dr Bastian Giegerich is the Director-General and Chief Executive of The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). Prior to assuming the directorship in October 2023, he served as Director of Defence and Military Analysis from 2015 to 2023, leading the team that produces the IISS annual flagship publication The Military Balance, overseeing the development of the Military Balance+ online database, and contributing to research and consultancy work.

  From 2010 to 2015, Dr Giegerich worked for the German Federal Ministry of Defence in research and policy roles, while also serving as an IISS Consulting Senior Fellow for European security. He initially joined the IISS in 2005 on a post-doctoral fellowship to work on European military crisis-management efforts.

  Dr Giegerich is the author and editor of several books on European security and defence matters. He has taught international relations, military studies and public administration courses at the London School of Economics, the University of Potsdam and the University of Kassel. He holds a Master's degree in political science from the University of Potsdam and a Ph.D. in international relations from the London School of Economics. During the 1999 to 2000 academic year, he was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy.

• 
  Dr He Ruimin Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer,
  Ministry of Digital Development and Information (Singapore)
  

  Dr He Ruimin

  Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, Ministry of Digital Development and Information (Singapore)

  Dr He Ruimin is the Chief Artificial Intelligence (AI) Officer and Deputy Chief Digital Technology Officer at the Singapore Ministry of Digital Development and Information. Dr He is also a member of the United Nations High Level Advisory Body on AI.

  Dr He has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Science and Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Economics, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• 
  General Sir Jim Hockenhull Commander,
  UK Strategic Command (UK)
  

  General Sir Jim Hockenhull

  Commander, UK Strategic Command (UK)

  General Sir Jim Hockenhull was educated at the Royal Hospital School and commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in 1986 after reading Politics at the University of York on a University Cadetship. His subsequent education includes a Master of Arts from Cranfield University and a Visiting Fellowship at Pembroke College, Oxford.

  In addition to his career as a professional intelligence officer, General Sir Hockenhull has worked in a variety of strategic planning roles. He has also served as an exchange officer with the US Army at Leavenworth and Monterrey and on secondment with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  General Sir Hockenhull has served in joint appointments for the vast majority of his career, including ten years on operational tours. He was Chief of Defence Intelligence from December 2018 to May 2022. He was appointed as Commander UK Strategic Command with effect from May 2022.

• 
  Dr Horie Kazuhiro Vice-Commissioner & Chief Technology Officer,
  Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (Japan)
  

  Dr Horie Kazuhiro

  Vice-Commissioner & Chief Technology Officer, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (Japan)

  Dr Horie Kazuhiro entered the Technical Research and Development Institute, Japan Defense Agency in 1988. He engaged in the research of advanced flight control technology, the development of XF-2 and concurrent development of XP-1 and XC-2.

  After the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency was established, Dr Horie, as the Director of Joint Systems, worked on the management of missile systems development and acquisition, including SM-3 Blk2A's international development.

  As the Director of the Aircraft Research Division at Air Systems Research Center, he supervised the research of new fighter/unmanned aeriel vehicle technologies.

  As a member of the Department of Technology Strategy, he contributed to issuing the Defense Technology Guideline 2023 to outline the directions to reinforce defence technology. Dr Horie also expanded the research and development budget of the Japan Ministry of Defense and contributed to strengthening the defence industry and technology base. Moreover, he promoted international equipment and technology cooperation with the US, the UK, and Australia. Dr Horie also worked as national representative of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Science and Technology Organization.

  In his recent assignment as Director General of Joint Systems, Dr Horie was in charge of overall missile system developments, some of which are indispensable for Stand-Off defence and Integrated Air and Missile Defence capabilities.

• 
  Honorable Andrew P. Hunter Founder & Principal,
  Pax Per Consortia Strategies LLC (USA)
  

  Honorable Andrew P. Hunter

  Founder & Principal, Pax Per Consortia Strategies LLC (USA)

  Honorable Andrew P. Hunter is the Founder and Principal of Pax Per Consortia Strategies LLC. He brings a deep understanding of defence customers and their acquisition organisations, fundamental mastery of the defence acquisition process and deep insights into the trajectory and growth potential of defence markets.

