Document:The Institute for Statecraft Expert Team v 3

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biographies of core team members with lots of obscure but interesting former and present employers

Disclaimer (#3)Document.png draft name list  by Chris Donnelly dated 13 December 2018
Subjects: Integrity Initiative, Institute for Statecraft
Example of: Integrity Initiative/Leak/3
Source: 'Anonymous'

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The Institute for Statecraft Expert Team: Roles and Relevant Experience



A. 2 Temple Place resident team

Simon Bracey-Lane: Currently runs the IfS “Integrity Initiative” network communications and network development process; deep experience in democratic election campaign processes in UK and especially in USA, viz: Regional Campaign Organiser: John Wisniewski for Governor of New Jersey, USA. January - May 2017; Statewide Campaign Organiser: Bernie Sanders for President 2016, USA. Sept 2015 – May 2016; special study of Russian interference in the US electoral process.

Stephen Dalziel: Works especially on network set up and development; evaluation of partner organisations; education and training; directing conferences and workshops. Specialist in understanding the Russian mind and its susceptibility to messages; worked in the Soviet Studies Research Centre at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst; in the BBC World Service where, as Russian Affairs Analyst, he spent 16 years reporting on Russia; later spent five years as Executive Director of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce.

Russian linguist

Maria de Goeij TBC

Nico de Pedro: Head forensic researcher and trainer; specialist in evaluation of partner organisations for research expertise and consequent TNA core group member of the EU-Russia Experts Network on Foreign Policy (EUREN) initiated by the EU Delegation to Russia; founder and leader of the Institute for Statecraft’s Spanish cluster; deep expertise in Russian thinking, Russian influence and disinformation operations, including in the Catalan separatist issue.

Russian and Spanish linguist

Yusuf Desai: IfS resident expert in understanding the dynamics of ethnic and religious minority communities and diasporas in UK and other European and MENA countries; studying societal vulnerabilities and how to reduce these; following the Russian exploitation of ethnic minority communities; studying comparative propaganda narratives and the interactive learning between Russian and Daesh propagandists. Urdu linguist

Chris Donnelly (SC): Strategic development; devised and set up the IfS “Integrity Initiative” process to track, expose and counter Russian disinformation; long term specialist in Soviet and Russian strategic thinking; specialist in current Russian hybrid warfare; specialist in understanding the growing vulnerability to disinformation and malign influence within UK and other western evolving governmental systems; extensive experience of working with and within C & E European national governments to support their reform.

Russian and French linguist

Euan Grant: Formerly HM Customs & Excise’s National Division for Strategic Intelligence Analyst for Transnational Organised Crime, the new EU Member States and the ex-Soviet Union. He has subsequently worked on EU projects in Bosnia, Moldova, Ukraine and the Baltic States 2002- 14; recently broad mainstream journalistic expertise on Russian criminality and its financial links through UK, financial influence and related information issues; also follows Russian influence on UK academia.

Charlie Hatton: Programme manager of the IfS “Integrity Initiative”; she also undertakes event organisation; social media dissemination; education and training for developing the networks and for cluster administration; developing counter-disinformation education in schools. Background in marketing, branding and project/budget management

Italian linguist

Chris Hernon: Long experience in BBC Monitoring, including analysis of Russian media; current expert in monitoring Russian Social Media and the monitoring and evaluation of Russian propaganda messages; manages the social media and publications team; runs the evaluation (quality control) of research material for dissemination across the “Integrity Initiative” networks; developing responses to Russian exploitation of social media

Russian linguist

Todd Leventhal: Retired in May 2018 as Senior Counter-Disinformation Officer at the Global Engagement Center at the U.S. Department of State. He has 20 years of experience in analysing and countering Soviet, Russian, Iraqi and other disinformation, conspiracy theories and urban legends at the State Department, the U.S. Information Agency (USIA), and the Department of Defence. He has written a variety of related papers and has broad media commentary experience. Todd has an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MA in Russian area studies from Georgetown University.

