Our Board of Advisors

Anneli Jäätteenmäki is a Finnish politician who served as the first female Prime Minister of Finland in 2003. A member of the Centre Party, she was elected to the Finnish Parliament in 1987 and later served as Minister of Justice from 1994 to 1995. In 2000, she became chair of the Centre Party, establishing herself as one of the leading figures in Finnish national politics. Following her time in national government, Jäätteenmäki moved to European politics. She served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2019, representing Finland and contributing to parliamentary work on issues such as budgets, environmental policy, and international relations. From 2012 to 2014, she also served as a Vice-President of the European Parliament.

Dr. Ingo Friedrich is a highly influential German politician (CSU) and a committed European. From 1979 to 2009, he significantly shaped EU policy as a Member of the European Parliament, serving as its Vice-President from 1999 to 2007. A doctor of economics, he currently serves as President of the European Economic Senate and Executive President of the Union of Medium-Sized Companies. Friedrich is a staunch advocate for the "European Way of Life" and was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Klaus Welle was Secretary-General of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2022, after earlier serving as Secretary-General of the European People’s Party (1994–1999) and of the EPP-ED Group in the Parliament (1999–2003). Since May 2025, he has been Special Advisor to the European Commission for Defence and Space, while also teaching at LSE and KU Leuven. Moreover, he has chaired the Martens Centre’s Academic Council since April 2023.

Charlie Stuart brings extensive leadership experience from a distinguished diplomatic and security career. He is Chief Peace & Security Advisor on Africa for the EU External Action Service and has served as EU Deputy Ambassador to Iraq and Head of Delegation in Tanzania. He has held senior diplomatic postings across Europe and Africa and advises on defence, multilateral policy, and international security strategy.

Nicholas Dungan is founder and CEO of CogitoPraxis, advising senior leaders and boards on net assessment, strategic foresight and resilience across business, finance and government. He previously served as president and CEO of the French-American Foundation in New York and earlier worked as a senior investment banker in London, New York and Paris with firms including Merrill Lynch and Société Générale. As an adjunct professor at SciencesPo Paris, he taught courses on strategic leadership and international relations and is a frequent commentator on international affairs.

Christina Riess is Director Aerospace & Defence at Atreus, the leading provider of interim management services. She is President of the German Association of Sales Managers (Bundesverband der Vertriebsmanager e.V.) and serves as Chapter Lead Munich of the PULSE Women Economic Network of the Handelsblatt Media Group. In addition, she leads the Defence Task Force Europe at group level at Heidrick and is also a Member of the Tender Evaluation Board of the European Space Agency’s Business Incubation Centre. With senior executive experience at Airbus and advisory roles at Roland Berger, she brings deep expertise in aerospace, defence, UAVs, and strategic management.

Viola von Cramon-Taubadel is a German politician from Alliance 90/The Greens. She served in the Bundestag (2009–2013) and the European Parliament (2019–2024), working on foreign affairs, EU-Russia relations, and as Vice-Chair of the EU-Ukraine committee. She previously engaged in projects across Eastern Europe and China.

Brooks is Chairman of Trypillian Ltd, a UK-Ukraine defence tech business, and Chairman of Anglo REM Ltd, a critical minerals mining business. Brooks is a former Senior Partner, Apollo Global Management and UK Member Parliament & Minister Civil Society. Brooks is graduate of both Harvard and Oxford Universities. Brooks is the founder of A Partner in Education, a Rwanda based education charity and Angels for Ukraine, a Kharkiv based humanitarian charity.

Paul Jones has extensive leadership experience from a distinguished diplomatic and private sector career. He served as US Ambassador to Poland and Malaysia, Chief of Mission in Pakistan, and held senior postings across Europe and Asia. In Washington, he was principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia and deputy special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. After government service, he led international engagements at Raytheon Technologies and now serves as International Affairs Advisor at Squire Patton Boggs in Washington, DC.

Mika Aaltola is a Finnish political scientist and foreign policy expert. He served as Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) and has been a leading voice on NATO, transatlantic relations, and Russia. He has taught at the University of Tampere and Johns Hopkins University and was elected to the European Parliament in 2024. There, he serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, is a member of the EUDS Special Committee, and a substitute on INTA.

Bob Walter is President of Eurodefense – UK and the European Security and Defence Association. After 25 years as a stockbroker and investment banker, he served 18 years in the British Parliament. He held key roles in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Western European Union, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Post-politics, he advised European governments on integration and chairs several defense organizations. He holds a BSc and doctorate from Aston University.