Dr. Martyn Forgrave served as a career officer in the British Army and possesses extensive operational and training experience. Operational deployments include various roles in the Balkans and as a operational planner in East Africa. The latter part of his career has been spent at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom at the Ministry of Defence’s think tank; delivering educational programmes internationally in partnership with Cranfield University; and most recently at the Defence Leadership Centre. He recently worked with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office in the Eastern Mediterranean for three years. He previously worked for the United Nations and European Community-led International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia (ICFY) in Geneva and for the Office of the High Representative in Sarajevo. Martyn was awarded an MPhil in International Relations from Cambridge University, an MA in Defence Studies from Cranfield University and has a PhD in cross-cultural leadership in the defence and security sector. He was awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal for operational service in Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) deployment and an OBE for military diplomacy and delivering defence education internationally. He has delivered educational courses in leadership and management, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, in South America, North Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Europe, the East Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. In November 2012, he delivered a Managing Defence in the Wider Security Context course in Malta to a delegation of senior officers from the Libyan defence and security sector.

Les House is a former Senior Police Officer, a senior manager with extensive operational and planning skills. Les had a full career with the London Metropolitan Police. He has in-depth knowledge of Policing and the interface between police, the private sector and the military, in the UK and internationally. An experienced investigator, trainer and educator. Overseas experience includes nine years International Missions in South Africa, Tanzania, Bosnia, Albania, Cambodia, Kosovo and Macedonia. Roles have included Head of Mission, Deputy Head of Mission, Head of Security and Safety, Police and Military Liaison. Development courses include - Command and Management, Industrial Relations, Business Analysis, Treasury Staff Inspection, Developing established managers, Operational Commanders programme, Major Incident response. Anti-Terrorism and Protective security in Government (Security services). Master of Science Degree MSc in Advanced Management.

Leila Zivkovic is an internationally accomplished human rights attorney with over 20 years of experience in international humanitarian law and transitional justice. Originally from the Former Yugoslavia, Leila has worked extensively in post-conflict regions, leading human rights initiatives with the OSCE, United Nations, World Bank, and British Army. Her expertise in establishing war crimes prosecutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina was critical to the OSCE’s criminal justice reform efforts.

Leila’s leadership and dedication have earned her international recognition, including the UN Medal for Peace. Throughout her career, she has managed significant international humanitarian programs and advised American diplomats on human rights policy.

Currently, Lejla is a partner in a US tech company which provides innovative educational software to institutions worldwide. She continues her commitment to social justice as a pro bono attorney representing Afghan women and girls seeking asylum in the U.S. Leila holds a Magna Cum Laude degree from New York Law School, where she was an active member of the Law Review, and an honors degree from the London School of Economics. She is a member of the New York and New Jersey Bars.

Mat Whatley served 8 years as an Officer in the British Army during which time he held operational and training positions in various countries. In the past 30 years he has managed operations in many countries including Bosnia, Kosovo, with the OSCE in Ukraine, and with the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia. He has spent years in conflict and post-conflict environments advising and training departments and ministries, managing teams and operations, and using his training and education expertise to help improve structures and organisations, as they face the challenges associated with chaos and reorganisation.

Mark Pursey specialises in advising Governments. He is CEO of BTP Advisers, a multi-award-winning international communications agency based in London with offices in Washington DC, Paris, Belgrade, and Kampala. He has advised governments and politicians in Europe, Africa, and Asia on international communications strategy. These include the administrations of Presidents Bola Tinubu and Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. Mark has also advised in the UK, US, France, Montenegro, Lithuania, Georgia, Bangladesh, Maldives, India, Tanzania, Zambia, and Sierra Leone and others. Mark also has extensive experience of devising international PR campaigns for international businesses and across multiple sectors including tourism and travel, aviation, investment, energy, security, and extractives. Mark holds BA Hons degree in History from University College London.

Warsama Yunis specialises in international trade, investment and diplomacy. He is a director of Knightsbridge AF and Transformation Numerique, in London. He is also the Founder & Executive Chairman of the Somaliland Development Company, an investment & development company that promotes Foreign Direct Investment. Previously Warsama was general manager and later director of Docks Maintenance (Kenya) Ltd, an oil and gas contractor at the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited in Mombasa, Kenya. In the diplomatic arena Warsama has expertise as special envoy and geopolitical strategist, and in that role has advised the President of Somaliland. Warsama has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from London Metropolitan University and is currently completing his Masters of International Business Law at Robert Kennedy College Switzerland.

Dr. Philip Shetler-Jones is a former UK Royal Marine Commando officer with extensive international experience in operational and strategic planning, education, and research in the field of peace and security including management and operational planning positions with the United Nations, European Union, and the OSCE. He led the International Security team at the World Economic Forum, and is currently Senior Research Fellow for Indo-Pacific Security at the UK think tank, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

Murray McCullough is a former British Army Officer. After leaving the army he joined the Royal Hong Kong Police for five years dealing with illegal immigration from China and Vietnam. From 1994 Murray was with the UK Foreign Office for 10 years, as part of the EU mission in the Balkans, mainly in the city of Mostar, focusing on the political and humanitarian situation. In 2005 Murray was again asked to join the UK Foreign Office and appointed to Aceh, Indonesia with other EU and ASEAN monitors to implement a peace agreement. Murray joined the UN for 5 years in East Timor and then 2 years at UN Headquarters in New York. His specialism was security sector reform, and more recently in police reform in Burma for the UN Office of Drugs and Crime. Murray has an MPhil in International Relations from Cambridge University, and was made OBE by HM Queen Elizabeth.