Victor Madeira: Specialist on Russian and Soviet mindsets, and on intelligence, counter-intelligence and subversive traditions and practices as the pillars of modern Russian information warfare and influence operations. Long-standing advocate of strategic thinking to tackle malign foreign influence. Expert in forensic research, understanding Russian strategic thinking and cultural psychology, and tactics of subversive interference; Russian use of the Orthodox Church for these purposes

Russian linguist

Johanna Moehring: Provides conceptual underpinning for cluster process, as well as for clusters across countries. Grapples with what constitutes power in our hypercompetitive, connected world, and how states exercise it. Russian geopolitics, specialist on Central and Eastern European economies, policy making, public administration and integrity systems. Assisting development of French cluster.

French, German, Russian linguist.

Ben Robinson (US): Photographer and specialist in the use of visual imagery for influence and behavioural change; specialist in Russian visual disinformation; IfS liason officer to StopFake and other institutions in Ukraine fighting infowar; developing potential Ukrainian partner organisations

Russian and Ukrainian linguist

Greg Rowett: Specialist in Russian use of Social Media as a mechanism for influence and disinformation; specialist in Social Media exploitation and counter-strategy; environmental expert, paying special attention to Russian information exploitation of the environmental lobby; working with the Institute’s youth programme for informational discernment education.

Keith Sargent:

Jon Searle:

Guy Spindler: Formerly FCO with service in Russia; Cluster development - development and implementation of management structures and procedures; risk assessment of potential partners; HR assessment and selection of cluster members; informational and organisational security

French linguist

James Wilson: Legal adviser. Partner, Holman, Fenwick, Willan LLP. Provision of legal representation; provision of advice on Legal and ethical issues of countering disinformation and influence; risk assessment; advice on relevant insurance; professional checking of material for potential legal problems before publication.

B. Specialist Team Members

Eduard Abrahamyan (Caucasus & Central Asia): Specializes on Russia’s near neighbourhood policy. The disinformation, propaganda and weaponized narratives are of specific academic and analytical focus including Russia’s strategic thinking towards the Caucasus and Central Asia. Has experience in thorough appraisal of Moscow’s power and influence projection via traditional tools such as integration organizations and though non-linear hybrid means (oligarchic/criminal structures, covert coercive diplomacy).

Armenian and Russian linguist

Diane Allen (DV): former Royal Signals and currently Intelligence Corps reserve Lt Col; former CO of Specialist Group Military Intelligence; worked with the Land Information Assessment Group and developing infowar capacity with the Army’s 77 Brigade; expert trainer including in difficult environments; particular experience of working with women’s groups on informational issues.

Jamal Al-Tahat (Jordan): Democratic political activist; analyst of national and regional governmental and societal vulnerabilities to Russian influence and disinformation; studies Russian strategy in the Middle East; understands the linkage to Islamist fundamentalism in MENA.

Arabic linguist

Josh Arnold-Foster (DV): Former Special Adviser to UK Defence Secretary; military Reservist infowar specialist; provides coaching and mentoring to very senior officers in public presentation and strategic advice on influence and counter influence activities in a ‘New Media’ environment.

Barrie Axford: Professor of Politics at Oxford-Brookes University. Specialist in Globalisation and in new media, digital media and emerging technologies; focused on Wider Europe, in particular the Ukraine, Caucasus and the Central Asian Republics. Researching the link between "populism" and new media and the effectiveness of ‘Western’ strategies in countering the activities of adversaries.

Anne Bader (US): Working on evaluation of and development of links with potential US partner organisations; cyber aspects of influence and disinformation; founded The International Cybersecurity Dialogue in 2012 to help bridge the gap between policy makers and security technologists in government, business and academe; was actively involved in creating democracy education programmes in the Former Soviet Union, was Senior Advisor to the Moscow School for Political Studies; was named an Honorary Citizen of Hungary in 1991 for her democracy capacity building in Hungary; extensive work in Serbia and Montenegro on cyber security; Joint creator of the NATO strategic communications campaign for demilitarization and defense reform in Ukraine,Albania, Serbia, through the Partnership for Peace Trust Fund; member of the DC National Press Club, Women in International Security, The Cyber Security Summit Advisory Board and the Board of the Hungarian American Coalition.

