Major General Chris Barry CBE

Director Land Warfare, British Army - UK

Major General Chris Barry commissioned into the Royal Anglian Regiment, later transferring to The Royal Welsh on command. He completed 15 years at Regimental duty as well as time on the staff of a Bde and a Corps, serving in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Germany, and the Falkland Islands and on repeated operations in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan as well as Iraq and the Yemen. On the General Staff, he has served as Assistant Head of the Army 2020 Programme, Chief of Staff of the Army Recruiting and Training Division, Chief of Staff of the Land Warfare Centre and Commander of the Collective Training Group. Major General Barry is a graduate of both the Joint Advanced Command and Staff Course (Australia) and the Royal College of Defence Studies and was appointed OBE in 2014 and CBE in 2021. His interests include European literature and history. He is the Vice President of Army Boxing and the Colonel of the Regiment, The Royal Welsh. Major General Barry was appointed Director Land Warfare in December 2021.

Assistance Commissioner Patrick Goulbourne

Operational Resilience and Control, London Fire Brigade, UK

Patrick Goulbourne joined the London Fire Brigade (LFB) in 1997 and is the Assistant Commissioner responsible for Operational Resilience and Control (OR&C), and the Chair of the Equality Support Groups (ESG). Previously he served as Borough Commander in Islington, Tower Hamlets, and fire stations in northeast and central London. Operational Resilience and Control deliver the LFB response to events (pre-planned or spontaneous), Blue Light Collaboration, Protective Security and are the LFB’s operational lead to London Resilience. This includes the response to terrorism, public order, major and high threat incidents. Control and Mobilising are responsible for all operations for the delivery of LFB emergency call activity and critical incident command functions. As the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Counter Terrorism National Coordinator, Patrick is responsible for the National Inter-Agency Liaison Officer (NILO) cadre for the United Kingdom including responsibility for the National Coordination Office and NILO foundation course. The NILO foundation course delivers acquisition training for all UK emergency service NILOs, fire sector officers in National Counter Terrorism Headquarters (NCTPHQ), regional lead and Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) embed officers. This role includes direct support to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Marauding Terrorist Attacks (MTA) capability. In addition, Patrick leads Protective Security Operations and the FRS response to the Prevent duty. Patrick has responded in various command roles to a range of incidents including the response to the terrorist attacks at Westminster Bridge, London Bridge, Finsbury Park, Parsons Green, Fishmongers Hall. He attended the Grenfell Tower Fire and was the Incident Commander declaring a major incident at the high-rise fire in New Providence Wharf, and The Spectrum Building, Dagenham where numerous people were rescued. He was also the Commander at the widespread flooding's in 2021 and the wildfires in 2022, both resulting in pan-London major incidents. He was the Strategic / Gold Commander for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, funerals of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh and the King’s Coronation with the responsibility to co-ordinate the national response.

Professor Peter Lee

Professor of Applied Ethics, University of Portsmouth

Professor Peter Lee is a Professor of Applied Ethics and Associate Dean for Research in the University of Portsmouth Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. His research has spanned the ethical, operational and other human aspects of UK Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (drone) operations, the ethics of AI and autonomous systems, and moral injury and mental harms in military and police personnel. In April 2023 he commenced a collaborative EPSRC-funded project to create a Trustworthy Autonomous Robotic Drone System to Support Battlefield Casualty Triage, while in 2024 he was part of an ASIS-funded collaborative project entitled, ‘Autonomous Vehicles: Opportunities, Threats and Challenges. Peter taught at Royal Air Force College Cranwell from 2008-2017, and is a member of the UK Ministry of Defence Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy Ethics Advisory Panel.

Ms Lianna Roast MSc, BSc, GMBPSS

Head of Thought Leadership, Cabinet Office Emergency Planning College, UK

In her work as Head of Thought Leadership, Lianna takes a strategic role in supporting resilience learning, training and exercising, to help advance whole society, UK resilience. She works with a range of colleagues including Cabinet Office Resilience Directorate and wider central government departments, the emergency services, academics and local resilience practitioners. Lianna is passionate about learning in both theory and practice. Her primary expertise focuses on concepts, policy and practice relating to the management of lessons from emergency exercises, major incidents and crises events. This involves leading a programme of public-facing work commissioned by UK Government Cabinet Office, including production and publication of the UK Resilience Lessons Digest and connecting with international counterparts. She is currently exploring how Artificial Intelligence can be used strategically to add value and advance practice in this space. Before her role at the Emergency Planning College, Lianna spent 17 years in the education and not-for-profit sectors designing, delivering and directing a range of inclusive community learning initiatives for grant funders, including the European Social Fund. She also established a track record for academic excellence during five years in academia, producing two theses in political neuroscience and the power of narratives and winning the Vice Chancellor's Award for Academic Achievement at Bournemouth University. She remains a Research Associate with Bournemouth University’s Disaster Management Centre (BUDMC), and has previously Co-Chaired the Lessons and Implementation Board at the Counter Terrorism Preparedness Network (CTPN). In 2021 she authored a report for the National Preparedness Commission titled: ‘Learning that can save lives: Psychological perspectives on learning from major Incidents and disasters’.

