2023

2022

CHARLES Q. BROWN, JR.

U.S. AIR FORCE

ONE TEAM: ACCELERATING CHANGE IN THE NEXT GENERATION

Charles Q. Brown, Jr., serves as the 22nd Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. General Brown serves as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training, and equipping of 689,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the general and other service chiefs function as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council, and the President. Brown has commanded a fighter squadron, the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, two fighter wings, and U.S. Air Forces Central Command. He is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours, including 130 combat hours. He has served in a variety of positions at the squadron and wing levels, including an assignment to the U.S. Air Force Weapons School as an F-16 Fighting Falcon Instructor. General Brown was commissioned in 1984 as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program at Texas Tech University and received an MA in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. 

THOMAS WEDELL-WEDELLSBORG

HARVARD BUSINESS PRESS

HOW TO REFRAME WITHIN NATIONAL PRIORITIES

Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg is a leader in innovation and problem-solving. He is the author of What’s Your Problem? (Harvard Business Press, 2020) and Innovation as Usual (Harvard Business Press, 2013). His research has been featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, The Economist, The Financial Times, and Forbes. He has worked with a number of organizations on their innovation efforts, to include Cisco, Deloitte, Microsoft, Raytheon, the United Nations, and the Wall Street Journal. He previously served as an officer with the Danish Royal Guards.

STEVEN H. WALKER

LOCKHEED MARTIN

THE SPEED OF DECISION-MAKING: WHAT WILL BE NEEDED

Steven H. Walker is vice president and chief technology officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, where he is responsible for the company’s technology strategy, global research, mission development, and emerging operations technologies. Previously, Dr. Walker served as director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where he was responsible for driving development of breakthrough technologies and capabilities for use by the military. Walker served more than three decades in government, to include roles as DARPA’s deputy director and deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force for science, technology and engineering. Walker is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He has also been awarded the Presidential Rank Award, the Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service medal, and the Department of Defense’s Exceptional, Meritorious, and Distinguished Civilian Service medals. He received an MS in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton and a BS and PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

2021

2020

DAN KEYSERLING

GOOGLE

DISINFORMATION AND GLOBAL SOCIAL STABILITY

Dan Keyserling is the chief operating officer of Jigsaw, an incubator within Google that builds technology to tackle global security challenges. In this role, Keyserling oversees an interdisciplinary team of researchers, scientists, and engineers that conduct research and build tools on subjects ranging from thwarting online censorship to mitigating the threats from digital attacks to countering violent extremism. Prior to joining Google in 2010, Keyserling worked for The New York Times and the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. He received a BA in political and social thought from the University of Virginia and an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.

[Keyserling has also co-led workshops and seminars in 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2014].

HENRIK WERDELIN

PREHYPE

BUILDING START-UPS INSIDE MEGA-COMPANIES AND BIG BUREAUCRACIES

Henrik Werdelin is the founding partner of prehype, a venture development firm headquartered in New York with offices in London and Copenhagen. Werdelin has been part of the startup scene since 2005 as an investor, founder, and advisor. Werdelin has worked with Amazon, Nike, News Corp, and Coca-Cola. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Werdelin was vice president of product development and strategy for MTV Networks International. Werdelin received a BA in social and political science from Aalborg University, Denmark, and an MA in journalism from the University of Westminster, United Kingdom.

WILLIAM JOSEPH MILLER

U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

NEW FORMS OF COMPETITION IN GLOBAL SPECIAL OPERATIONS

William Joseph Miller is the director of strategy, plans, and policy of U.S. Special Operations Command. In this role, Miller leads strategic planning for this 67,000-person command. In his twenty-six-year Army career, he led U.S. and Allied Soldiers from the platoon through brigade level and has deployed to Kosovo, Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He has served as a planner at the joint, interagency, and combined levels devoted to counterterrorism efforts. Miller retired from active-duty service in 2005 at U.S. Central Command and was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2007. He has received MA degrees from the Air Force Institute of Technology and the School of Advanced Military Studies.

[Miller has also co-led a seminar in 2019.]