Quique Badia Masoni (Spain): Investigative journalist; forensic research into Russian influence via organized crime networks; Russian use of sports societies for penetration and influence in the West; Russian exploitation of Catalan separatism

Spanish linguist

Oleksandr Danylyuk (Ukraine): Centre for Defense Reforms, Kyiv; leads a team of specialists in Russian influence operations and legal warfare against Ukraine; developing the use of traditional media for counter-propaganda

Ukrainian and Russian linguist

Martin Dubbey: 30 years with UK law enforcement; has developed a method for combining cyber investigation capability with traditional investigation techniques; was lead investigator in 2 enquiries into Russian corruption - the International Athletics Federation and the Sochi Games. Uses a social media monitoring platform to expose influence and disinformation re political campaigns, protests, hooliganism, and changing world events, identifying specific ring-leaders, asset identification, and understanding atmospherics to help predict upcoming events. Recently demonstrated that a seemingly uncoordinated attack by a group of hackers was in fact part of a Russian government disinformation campaign and media strategy.

Harold Elletson: Former journalist and member of UK Parliament; expert in Russian military political relations; Media and communications specialist; author of a major report for the Institute for Statecraft on Russian information warfare in Germany; development of the German and Austrian clusters; senior communications adviser to the board of ICWE GmbH specializing in “eLearning” and education technology; formerly Director of the NATO Forum on Business and Security, which established a platform for dialogue between NATO and the private sector about emerging security issues.

Russian, French and German linguist

Perry Fawcett (DV): Director of a number of companies involved in marketing and new media; Special Constable with the Metropolitan Police financial and organised crime unit and has worked with MOD and JNAC in the areas of financial crime, especially the tracking of money flows in support of adversary organisations has been a particular focus of this work; expert trainer in budgeting and budgetary control for NGOs.

Mark Galeotti: Specialist in Russian strategic thinking; the application of Russian disinformation and hybrid warfare; the use of organised crime as a weapon of hybrid warfare. Educational and mentoring skills, including in a US and E European environment, and the corporate world

Russian linguist

Babak Ganji: Expert in the politics and strategies of Iran and other Middle Eastern countries; hybrid warfare and the theory and practice of statecraft with particular emphasis on strategic history and political warfare; the grand strategy of Russia in the Middle East; current Russian influence and disinformation operations in the Middle East; expert teacher of strategy and hybrid warfare

Persian linguist

Francis Ghiles (France): Associate Senior Researcher at CIDOB; specialises in security, financial and energy trends in the Western Mediterranean; was the FT’s North Africa Correspondent from 1981 to 1995. His interests are focused on analysing emerging trends concerning gas and linking them with the political priorities of Spain, Europe and the USA; as such, is currently studying Russian involvement in North Africa and its associated information and influence operations.

French linguist

Keir Giles: Expert on the Russian approach to information warfare, including the subdomains of computational propaganda and of cyber conflict; infowar combined with other elements of hybrid warfare; Russian theory, doctrine, and structures for engaging in information and cyber confrontation; previously developed the strategy for BBC Monitoring to adapt its operations to expand to assessment and coverage of online resources; practical experience as a network engineer; combines this technical background with in-depth study of the Russian approaches to assess the cyber and computational propaganda threat from Moscow; expert in international initiatives to regulate cyber and online conflict.

Russian linguist

Glen Grant: Former Defence Attaché to Helsinki, Riga and Tallinn. He is a specialist on the management aspects of Eastern European defence reform, Northern European defence and the current Ukraine/Russian war. He shares his time between his home in Riga where he lectures at the Business School in strategy and in Ukraine working for the Ukrainian Institute for the Future. Glen also has a background in penal reform having run the military prison in UK and been an adviser to two Justice Ministers in Latvia. He has an MA in change management.

German linguist (and can survive in Latvian).

Roger Golland (DV): Formerly Director Western Europe for a government agency close to the FCO; previously Director Training for the same institution; continues to undertake work in this area. Expert in Russian methodologies; Special ability to assist in bringing together NGOs and relevant national governmental bodies (ministries, special services); security risk assessment; evaluation of hostile environments and governmental communities in countries where we will be operating.