  Mr Hunter served as the Senate confirmed Assistant Secretary of the US Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics from 2022 to January 2025. Mr Hunter was responsible for Air Force research, development and acquisition activities in excess of US$60 billion annually.

  From 2014 to 2022, Mr Hunter was a Senior Fellow in the International Security Program and Director of the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. From 2011 to 2014, he served in the US Department of Defense as Director of the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell and the Chief of Staff to the Honorable Ashton B. Carter and the Honorable Frank Kendall, while each was serving as Under Secretary of Defense.

  Mr Hunter holds a Master of Arts degree in Applied Economics from The Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies from Harvard University.

• 
  Dr Christopher Kirchhoff Author of Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War (USA)
  

  Dr Christopher Kirchhoff

  Author of Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War (USA)

  Dr Christopher Kirchhoff founded the Pentagon Silicon Valley’s office and served as the National Security Council’s Director for Strategic Planning. He is the author of Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War, a Financial Times Best business book of 2024. Unit X chronicles the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley office, Defense Innovation Unit, which piloted flying cars and microsatellites in military missions and created a new acquisition pathway for start-ups now responsible for US$70 billion dollars of technology acquisition by the Department of Defense.

  During the Obama Administration, Dr Kirchhoff served as the National Security Council’s Director for Strategic Planning, the senior civilian aide to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and in the White House Chief of Staff’s office. He went on to work for Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt and the Artificial Intelligence company Anthropic.

  An expert in the future of war, strategic forecasting, artificial intelligence, technological systems and the social impacts of technology, Dr Kirchhoff has penned four landmark government reports: the Obama Administration’s Lessons Learned Report on Ebola, White House Big Data Report, Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience, coined the Iraq Pentagon Papers by the New York Times, and the Space Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation report.

  A graduate of Harvard College, Dr Kirchhoff holds a doctorate in politics from Cambridge University. He has been awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Service and the Civilian Service Medal for hazardous duty in Iraq.

• 
  Dr Guillaume Lample Co-Founder and Chief Scientist,
  Mistral AI (France)
  

  Dr Guillaume Lample

  Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Mistral AI (France)

  Dr Guillaume Lample is a French researcher and entrepreneur, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of Mistral AI, a company specialising in the development of large language models.

  Dr Lample received rigorous academic training, notably at École Polytechnique and Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned a Master's degree in mathematics. He also worked as a researcher at Facebook AI, contributing to Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects.

  Dr Lample is one of the creators of the Llama language model, unveiled by Meta (formerly Facebook) in February 2023. This model marked a significant advancement in natural language processing, greatly influencing Mistral AI's subsequent work.

  In 2023, Dr Lample co-founded Mistral AI with Arthur Mensch and Timothée Lacroix. The company quickly established itself as a major player in the field of generative AI, particularly in Europe. Mistral AI raised significant funds, achieving a valuation of nearly US$6 billion.

  As Chief Scientist, Dr Lample oversees research and development efforts at Mistral AI. He plays a key role in innovating and enhancing the company's language models, contributing to their competitive performance across various benchmarks. Dr Lample is recognised for his contributions to advancing AI, particularly in language modelling, and continues to play a central role in developing open and accessible AI technologies.

• 
  Dr Li Weiwei Associate Research Fellow National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology,
  Academy of Military Sciences (People's Republic of China)
  

  Dr Li Weiwei

  Associate Research Fellow National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology,
  Academy of Military Sciences (People's Republic of China)

  Dr Li Weiwei was born in October 1992. He is a researcher at the National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology, Academy of Military Sciences. Dr Li is engaged in cutting-edge technology prediction research, mainly including the development law, application prospects and impact on future society of cutting-edge technologies. In the recent years, Dr Li has published nearly 30 papers, including 6 Science Citation Index papers as the first or the corresponding author.

