Our Board of Advisors

Anneli Jäätteenmäki is a Finnish politician who made history in 2003 as the nation’s first female Prime Minister. A long-time member of the Centre Party, she previously served as Minister of Justice (1994–1995) and party chair. Following her tenure in national government, she transitioned to European politics, serving as a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2019. During this time, she held the role of Vice-President of the European Parliament from 2012 to 2014.

Dr. Ingo Friedrich is a prominent German politician (CSU) who served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1979 to 2009, including a tenure as Vice-President (1999–2007). An economist by training, he currently leads the European Economic Senate and the Union of Medium-Sized Companies. A staunch advocate for the "European Way of Life," Friedrich has been honored with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his significant contributions to the EU.

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 is the Chief Peace & Security Advisor on Africa for the EU External Action Service. A career diplomat, he has served as EU Deputy Ambassador to Iraq and Head of Delegation in Tanzania. He provides strategic advice on defence, international security, and multilateral policy, drawing on extensive leadership experience and senior postings across Europe and Africa.

Nicholas Dungan is founder and CEO of CogitoPraxis, advising leaders on net assessment, foresight, and resilience. Formerly director at Chatham House and president and CEO of the French-American Foundation, he also held senior investment banking roles at Merrill Lynch and Société Générale. An adjunct professor at SciencesPo Paris specializing in strategic leadership and international relations, he 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, MEP, and former Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. A leading expert on NATO and Russia, he has taught at Johns Hopkins and the University of Tampere. Elected to the European Parliament in 2024, he serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE), and is a substitute for International Trade (INTA). He is a key voice in Finnish and European security policy.

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.