German linguist

Jon Hazel (SC); served in MOD on the formulation of cross-government communications strategies against a spectrum of national security threats, and controlling communications programmes in challenging environments, including Eastern Europe. Recent work for HMG on social media capability development programmes; stabilisation in the Balkans; Holds an MA in Nationalism and Cultural Anthropology

Russian and Serbo-Croat linguist

Steve Johnson (DV): Lecturer in Cyber Communications and an expert in digital forensics at the Cranfield Forensic Unit running a nationally recognised MSc course in these areas; visiting lecturer at Harvard. Has extensive operational expertise in these areas, as well as being a specialist trainer and TNA evaluator.

Phil Jolley (DV): Currently an executive partner at IBM, UK MOD cluster leader for IBM, member of the IBM Global Defence Board and the UK national lead on ‘Blockchain’ technologies; specialist in IT contribution to countering disinformation, viz the management of OSINT and the management and manipulation of large data, the development of algorithmic technologies and the roles of ‘Bots’ both in processing data and in the multiplication of data capacity.

Stephen Jolly: Specialist in mechanisms for implementing large scale societal behavioural change; formerly stratcom director in MOD; currently with M&C Saachi, Global Advisory Services Ltd. Special Projects

Ren Kapur (SC): Director of X-Forces, a UK non-profit organisation providing advice and support in the start-up of small business in the UK and elsewhere. She is an approved DTI funder for business start-ups and has so far loaned £10+ million to over 1,100 start-ups with a 92% success and survival rate at the end of year one of trading – well above the UK average. Will provide advice and ready-made training packages to NGOs on budgeting, legal compliance and other issues needed to survive and develop, including a very successful package on fund-raising both in a local and international environment.

Dan Kaszeta: Director of Strongpoint Security, a UK-based security and defence consultancy. Subject matter expert in chemical, biological, and radiological/nuclear (CBRN) defence, as well as traditional physical and operational security issues. US-UK dual national, of partial Lithuanian descent. Served as a Chemical Corps officer in the US Army, CBRN and Disaster Preparedness Advisor at the White House Military Office, and as a specialist in the US Secret Service before relocating to the UK in 2008. Published author in his field. Considerable experience and connections in Baltic States.

Russian linguist (Moderate spoken and written)

Dmytro Kolomoiets (Ukraine): Research Centre Of Modern Conflicts, Kyiv. Represents a team of experts closely involved in tracking Russian experimentation in information warfare and other aspects of hybrid warfare against Ukraine, understanding these as a test bed for operations against the West; studies the application of Russian military doctrinal thinking to information and influence operations

Russian and Ukrainian linguist; professional interpreter

Kaarel Kullamaa (Estonia): The University of Tartu and St Petersburg State University. The leader of the Foreign communications group at State Science Agency at the University of Tartu. Have worked as an intern at the International Center for Defence and Security and currently working as a project leader at Tartu city government. Certificated cyberspace and state specialist form University of Oxford training course. Specialized on Russian and Eastern Bloc politics. Good understanding of the Russian mentality. Specifically dedicated to studying the Russian Orthodox Church activities and its connection to the Russian state. Possess good connections in counties like Afganistan, Iraq, Colombia.

Languages: Estonian, English and Russian.

Birgy Lorenz (Estonia): Tallinn Technical University. Specialist in mechanisms and education to protect society against disinformation; cyber aspects of disinformation and counter-measures; developing educational programmes for schools and universities, and training teachers to instil discernment, fact checking, caution in trust building and cyber hygiene in their pupils.