• 
  Mr Rodrigo Liang Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer,
  SambaNova Systems (USA)
  

  Mr Rodrigo Liang

  Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, SambaNova Systems (USA)

  Mr Rodrigo Liang is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SambaNova, a company that has revolutionised the Artificial Intelligence (AI) landscape since its inception in 2017. With a bold mission to democratise access to AI in the enterprise, SambaNova has successfully bridged the gap between cutting-edge technology and accessibility, empowering companies of every size to harness the power of AI with its comprehensive full-stack offering. This groundbreaking approach, which includes the world's most efficient chips, systems, and software, is a direct result of the pioneering work done by Mr Liang and his co-founders and Stanford professors, Kunle Olukotun and Chris Ré, at the esteemed Stanford AI Lab.

  Born in Taipei, Taiwan, and raised in Brazil, Mr Liang's diverse cultural background has been a driving force behind SambaNova's innovative spirit. Its name, which in Portuguese translates to "New Dance", symbolises the company's commitment to innovation and disruption in the AI space.

• 
  BG Jonas Lotsne Director Land Systems,
  Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (Sweden)
  

  BG Jonas Lotsne

  Director Land Systems,
  Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (Sweden)

  Brigadier General (BG) Jonas Lotsne is currently Director Land Systems of the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration. Prior to this appointment, he has taken on various roles including Chief of Procurement of the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters (HQ), Chief of Staff of the Swedish Armed Forces HQ, Defense Staff, Commanding Officer for the 9 Artillery Regiment, Boden, and Head of Defense Planning of the Swedish Armed Forces Logistics, Stockholm, among many others.

  BG Lotsne has also taken on international assignments such as Commanding Officer/Contingent Commander Swedish Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force Second Swedish Contingent to United Nations mission in Mali and Second-in-Command Company Commander for The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Kosovo Force.

  BG Lotsne has an Executive Master of Business Administration from the Stockholm School of Economics.  

• 
  Mr Andy Lowery Chief Executive Officer,
  Epirus, Inc. (USA)
  

  Mr Andy Lowery

  Chief Executive Officer, Epirus, Inc. (USA)

  Mr Andy Lowery is a proven entrepreneurial, corporate and military leader, having served more than 30 years in a wide spectrum of demanding US domestic and global roles. As Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Epirus, Inc., Mr Lowery leads a team pioneering cutting-edge directed energy systems.

  Mr Lowery is a recognised thought leader in the application of technology across industry. Prior to Epirus, he held various roles at high-tech start-ups such as Co-Founder and CEO of RealWear, Inc., the world leader of industrial head-up-display wearable systems and Co-Founder of Daqri, where he pioneered mixed reality wearables for enterprise applications.

  From 2008 to 2014, Mr Lowery worked in various roles at Raytheon including Business Area Chief Engineer for Electronic Warfare Systems. He also previously led M/A-COM’s high-power amplifier products from 2004 to 2008.

  Mr Lowery is a retired Lieutenant Commander from the US Navy and holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

• 
  Mr Palmer Luckey Founder,
  Anduril Industries (USA)
  

  Mr Palmer Luckey

  Founder, Anduril Industries (USA)

  Mr Palmer Luckey is an American inventor, innovator, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of defence technology company Anduril Industries, designer of the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality head-mounted display, and the founder of Oculus VR, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for US$2.3 billion.

  Mr Luckey founded Anduril Industries in 2017 to radically transform the defence capabilities of the United States and its allies by fusing artificial intelligence with the latest hardware advancements. At Anduril, Mr Luckey integrates a consumer technology business model with mission-driven objectives, enabling rapid product development and deployment, setting the company apart from other players in the defence industry.

  Mr Luckey's deep interest in defence technology was driven by his time at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies Mixed Reality Lab, where he built hardware used to research immersive Post Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment for US veterans. He continued to support various military applications of Virtual Reality during his time at Oculus, informing his belief that radical modernisation of US military technology is a prerequisite for preserving our way of life.

