Brigadier General (Ret.) John Adams founded Guardian Six following more than thirty years on active duty with the U.S. Army, in a variety of command and staff assignments worldwide, culminating in assignment as Deputy United States Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee from 2005 to 2007. His expertise includes defense policy, strategy, intelligence, civil-military relations, interagency coordination, and aviation. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: American Security, Military Diplomacy, NATO, Defense Policy

Mr. Abdisaid Muse Ali is the current chairperson of Lomé Peace and Security Forum in Togo and was the 30th Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of The Federal Republic of Somalia from 2021-2022. He also served as the Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Mr. Ali was the National Security Advisor to the President from December 2017 to September 2021. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: African Security, Diplomacy, Somalia, Insurgency, The al-Shabaab, The Horn of Africa, Global Security.

Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Indian Foreign Service (1987-2022), specialised in diplomacy for an era of globalisation and transformation, boundary negotiations, security issues, economic engagement, cultural diplomacy, public diplomacy and public policy. He led government’s policy-making on Act East, Arab/Israel affairs, diaspora engagement and governance. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: Diplomacy, Indian Foreign Policy, South Asia, Rise of China, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Diaspora Engagement, Migration, International Security.

Guy Boekenstein is an experienced defence and national security professional with a deep knowledge of the Indo-Pacific region and extensive networks across government, industry and civil society. Guy is focused on deepening defence and dual-use industry connections between Japan, Australia and the broader Oceania region. He was previously Senior Adviser to Australia’s Minister of Defence and the Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs. Guy was the first Australian Defence civilian to graduate from the Japanese National Institute for Defense Studies and served as Counsellor Defence in the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: Indo-Pacific, China, Japan, Great Power Conflict, International Security, Oceania, Australia.

Vice Admiral (Ret’d) Patrick Chevallereau served in the French Navy. He served as Defense Attaché of France to the United Kingdom. He has served in many different roles for the French Ministry of Defence and has extensive experience with NATO. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: European Security, French Policy, NATO, Maritime Security, French-British Relations, International Security

Adam T. Clements (U.S. Army Retired), Is A Foreign Affairs Leader Specializing In Advisory Services At The Intersection of Political-Military Affairs, International Relations, Security Cooperation, Intelligence, and Business Development. Mr. Clements Served In Numerous Leadership And Operational Military Assignments, Including In The Pentagon And Overseas As A Military Diplomat During The Obama, Trump, And Biden Administrations. He Served As An Advisor On National Security, Specializing In Middle East And North Africa Geopolitical, Intelligence, Defense, Political-Military, And Policy Matters. For a full bio please click here

Dave Dunford retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 1995 following completion of his assignment as Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman. He served from 1988-92 in Saudi Arabia as Deputy Ambassador, including 15 months as Acting Ambassador. His other Foreign Service assignments included Director of Egyptian Affairs in the Department of State in Washington, DC, Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs at the American Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, and Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative in the Executive Office of the President. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: Middle East Security, Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Trade, Economics, Diplomacy.

Ambassador Eksteen spent 27 years in South Africa’s diplomatic service of which 15 were as Ambassador (UN NY, UN Geneva, Namibia, Turkey) and also Head of Planning in the Foreign Ministry, as well as a five year tour of diplomatic duty in Washington DC (1968-1973); He also serves as a consultant for tourism to Namibia. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: International Diplomacy, Political Transition, South Africa, Namibia, Media, Public Relations.

Ambassador Yogesh Gupta joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1976. He has held numerous senior diplomatic assignments for the Ministry of External Affairs in Brazil, Pakistan, the United Nations, and Nigeria. He has also held senior assignments at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, focusing on Southeast Asia, Multilateral Economic Relations, Coordination, Relations with Parliament, among other assignments. For a full, please click here.

Expertise: South Asia, South East Asia, Diplomacy, India, Great Power Competition, Chinese Influence, Indian Foreign Policy, the United Nations.

Eduard Heger served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1 April 2021 to 15 May 2023. He previously served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the cabinet of Igor Matovič. Heger was a member of the presidium of the Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) party which he left in March 2023 to merge several extra-parliamentary parties into one party and named it Democrats. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: European Security, Central and Eastern Europe, European Union, Economics, International Finance, Government Relations, Diplomacy

Khémaies Jhinaoui was the minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Tunisia. Previously, he served as diplomatic and foreign affairs advisor to late Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi in 2015 and as secretary of state for foreign affairs in the post-revolution transition government in 2011.  For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: African Security, Arab World, MENA, Diplomacy, Great Powers, Great Power Competition

Lt Gen Dr Anil Kapoor AVSM, VSM superannuated as Director General Electronics and Mechanical Engineers strategically leading the landscape of maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) and technology and innovation management of the complete plethora of equipment of the Indian Army. Prior to this appointment he was the Director General Information Systems, where he steered the strategic management information systems of the Indian Army, digital technology transformation and net centricity of the million strong Indian Army as a Tri Service Program. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: Engineering, Military Equipment, Military Technology, Innovation, Information Systems, Cyber.

Dr. Ulugbeck Khasanov is Chair of the International Relations Department at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. In 2009-2011 he served as a special advisor and Press Secretary to the President of Uzbekistan, advising on bilateral relations, multilateral relations, and foreign policy. From 2000-2002, he served as the Chief Consultant to the President of Uzbekistan, consulting on media and external relations. For a full CV, please click here.