2019

PATRICK J. MAHANEY JR.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR URBAN OPERATIONS

WAR IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY CITY

Patrick J. Mahaney Jr., U.S. Army (ret.), is director of the National Center for Urban Operations. Mahaney previously commanded the Asymmetric Warfare Group based at Fort Meade, Maryland, where he was responsible for global support in countering asymmetric and irregular threats. He also commanded a special forces battalion and a special operations task force in Operation Enduring Freedom. Previous assignments also include service in the 7th Special Forces Group, Joint Special Operations Command, the Special Warfare Center and School, the Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan, and a range of other combat and operational assignments. Mahaney received a BA from New York University and an MA from Columbia University.

[Mahaney also co-led seminars in 2013 and 2016.]

WHITNEY KASSEL

MORGAN STANLEY

PROTECTING GLOBAL ASSETS IN REAL TIME

Whitney Kassel leads the cybersecurity fusion operations at Morgan Stanley, charged with assessing, detecting, and responding to cyber threats, vulnerabilities, or incidents that threaten the firm. Previously, Kassel was a director at Palantir, a big data analysis firm where she undertook several projects in counterterrorism for the U.S. Intelligence Community and U.S. Department of Defense. She previously worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where she focused on special operations and counterterrorism, and then later, as a senior director focused on strategic analysis and risk management at the Arkin Group, a private intelligence firm. Kassel is a past columnist for Foreign Policy magazine and was a Presidential Management Fellow from 2008-2009. She received a BA in political science from Barnard College and an MA in international relations and international economics from Johns Hopkins University.

[Kassel also co-led a workshop in 2015 and 2016.]

2018

DANIEL S. MORGAN

U.S. ARMY

CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR WILD-CARD EVENTS

Daniel S. Morgan, U.S. Army, most recently commanded Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s installation and infrastructure readiness in support of U.S. Air Force global airlift, special operations, and globally responsive and Pacific-focused Army land power. Previously, Colonel Morgan served in Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, and with the 101st Airborne Division and 10th Mountain Division. Morgan has participated in multiple combat operations as a commander and operations officer at the company, battalion, brigade, and division levels in Afghanistan and Iraq. Morgan is the co-author of Chasing the White Rabbit: Lessons from the Battlefield and the Boardroom. He received a BA in international affairs, an MS in security studies from the U.S. Army War College, and an MA in security studies from Georgetown University.

MAX BOOT

COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

PARTISAN EFFECTS ON U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY DECISION-MAKING

Max Boot is a senior fellow for national studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Boot is a historian and foreign-policy analyst, a columnist for the Washington Post and a global affairs analyst for CNN. He is the author of The Road Not Taken (2018); Invisible Armies (2013); War Made New (2006); and The Savage Wars of Peace (2002). Boot received a BA in history from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MA in history from Yale University.

 [Boot also co-led a seminar in 2014.]

2017

NEIL HERMANSEN

U.S. NAVY

APPLYING NEW SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN HUMAN PERFORMANCE

Neil Hermansen is Chief Warrant Officer, U.S. Naval Special Warfare. He is on assignment at Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop its special warfare programs. Hermansen has served 18 years in Naval Special Warfare in a range of roles, including team leader, master chief, and operations officer, with a particular emphasis on selection, training, and operations management. His awards include two Silver Stars, seven Bronze Star Medals with Valor, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Joint Service Commendation Medals with Valor, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, two Navy Achievement Medals, and a Presidential Unit Citation. Hermansen is an honor graduate of the Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

BRYAN C. PRICE                

UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT

COMBATING NEW FORMS OF TERRORISM IN THE ERA OF ISIS

Bryan C. Price is the director of the Combating Terrorism Center and an academy professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Price is a former aviator and a strategist who has served in a variety of command and staff positions to include deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. His research interests include the organizational behavior of terrorist groups, counterterrorism policy, and the effects of leadership decapitation against terrorist organizations. He has taught courses on terrorism, counterterrorism, international relations, foreign policy, and U.S. national security. Price received a BS in history from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, an MA in international relations from St. Mary’s University, and an MA and PhD in political science from Stanford University.