Russian and Estonian linguist

John Lough: Formerly in HQ NATO managing information programmes for Central and Eastern Europe, including a posting to Moscow where he set up and ran NATO’s Information Office in Russia; understanding of how to impact on Russian audiences, effective and ineffective messaging; long experience in a public affairs company where he focused on countering Russian ‘black PR’ and disinformation for government, corporate and individual clients; also worked as an international affairs adviser at TNK-BP and in a strategic communications consultancy focused on Russia/CIS and the Baltic States. Specializes in Russian countermeasures against western actors; understanding the role of Russian diasporas in western countries; forensic research and training

Russian, German and French linguist

Tim Reilly: Cambridge University; specialist in Russian strategic thinking; Russian and Chinese policies to influence the Arctic Council; influence and disinformation operations in the High North; Russian bids to control Arctic energy resources and diplomatic and military domination of the emerging ice-free polar transit route

Alan Riley: Qualified lawyer (England and Wales) and member of the US Bar Association; Member Advisory Committee of the Energy Community handing down rulings involving the application of EU Energy Law; specialist in EU legal mechanisms for energy security; expert in Russia’s use of energy as a weapon; currently following Russian disinformation and influence operations linked to Russian energy policy and the manipulation of EU energy markets.

Andy Settle (DV): Chairman of the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Security Researchers Information Exchange; Leads the IBM (Europe) Incident Response and Intelligence Services (IRIS). Technical expertise in most aspects of cyber security, including: security operations, threat intelligence, incident response, penetration testing and advanced threat & vulnerability research. He has worked within UK Critical National Infrastructure, Central Government Agencies as well as with NATO, Interpol, Europol; previously head of Thales UK’s Cyber Security Consultancy Practice and of Raytheon/Websense’s Special Investigation Unit where he led and co-authored research on a variety of state-level threat actors.

James Sherr: Author of Hard Diplomacy and Soft Coercion: Russia’s Influence Abroad and numerous other works on Russian strategy, Russia’s security culture, its methodology and its understanding of the world; expert analysis of how Russia’s leadership has adapted tsarist and Soviet methodology to its current goals and 21st Century means; currently evaluating the vulnerabilities of western societies to Russian interference

Russian linguist

Andrew Shortland (DV): Professor, Head of the Cranfield Forensic Unit (CFU), whose activities include digital forensics and other internet based search and identification techniques. CFU is also heavily engaged with the Defence Geo-Spatial Intelligence Fusion Centre in developing location techniques for use in wide range of applications. Well versed in dealing with highly sensitive issues and the need to ensure an accurate news feed both to new media such as Twitter and Facebook and to traditional media.

Luis Simon (Spain): Director of the Free University of Brussels Institute for European Studies (VUB-IES). He has developed since 2015 and currently leads the academic programme studying Russian malign influence and disinformation, assessing the abilities of researchers, monitoring their performance for quality control of their research product, developing the distribution of the research work throughout the academic world and into the political for a of the EU and other Brussels-based international institutions. He is also developing curricula for courses to insert education on Russian disinformation and influence strategies into the university mainstream. His personal expertise includes Russian hybrid warfare in all its aspects, including informational.

Spanish Linguist

Henry Strickland: Specialist in business strategy, operations management, innovation, marketing and organisation; one of the leading specialists in the field of developing and implementing successful organisational change programmes; His main focus has been on the use of “Learning Tools” as a means of energising and motivating an entire organisation quickly. Typically this process takes far too long and this has traditionally been a major stumbling block in any change initiative. Learning Tools, which are custom designed to suit the needs of each client, are also extremely effective in breaking down traditional barriers to communication, promoting collaborative working and a high degree of information sharing throughout an organisation.

French Linguist

Tomas Tauginas (Lithuania): Lithuanian Armed Forces Stratcom team; specialist in forensic research; structuring of analytical and data management processes; education and training of analysis teams; briefing national leaderships, politicians, journalists; Technical assessment of TNA for partner organisations

Russian and Lithuanian linguist

Jason Wiseman (Canada); Formerly Secretary General of the Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA). Expert in the evaluation of partner organisations; developing Canadian partner organisations; exploitation of ATA member organisations across Europe for our programme/scoping study; specialist in understanding of the functions and structures of, and has intimate access to, EEAS mechanisms and the European Parliament.

Andrew Wood: sir Andrew was formerly HM Ambassador in Moscow. Deep expertise in understanding the current Russian strategy and modus operandi, influence and information operations. Excellent current contacts with relevant departments of European Ministries of Foreign Affairs.

Russian Linguist