  Mr Luckey began attending Golden West College and Long Beach City College at the age of 14, and studied at California State University, Long Beach before dropping out to build Oculus VR.

• 
  Honorable Shon J. Manasco Senior Counselor,
  Palantir Technologies (USA)
  

  Honorable Shon J. Manasco

  Senior Counselor, Palantir Technologies (USA)

  Honorable Shon J. Manasco serves as Senior Counselor at Palantir Technologies, where he provides strategic advice on defence and commercial business matters. Before joining Palantir, Mr Manasco held the position of United States Under Secretary of the Air Force (Acting), following his role as Assistant Secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, US Air Force.

  Prior to being asked to return to public service, Mr Manasco was the Executive Vice President at the financial services firm United Services Automobile Association (USAA). During his tenure, Mr Manasco held several key positions, including Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. In these roles, he led teams responsible for overseeing business solutions, information technology and innovation labs, corporate services, enterprise cyber and physical security, procurement, and USAA Ventures.

• 
  Mr Alex Moore Partner,
  8VC (USA)
  

  Mr Alex Moore

  Partner, 8VC (USA)

  Mr Alex Moore focuses on incubating companies through 8VC’s Build Program, Defense, building talent networks and fundamental operational support for the portfolio. Mr Moore also focuses on enterprise and seed-stage investments.

  Prior to joining 8VC, Mr Moore was a start-up operator for 12 years. He was the first employee and Director of Operations at Palantir Technologies, building the team from one room to 350 people, with US$100 million in sales.

  Mr Moore co-founded Backplane, a social media analytics company, and NodePrime, a cloud automation company which was acquired by Ericsson in 2016. Following his operator career, he invested in over 50 seed-stage companies.

  Mr Moore sits on the boards of Palantir, Epirus, Premise Data, Nylas, Standard Metrics, Anduin Transactions, FieldGuide, Chaos Industries, and Saronic. Mr Moore graduated from Stanford University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

• 
  Mr Charles Ng Chief Executive Officer,
  Ensign InfoSecurity (Singapore)
  

  Mr Charles Ng

  Chief Executive Officer, Ensign InfoSecurity (Singapore)

  Mr Charles Ng is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ensign InfoSecurity (Ensign), the largest pure-play cybersecurity service provider in Asia Pacific, headquartered in Singapore.

  Mr Ng was one of the founding leaders of the company and before assuming the role of CEO, he served as the Head of International Business, where he drives the growth of Ensign’s cybersecurity services in the region. At various times, he was also head of the consulting business and the corporate team in Ensign.

  Prior to joining Ensign, Mr Ng worked in Temasek, Booz Allen Hamilton and began his career in the government. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford University and a Master in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

• 
  Ms Ng Teng Teng Director (IT Delivery),
  Defence Science and Technology Agency (Singapore)
  

  Ms Ng Teng Teng

  Director (IT Delivery), Defence Science and Technology Agency (Singapore)

  Ms Ng Teng Teng assumed the role of Director (IT Delivery), Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) Digital Services in Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), in April 2023.

  As Director (IT Delivery), Ms Ng spearheads the transformation, design and delivery of Human Resource and Workplace digital solutions for MINDEF. Prior to this role, she contributed significantly to the development of digital capabilities for MINDEF, the Singapore Armed Forces as well as for the Public Service in her various appointments in DSTA.

  Ms Ng graduated from National University of Singapore with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. She was awarded the DSTA Postgraduate scholarship and holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from Temasek Defence Systems Institute.

  In recognition of her contributions, Ms Ng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 2021, the DSTA Team Excellence Award in 2010 and 2014 as well as the DSTA Innovation Excellence Award in 2009.

• 
  Mr Melvyn Ong Permanent Secretary (Defence Development),
  Ministry of Defence,
  Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of National Development (Singapore)
  

  Mr Melvyn Ong

  Permanent Secretary (Defence Development), Ministry of Defence, Permanent Secretary (Development), Ministry of National Development (Singapore)

  Mr Melvyn Ong was enlisted into the Singapore Army in January 1994 and commissioned as an Officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in Oct 1994. Over 29 years in the SAF, he has held several senior positions, including the appointments of Commander of the 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade, Head Joint Plans Transformation Department, Chief Guards Officer and Chief of Army.