2016

AARON T. DOWD            

TRANSATLANTIC HOLDINGS

COMPARING EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE APPROACHES TO U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY PRIORITIES

Aaron T. Dowd has served as a special advisor and senior aide, for a decade, to the Honorable Chuck Hagel, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and former U.S. Senator. Dowd is a principal at Transatlantic Holdings and serves on the advisory board of the University of Chicago’s Project on Security & Threats. Dowd received a BA in political science from Marquette University and an MBA from Duke University.

JESSE SLOMAN

CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND BUDGETARY ASSESSMENTS

CURRENT INVESTMENTS IN MARITIME WARFARE

Jesse Sloman is an analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments where he focuses on the future of maritime warfare, the design and execution of war games, and analysis of future fleet architectures. He previously worked as a research associate in the David Rockefeller Studies Program at the Council on Foreign Relations. Sloman served as an intelligence officer in the Marine Corps from 2009 to 2013, as a civil affairs officer in the Marine Corps Reserve from 2013 to 2016, and deployed to the Philippines as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. He is the recipient of the 2012 Major General Michael E. Ennis Award for Literary Excellence. Sloman received a BA in political science from Tufts University and an MS in government analytics from Johns Hopkins University.

2015

SCOTT CLINT HINOTE                 

U.S. AIR FORCE

THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF U.S. AIR CAPABILITIES

Scott Clint Hinote is the U.S. Air Force Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, having recently completed command of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. Colonel Hinote is a command pilot with more than 2,000 flight hours and 240 combat hours in operations Northern and Southern Watch. He completed pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, and F-16 training at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. His operational assignments include instructor duty at the USAF Weapons School, leader of the Air Forces Central Strategy Division, Squadron Commander, Wing Vice Commander, and Wing Commander. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Air Command and Staff College, and the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. He received a BS in physics at the U.S. Air Force Academy, an MA in public policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a PhD in military strategic studies at Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base.

CHANDRU KRISHNAMURTHY

MCKINSEY & CO.

UNIT STRATEGIES INSIDE FEDERAL AGENCIES

Chandru Krishnamurthy is a senior parter at McKinsey & Co. where he focuses on helping federal and state government agencies and telecommunications companies tackle their most challenging business-technology issues. Since joining McKinsey in 1993, he has advised government institutions and Fortune 500 companies on corporate and business-unit strategy, IT development, network operations, cost reduction and productivity, pricing, sales channel effectiveness, and customer loyalty and retention. Krishnamurthy received a BA in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, an MS in electrical engineering from Vanderbilt University, and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School.

JOEL H. ROSENTHAL        

CARNEGIE COUNCIL

ETHICAL PRACTICES IN CONTEMPORARY CONFLICTS

Joel H. Rosenthal is president of Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. As a nonprofit leader, scholar, and teacher, Rosenthal works to empower ethical action, with a particular focus on U.S. foreign policy, issues of war and peace, human rights, and pluralism. At Carnegie Council, Rosenthal leads a team that identifies critical ethical issues, convenes experts, and produces agenda-setting resources to educate and activate communities globally. He is also editor-in-chief of the Ethics & International Affairs, a journal published by Cambridge University Press, and serves on the advisory board for the Bard College Globalization and International Affairs program. He received a BA from Harvard University and a PhD from Yale University.

DEEDEE DERKSEN, ÇAĞLAR KURÇ, ERIK LIN-GREENBERG, RENANAH MILES, VIVEK MISHRA, JOHAN NORBERG, AND ELAD POPOVICH

NEXT-GENERATION SERIES IN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

This series brings together scholars focused on next-generation ideas in international security. Deedee Derksen, King’s College London, presented her analysis of how militias, warlords, and Kabul politics helped the Taliban to capture Kunduz. Çağlar Kurç, Columbia University, discussed his work on global arms production practices and the emerging new technologies that affect states’ defense industrialization and arms procurement. Erik Lin-Greenberg, Columbia University, presented his research on how emerging military technology affects conflict dynamics and the regulation and use of force, to include how remote warfighting technologies shape crisis escalation. Renanah Miles, Columbia University, discussed her research on the effectiveness of security assistance as a great power tool to shape military norms and behavior in smaller states. Vivek Mishra, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi, discussed his analysis of the role of the United States in security in South Asia and in the Indian Ocean. Johan Norberg, CATO Institute, presented his work, Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future. Elad Popovich, University of Haifa and the Israel Institute, presented his research on the ethics of lethal autonomous weapon systems.