Expertise: Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Governmental Relations, Diplomacy, Media, Great Power Competition, Food and Water Security, Energy Policy, Media Relations

Ambassador Philip S. Kosnett (Ret.) represented the United States in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia during a Foreign Service career focused on security cooperation and post-conflict governance. His executive assignments included Ambassador to Kosovo and Chargé d’Affaires in Turkey and Iceland. Since leaving federal service in 2021, Kosnett has taken on roles in consulting, policy analysis and commentary, higher education, and humanitarian assistance. He edited the book Boots and Suits: Historical Cases and Contemporary Lessons in Military Diplomacy. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: diplomacy, security policy, civilian-military partnership, European security, rule of law.

Dr. Levaggi is the author of two single-author books, Confrontational and Cooperative Regional Orders: Managing Regional Security in World Politics (Routledge, 2020) and Great Power Competition in the Southern Oceans: From the Indo-Pacific to the South Atlantic (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023). He is Senior Researcher at the Strategic and Naval Research Center (SDIEN) of the Argentine Navy. He is also the Director of the Center for International Studies at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA). For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: South American Security, Great Power Competition, International Security, Global South

Lt. General (ret.) Konstantinos Loukopoulos during his career in the Hellenic Army was assigned to various posts in Greece and NATO. He is a graduate of the Higher Staff College and the National Defense College where he successfully completed his post-graduate Strategic Security Studies. For a full bio, click here.

Expertise: European Security, NATO, Great Power Conflict, Military Security, International Conflict, International Security

Brigadier General (Ret.) Cătălin Constantin Mihalache has served with distinction in the Romanian military. He has served in Afghanistan and worked closely with NATO. He has received numerous awards for his efforts. He also served as the appointed Romanian Defense, Military, Naval and Air Attaché to the United States of America. In 2023 he founded Black Sea Strategies, a consulting group focused on the Black Sea region.

For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: Central and Eastern Europe Security, International Security, Diplomacy, Black Sea Region, Geopolitics.

John M. Nomikos (PhD) is the founder and director of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS). RIEAS was founded in 2006.He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of European and American Intelligence Studies (JEAIS) that the Institute publishes twice a year. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Webster University's Athens Campus.

For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: International Security, Intelligence, European Studies.

Ambassador Poptodorova currently serves as Vice President of The Atlantic Treaty Association (NATO in Brussels). She has had an extensive career in the Ministry of International Affairs of Bulgaria. She has served as Bulgaria’s Ambassador to the United States twice, and has also served as Director of the Security Policy Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: International Security, Diplomacy, NATO, Black Sea Region, Geopolitics, Public Diplomacy.

Shri Rakesh Sharma, former Inspector General Border Security Force is one of the top rated Border Management and Industrial Security professionals in India with experience across the entire spectrum of the border security domain. He joined the BSF in 1984 as Assistant Commandant (Direct Entry) and commanded the Jammu Frontier, considered the most sensitive and one of the largest Frontiers in India. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: Border Control, Border Policing, Immigration, Border Area Development, Industrial Security, Risk Analysis, and Multi-Agency Coordination.

Lieutenant General Ashok Shivane is a highly decorated officer with immense operational and strategic planning experience and expertise spread over four decades in uniform. A scholar warrior he has three post-graduation degrees in Defence and Strategic studies besides several other civilian educational qualifications. His experience includes serving in UN peacekeeping operations as a Military Observer and has also been instrumental in the training of foreign armies. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: National Security, International Security, Space, Counterterrorism, Military Training, Military Technology, Great Power Conflict.

Scott Stalker served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps for 31 years, retiring in August 2023. While on active duty, Stalker served as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for the Defense Intelligence Agency, United States Cyber Command, National Security Agency, and in his final assignment with United States Space Command. He served in a multitude of locations during his distinguished military career to include combat operations in Somalia, Bosnia, & Iraq and a Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation in Tirana, Albania. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: National Security, Intelligence, Cyber warfare, Space, Great Power Competition, Military Operations

Dr. Tomohiko Taniguchi has had a diverse career in journalism, diplomacy, and academic, with experiences spanning different roles and institutions. From 2014 to 2020, he served as a Special Advisor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet. He has also held a position as a Councillor in the Cabinet Secretariat. He contributed to crafting foreign policy speeches for former Prime Minister Abe, and coined the phrase India Pacific. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: Indo Pacific Region, Journalism, Governmental Affairs, Foreign Policy, East Asia, Great Power Competition.

Lord Udny-Lister was ennobled by the Queen on the 6th November 2020 and took his seat in the House of Lords on the 19th May 2021. He was made a Privy Councillor on the 10th March 2021. Lord Udny-Lister serves on the House of Lords International Agreements Committee. In the Middle East he is the Joint Chair of the UK UAE Business Council and a Director of the UK Saudi Business Council and a member of its Advisory Board. He is also a property consultant. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: International Business, Middle East, Trade, Property Consulting, International Agreements.

Mark Ward is a committed humanitarian who leads teams to provide critical help when a natural or man-made disaster strikes. He saved lives and restored hope to communities affected by many disasters over two decades including the 2004 Tsunami and the civil war in Syria. He left Afghanistan in June 2021, where he led a humanitarian organization for two years. President George H. W. Bush nicknamed him “Mr. Disaster” after their Tsunami work in 2005. For a full bio, please click here.

Expertise: Humanitarian Aid, Disaster Relief, Diplomacy, Negotiations, Syria, Afghanistan.