  In 2018, Mr Ong was appointed Chief of Defence Force in which he had enhanced Singapore's peace and security and led the SAF in high key security operations including the DPRK-US Singapore Summit and the 33rd ASEAN Summit in 2018. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led the SAF's pandemic response and ensured the SAF maintained a high degree of operational readiness and oversaw the formation of various SAF Task Forces comprising more than 7,000 personnel to support the government's COVID-19 operations. Under his stewardship, the SAF made significant progress in its next generation transformation efforts, most notably the establishment of the SAF's fourth Service, the Digital and Intelligence Service.

  Aside from his military appointments, Mr Ong had served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Early Childhood Development Agency jointly under the Ministry of Social and Family Development and Ministry of Education from 2013 to 2014, where he contributed to setting up this new agency and developing policies in the early childhood sector.

  Mr Ong was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) (Military) in 2012, Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Military) in 2018 and Meritorious Service Medal (Military) in 2021 for his contributions to the SAF. He was also conferred the Bintang Kartika Eka Paksi Utama (Indonesia), the Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand and the Panglima Gagah Angkatan Tentera (Kehormat) (Malaysia) in 2018, the Most Exalted Order of Paduka Keberanian Laila Terbilang (First Class) (Brunei) in 2019, the Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia in the Military Division in 2021, the Bintang Yudha Dharma Utama (Indonesia) in 2022, and the Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant (Thailand) in 2023.

  Mr Ong received his education in Singapore in Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and National Junior College. In 1994, he was awarded the SAF Overseas Scholarship to pursue his undergraduate studies in the United Kingdom, where he graduated in 1998 with a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

  Mr Ong is married with three children.

• 
  Mr Bertrand Rondepierre General Manager,
  Agency for Artificial Intelligence in Defence (France)
  

  Mr Bertrand Rondepierre

  General Manager, Agency for Artificial Intelligence in Defence (France)

  Mr Bertrand Rondepierre is General Manager for the Agency for Artificial Intelligence in Defence. He leads the execution of the Ministry's Artificial lntelligence (AI) strategy and is responsible for ensuring the acceleration of Al deployment at scale, from weapon systems and operational superiority up to everyday use cases.

  From 2018 to 2023, Mr Rondepierre was programme manager at Google, first within the Europe Research teams during Google Research's expansion in Europe. He then joined Google's Brain team at the forefront of Al Research and managed a portfolio involving process optimisation, research impact measurement as well as research projects in the early days of Generative Al. Before leaving Google, he worked on the Google DeepMind merger and ended up as programme lead of the Al for future product portfolio under Zoubin Ghahramani.

  Prior to joining Google, from 2017 to 2018, Mr Rondepierre worked with Cédric Villani, a member of French Parliament tasked by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to design and write down a strategy to get France to be a leader in Al. He is one of the authors of the report Al for Humanity that led to President Emmanuel Macron's national Al strategy from 2018 to 2024.

  Mr Rondepierre graduated from Ecole polytechnique and holds both an engineering degree from Télécom Paris and a master's degree from Ecole Normale Supérieure of Paris-Saclay, in applied mathematics and machine learning.

• 
  Honorable Will Roper Chief Executive Officer,
  Istari Digital (USA)
  

  Honorable Will Roper

  Chief Executive Officer, Istari Digital (USA)

  Honorable Will Roper is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Istari Digital, a tech start-up backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Istari is building the world’s first engineering metaverse and is on track to design the first digitally-certified aircraft.