JOSH WOLFE

LUX CAPITAL

NEW METHODS IN DEFENSE EXPERIMENTATION

Josh Wolfe co-founded Lux Capital to support scientists and entrepreneurs who pursue counter-conventional solutions to the most vexing puzzles of our time in order to lead us into a brighter future. He is a founding investor and board member with Mr. Bill Gates in Kymeta, making cutting-edge antennas for high-speed global satellite and space communications. Wolfe is a Westinghouse semi-finalist and published scientist. He previously worked in investment banking at Salomon Smith Barney and in capital markets at Merrill Lynch. In 2008, Wolfe co-founded and funded Kurion, a contrarian bet in the unlikely business of using advanced robotics and state-of-the-art engineering and chemistry to clean up nuclear waste. The company was among the first responders to the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. Wolfe is a columnist with Forbes. He received a BA in economics and finance from Cornell University.

2014

J. D. JOHNSON

JOINT IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE DEFEAT ORGANIZATION

ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT

J. D. Johnson is director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), leading U.S. Department of Defense efforts to defeat improvised explosive devices, providing rapid response for acquisition, intelligence, analytical, and training support to operational commanders and general purpose and special operations forces worldwide. Lieutenant General Johnson previously served as commander of the Eighth Army and chief of staff for United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea, leading U.S. Army activities in Korea. He received a BA in history from the Virginia Military Institute; an MS from the School of Advanced Military Studies; and an MS in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

CHRISTOPHER P. COSTA

U.S. NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE

THE ISLAMIC STATE AND THE NEW TRIBALISM

Christopher P. Costa is a career intelligence officer, currently serving at U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group. In 2013, Costa was inducted into the U.S. Special Operations Command’s Commando Hall of Honor. Previously, Colonel (ret.) Costa served twenty-five years in the U.S. Army working in counterintelligence, human intelligence, and with special operations forces in Central America, Europe, and the Middle East. He has run a wide range of intelligence and special operations in Panama, Bosnia, the first and second Iraq wars, and Afghanistan. Costa received two Bronze stars for sensitive human intelligence work. He received a BA in criminal justice at Norwich University and an MA in national security studies at the U.S. Naval War College.

SCOTT CARPENTER AND DAN KEYSERLING  

GOOGLE IDEAS

EXPERIMENTAL METHODS TO FIGHT ONLINE REPRESSION

Scott Carpenter is deputy director of Google Ideas, a team that explores how technology can enable people to confront threats in the face of conflict, instability, or repression. Google Ideas connects users, experts, and engineers to research and seed new technology-driven initiatives. Previously, Carpenter served as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of Near East Affairs; director of governance for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq; and deputy assistant secretary in State’s Bureau of Human Rights and Democracy. Carpenter received his BA in history from Hope College and an MA in economics and European studies from Johns Hopkins University. Dan Keyserling is chief of staff at Google Ideas. He oversees an interdisciplinary team of researchers, scientists, and engineers that conduct research and build tools on subjects ranging from thwarting online censorship to mitigating the threats from digital attacks to countering violent extremism. Prior to joining Google in 2010, Keyserling worked for The New York Times and the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. He received a BA in political and social thought from the University of Virginia. In this workshop, Carpenter and Keyserling focused on the experimental methods of Google Ideas to tackle online threats such as harassment, radicalization, and censorship.

ELANA BROITMAN

U.S. SENATE

CONTEMPORARY ANALYSIS OF U.S. SENATE FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY MATTERS

Elana Broitman is senior advisor for national security to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, with specializations in cyber security and refugee issues. Previously, she was counsel to the International Relations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and senior advisor for the Rule of Law Program at USAID. Broitman received her BA from Trinity University and JD from the University of Texas School of Law.