  Dr Roper is a Distinguished Professor at Georgia Tech, a member of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Board, and an Honorary Group Captain in the UK Royal Air Force. As Assistant Secretary of the US Air Force and Space Force, he oversaw US$60 billion in operations and reformed defence markets to include tech start-ups. His tenure saw advances in Artificial Intelligence, hypersonic aircraft, and a major expansion of US medical production during COVID-19. He also overturned 50-year-old body standards, increasing flight career access for women.

  A recipient of the Pentagon’s highest public service awards, Dr Roper has been featured in Wired, Time, The Wall Street Journal, and Popular Mechanics. His Matrix-inspired digital engineering guide - There is No Spoon - continues to shape tech and defence innovation.

  Dr Roper holds degrees in physics from Georgia Tech and a doctorate in mathematics from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He is an avid traveler, hiker, Pelotoner, and a dedicated father.

• 
  Dr Thomas Rothacher Director Science and Technology,
  Deputy National Armaments Director (Switzerland)
  

  Dr Thomas Rothacher

  Director Science and Technology, Deputy National Armaments Director (Switzerland)

  Dr Thomas Rothacher attended grammar school after completing his training as a laboratory assistant. He later studied physics at the University of Bern, where he obtained his doctorate in 2004. His research was in the field of laser technology. At the same time while working on his Ph.D., Dr Rothacher started in the technical department at armasuisse. He has managed various departments and since 2013, he has been Director of Science and Technology, the technology centre of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS). In this role, he is responsible for technical military research and innovation within the DDPS. In 2020, he was appointed Deputy National Armaments Director by the Federal Council.

  Dr Rothacher is married with two sons.

• 
  Mr Seok Jonggun Minister,
  Defense Acquisition Program Administration (Republic of Korea)
  

  Mr Seok Jonggun

  Minister, Defense Acquisition Program Administration (Republic of Korea)

  Mr Seok Jonggun is currently the Minister for Defense Acquisition Program Administrative. Mr Seok has taken on various roles following his graduation from the Korea Military Academy in 1989, such as Commander for 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment, 1st Infantry Division; Commander for 37th Regiment, 12th Infantry Division; and Director for Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force Division, Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was also Director for Force Planning Division, Strategic Planning Headquarters, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Director General for Force 1st Department, Strategic Planning HQ, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Commander for 37th Infantry Division, Chief of Preparation Group for establishment of 2nd Rapid Response Division; and Chief of Force Planning Department, Strategic Planning Headquarters, Joint Chiefs of Staff.

• 
  LG(Ret) John Shanahan Adjunct Senior Fellow,
  Technology and National Security Program,
  Center for a New American Security (USA)
  

  LG(Ret) John Shanahan

  Adjunct Senior Fellow, Technology and National Security Program, Center for a New American Security (USA)

  LG(Ret) John Shanahan retired from the United States Air Force in 2020 after a 36-year military career. In his final assignment, he served as the inaugural Director of the US Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Artificial Intelligence Center.

  LG Shanahan served in operational and staff positions in various fields including flying, intelligence, policy, and command and control. He commanded at the squadron, group, wing, Agency, and Numbered Air Force levels. As the first Director of the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team (Project Maven), LG Shanahan established and led DoD’s pathfinder Artificial Intelligence (AI) fielding programme charged with bringing AI capabilities to intelligence collection and analysis.

  LG Shanahan graduated from the North Carolina State University Master of International Studies programme in 2022. He is Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Center for a New American Security Technology and National Security Program. He serves on a variety of AI-related committees, boards, and advisory groups, and as a consultant on the use of AI-enabled technologies for national security.

• 
  Honorable Heidi Shyu Former Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering of the United States (USA)
  

  Honorable Heidi Shyu

  Former Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering of the United States (USA)

  Honorable Heidi Shyu served as the Chief Technology Officer for the United States Department of Defense (DoD), mandated with ensuring the technological superiority of the US military. She was responsible for the research, development, and prototyping activities across the DoD enterprise from 2021 – 2025.