CARL TISKA

U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE

NEW APPROACHES TO RESILIENCY IN U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS

Carl Tiska is a professor of special operations at the U.S. Naval War College. Captain Tiska has served in the U.S. Navy since 1986, as a SEAL officer, working extensively in Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. At U.S. Special Operations Command, he served as director of the Preservation of the Force and Families Task Force and the director of the Global Mission Support Center. At Joint Forces Special Operations Component Command-Iraq, he served as deputy commander and chief of staff. He previously served as commanding officer of Naval Special Warfare Unit Ten, Task Force 64 and executive officer of SEAL Team Four. Tiska received a BE in marine engineering from the New York Maritime College and an MS in national security strategy from the National War College.

 [Tiska also co-led a seminar in 2016.]

SCOTT CAMPBELL, CHARLES L. CASHIN III, PAT DEQUATTRO, JEFFREY J. GOBLE, STEPHEN E. LISZEWSKI, ROBERT NEWSON, AND MICHAEL RAUHUT

REALITIES IN TODAY’S COUNTERTERRORISM AND COUNTERINSURGENCY ACTIVITIES

This series brings together thought leaders in the U.S. Armed Services for a discussion of the realities in today’s counterterrorism and counterinsurgency activities. Captain Scott Campbell is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and the Naval War College. Captain Charles L. Cashin III is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the Naval War College, and Harvard University. Captain Pat DeQuattro is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Colonel Jeffrey J. Goble is a graduate of Troy University, State University of New York, and the School of Advanced Military Studies. Colonel Stephen E. Liszewski is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, the University of Canberra, and the U.S. Naval War College. Captain Robert Newson is a graduate of the University of Kansas, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the University of San Diego. Colonel Michael Rauhut is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Postgraduate School, and the Naval War College.

2013

ROBERT S. SPALDING III             

U.S. AIR FORCE

THE MAKING OF A B-2 PILOT

Robert S. Spalding III received his commission through Fresno State University's ROTC program in 1991. He attended undergraduate pilot training in 1993 and was subsequently assigned as a B-52 Stratofortress co-pilot in the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. He subsequently transitioned to the B-2 Spirit at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. While at Whiteman, he was the chief of safety, operations group commander, and vice wing commander. Spalding was selected as one of three Air Force Olmsted Scholars, which included training in Mandarin Chinese at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and at Tongji University in Shanghai. Spalding received a BS and MS in agricultural business from Fresno State University; an MS in strategic studies at Air University; and a PhD in economics and mathematics from the University of Missouri.

WILLIAM J. PARKER III

U.S. NAVY

HOW TO STRENGTHEN THE U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ENTERPRISE

William J. Parker III is a U.S. Naval officer with more than thirty years of experience in conflict resolution and the maritime industry. He has commanded three warships, and later, a squadron of warships. He has served as the chief of staff for U.S. Naval Forces. In addition to multiple combat tours, he held the post of senior advisor and strategist with U.S. embassies in Iraq and Pakistan. His awards include the Bronze Star, three Legions of Merit and Department of State Meritorious Honor award. He is the recipient of the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership and selected to serve as the U.S. Navy’s Military Fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations. He received a BS from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an MA from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a PhD from George Mason University’s Department of Molecular and Microbiology.

WILLIAM H. MCRAVEN               

U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

LEADING U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS A DECADE AFTER 9/11

William H. McRaven is the ninth commander of U.S. Special Operations Command. He is a national authority on U.S. foreign policy and has advised President Barack Obama, President George W. Bush, and additional U.S. leaders on defense issues. Admiral McRaven has been recognized for his leadership numerous times by national and international publications and organizations. In 2011, he was the first runner-up for Time Magazine’s Person of the Year and was named Texan of the Year by the Dallas Morning News. In 2012, Foreign Policy magazine named McRaven as one of the nation’s Top 10 Foreign Policy Experts and one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers. His book, Spec Ops—Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare: Theory and Practice, published in several languages, is a fundamental text on special operations strategy. Admiral McRaven received a BA in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and an MA from the Naval Postgraduate School.