  Previously as the Chief Executive Officer of Heidi Shyu Inc., Ms Shyu served on several boards. From 2012 to 2016, she also served as the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Prior to her government service, Ms Shyu also took on senior leadership roles at Raytheon as the Vice President for Technology Strategy for Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems, corporate Vice President for Technology & Research and Vice President & Technology Director for Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems. She has received the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, Department of the Army Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service, and the Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service twice. She also received the highest Commendation from the Australian Secretary & Chief of the Defense Force for strengthening defence innovation, science & technology cooperation. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Honorary Fellow.

• 
  Ms Clementine Starling-Daniels Director,
  Forward Defense Program,
  Atlantic Council (USA)
  

  Ms Clementine Starling-Daniels

  Director, Forward Defense Program, Atlantic Council (USA)

  Ms Clementine Starling-Daniels is the director of the Atlantic Council’s Forward Defense Program and a resident fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. She leads a team of nine staff and 40 fellows, shaping research on US defence strategies, particularly regarding China, Russia, space security, and emerging technologies.

  Before launching Forward Defense, Ms Starling-Daniels was deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security team, focusing on European security and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). She contributed to NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division during key summits and managed Atlantic Council Task Forces on US military posture in Europe and defence innovation.

  Ms Starling-Daniels has authored numerous reports on US space strategy and coalition warfare, with her insights featured in outlets like Defense One, NATO’s Joint Air & Space Power Conference, and National Public Radio. She was named the 2022 Herbert Roback scholar by the US National Academy of Public Administration and served as a 2020 Security and Defense fellow at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy.

  Originally from the UK, Ms Starling-Daniels worked in the UK Parliament on technology, defence, Middle East security, and Ukraine. She holds a Bachelor of Science in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a Master of Arts in Security Studies from Georgetown University.

• 
  VADM Carsten Stawitzki Director-General for Armament,
  German Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)
  

  VADM Carsten Stawitzki

  Director-General for Armament, German Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)

  VADM Carsten Stawitzki joined the German Navy in 1995. He served as a naval engineering officer on submarines and as a propulsion officer and naval engineering officer on the Bremen-class frigate. He studied electrical engineering at the University of the German Armed Forces in Hamburg.

  From 1998 to 2000, VADM Stawitzki completed the 40th Admiral Staff Course at the Command and Staff College in Hamburg. VADM Stawitzki also took on other important roles after sea, including the role of adjutant to various Federal Ministers of Defense, North Atlantic Treaty Organization assignments and posts in the German Federal Ministry of Defense. He was also a lecturer at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College, commander of the Mürwik Naval School and the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College.

  VADM Stawitzki has been head of the Armaments Department at the German Federal Ministry of Defence since 2018.

• 
  Mr Brandon Tseng President and Co-Founder,
  Shield AI (USA)
  

  Mr Brandon Tseng

  President and Co-Founder, Shield AI (USA)

  Mr Brandon Tseng is Shield AI’s President and Co-Founder. Previously, Mr Tseng proudly served in the US Navy for seven years as a SEAL and Surface Warfare Officer aboard USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52). He founded Shield AI – with the mission to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems – driven by first-hand experiences during deployments to Afghanistan twice, the Pacific Theater, and the Arabian Gulf. At Shield AI, Mr Tseng leads all aspects of growth – business development, corporate development, strategy, marketing, and government relations – to help Shield AI achieve its mission at a global scale.

  Mr Tseng earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the US Naval Academy and his Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

• 
  Mr Hugh Webster Chief Technology Officer,
  Boeing Australia (Australia)
  

  Mr Hugh Webster

  Chief Technology Officer, Boeing Australia (Australia)

  Mr Hugh Webster is the Chief Technology Officer for Boeing Australia, where he is responsible for developing company technical strategy and the design and operation of innovation activities.

  Mr Webster has a wide experience base across technical, operational and commercial aspects of defence business, and applies decades of expertise in Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and Electromagnetic Warfare to help solve some of the most complex challenges facing defence today.

  Mr Webster has a strong background in command & control systems, communications and software systems. He leads thinking on product line strategies and roadmaps and uses these to shape the Research & Development programmes that realise innovation in these domains. Over the last 8 years these programmes have delivered a range of technology prototypes across 9 portfolio areas, including the highly successful MQ-28 Ghost Bat uncrewed aircraft.

  Mr Webster is an expert across the strategic threat environment, emerging defence force capability requirements and how defence companies can make significant contributions to sovereign industry capabilities.

• 
  Mr Ryan Westerdahl Chief Executive Officer and Founder,
  Turion Space Corp. (USA)
  

  Mr Ryan Westerdahl

  Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Turion Space Corp. (USA)

  Mr Ryan Westerdahl is a hardcore engineer who leads a team of hardcore engineers on a mission to accelerate humanity's galactic destiny. After spending nearly nine years at SpaceX, he started Turion Space Corp. to build the critical infrastructure in space that will unleash the potential of Earth orbit. At Turion Space Corp., he leads strategy, business development, hiring, investor relations, and drives direction of all Research & Development. Turion Space Corp. has two satellites in-orbit and was founded in June 2021.

  Mr Westerdahl has a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace, both from the University of Washington.

• 
  Mr Ivan Zhang Co-Founder,
  Cohere (Canada)
  

  Mr Ivan Zhang

  Co-Founder, Cohere (Canada)

  Mr Ivan Zhang is a Co-Founder at Cohere, the leading data security-focused enterprise Artificial Intelligence (AI) company. Previously he founded FOR.ai along with Aidan Gomez - now, Cohere For AI - an independent AI research group. Mr Zhang also worked in the biotech and Machine Learning Operations space as a software engineer.

  Cohere is a global company that builds enterprise-grade frontier AI models designed to solve real-world business challenges. Cohere’s AI solutions are cloud-agnostic to meet companies wherever their data is stored and offer the highest levels of security, privacy, and customisation with on-premises and private cloud deployment options. At Cohere, Mr Zhang focuses on working with a highly talented team of engineers to train AI models to ensure they excel at the capabilities businesses care most about.

HEAR FROM PAST PARTICIPANTS

The international participation gives you a chance to hear a lot of different perspectives on things, and we addressed some very topical and important issues here. I thoroughly enjoyed attending this conference – it’s why I’m back.

Honorable Frank Kendall III Secretary,
U.S. Air Force (USA)

I’d like to recommend others to join the tech summit because we are talking about bridging the gap and breaking down silos. And to do those things we need to get together, to understand each other, and exchange ideas.

Dr Ee-Eul Kim President and Chief Executive Officer,
Satrec Initiative (Republic of Korea)

I really valued having a diversity of opinions from people from different nations all being present together in one place. With that, you get that exchange of ideas that you wouldn’t otherwise obtain. This is fundamental to making the world a much safer and more secure place.

Dr Dale Lambert Former Chief of Information Sciences Division,
Defence Science and Technology Group, Department of Defence (Australia)

I’ve been involved in all the tech summits, and this is the biggest one that I have experienced so far. There is greater engagement from the defence industry, government, and academia, to understand each other and exchange viewpoints.

Dr Michael Raska Assistant Professor and Coordinator for Military Transformation Programme,
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (Singapore)

The commentary here is just a very mature understanding of where I think we are in looking at technology for the defence sector, but also an understanding of practitioners, who both understand the technology and understand the national security sector and how we’re applying both of those. It’s been a wonderful experience to see both of those types of people come together.

Mr David Spirk Senior Counselor,
Palantir Technologies (USA)

The biggest key takeaway (from the summit) is that we need to come together as partners, both within our industries, across industries, across sectors, but even more importantly, across countries. It is only together that we can ensure that (the world) is safe and inclusive for everybody.

Ms Lila Tretikov Former Deputy Chief Technology Officer,
Microsoft Corporation (USA)

I have to say that DSTA is the world champion in connecting people. We had excellent discussions, and obviously we are in a time where discussion is needed around defence.

Mr Marcel ‘Otto’ Yon Partner and Founder,
innovation@scale and Freedom Fund (Germany)