Chief Fire Officer Neil Odin QFSM

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, UK

Neil Odin QFSM MBA MIoD GIFireE Chief Fire Officer Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service Neil has worked in the British Fire and Rescue Service since 1991 and has served in three Services becoming Chief Fire Officer of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service in January 2018. Neil has a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southampton and is a member of the Institute of Directors and a Graduate member of the Institution of Fire Engineers. Neil is the UK National Fire Chief’s Council lead for international development and learning from Fire Services across the world. Neil is Chairman of the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation (UKRO) which brings together the UKs rescue services to develop their skills and improve rescue standards. Neil is also a Trustee of the Blue Lamp Trust which was established to promote and enhance community safety across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Neil is the Local Resilience Forum Chair in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ensuring the effective multi agency response to emergencies and disruptive events. Neil was awarded a Queens Fire Service Medal (QFSM) in the 2022 Queen’s birthday honours.

Colonel Olaf Werner

Training & Exercise Enabling Division Head, NATO Joint Force Training Centre

Colonel Olaf Werner is a Division Head at the NATO Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC) in Bydgoszcz. Poland, responsible not only for support to the Warfare Development program of NATO as well as the IT and M&S support to NATO Command Post Exercises but also the development of a new JFTC capability. The aim is to develop a tool to support the testing and refinement of current military real world tactical level operational plans by conducting a computer assisted wargame with the respective NATO HQs responsible for the deterrence and (if required) defense of our countries at the eastern flank of NATO. Colonel Werner is a Cavalry Officer by nature and has a wide range of operational experience from various levels from the lowest unit level up to the German Ministry of Defense, NATO Multinational Corps Northeast (MNC NE) in Poland and several operational missions to the Balkans and Afghanistan. On top of his own wide operational background, he has been in charge for several NATO Computer Assisted Exercises at MNC NE for 5 years and builds on this experience in his current position at NATO JFTC. COL Olaf Werner holds a university degree (Dipl-Ing) in Aerospace Engineering from the University of German Armed Forces in Munich, continued his studies at the German Command and General Staff College in Hamburg and during his Post-Graduate Operational-Strategic Studies at the Polish National Defense University.

Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Wooddisse, KCB CBE MC

Commander, NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps

Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Wooddisse joined the British Army in 1991 after completing a degree at University College London. His first posting was to the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, an armoured infantry battalion based in Germany. In the first part of his career he served in a number of junior officer appointments, saw operational service in Northern Ireland and Bosnia, and trained extensively in Canada, Norway, France and Brunei. In 2000 he was selected to command a rifle company before attending Staff College for two years. Post Staff College, he returned to sub-unit command where he deployed on a number of operations of varying length and intensity, including to Iraq. His first staff job was as the Military Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, a post which included a tour to Kabul as part of HQ ISAF. He assumed command of the 2 nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment in March 2009, first in Germany and then in Cyprus from where he commanded the Theatre Reserve Battalion. After completing the Higher Command and Staff Course he served in the Ministry of Defence where he was responsible for military planning for a variety of operations and contingencies. He commanded 38 (Irish) Brigade between 2013-2015 before completing two years as the Assistant Chief of Staff J3 at PJHQ. He commanded the 1 st (United Kingdom) Division in May 2017 and was appointed as Assistant Chief of the General Staff in November 2018. In April 2021, General Sir Ralph Wooddisse was appointed Commander Field Army before his selection to command the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in February 2024.

Chief Superintendent David Boyle

Head of JESIP Transformation Team, Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP), UK

David joined Bedfordshire Police in 1996 after graduating from The University of Central Lancashire. He also holds a Master of Studies degree in Criminology from the University of Cambridge. As a Chief Superintendent David undertook the role of Head of Local Policing in Bedfordshire and was also seconded to the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Alliance Collaboration programme, successfully heading up the introduction of tri-force Protective Services units in Armed Policing, Roads Policing, Operational Planning, Dog units, Counter Terrorism units, Major Crime and Scientific Services. He is currently accredited as a Specialist Strategic Firearms Commander, Gold Public Order Commander, Gold CBRN Commander and Major Incident Gold Commander. He has been National JESIP Lead for Strategy and Transformation, bringing together a multi-agency team, since Summer 2024.

Dr Ya Huang

Associate Professor of Human Motion Dynamics, University of Portsmouth, UK

Ya is an associate professor (reader) of Human Motion Dynamics. He specialises in human responses to motion and signal processing. Ya joined Portsmouth in 2009. Before that, he worked as a post-doctorate researcher on high strain rate collapse of steel framed structures at the Blast and Impact Dynamics Group at the University of Sheffield. His doctorate training in human responses to whole-body vibration concluded in 2008 at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), University of Southampton. Through understanding force and motion experienced by the human body i.e. biomechanics, Dr Huang’s research interest has been to apply analytical and computational methods to understand human responses to whole-body vibration and repeated shocks experienced in different modes of transport on land, in the air and at sea. He has over 20-year research experience in the laboratory and in the field.

Mr Robert Goldsmith (BSc(Hons), PGC, CGeog)

Geospatial Manager, Devon and Cornwall Police, UK

Rob manages a team of geospatial practitioners who provide intelligence to specialist Officers and staff. His current projects involve the utilisation of 3D data from devices such as lidar scanners and aerial photogrammetry. Rob has twenty years of experience in the police and is a chartered GIS specialist through the Royal Geospatial Society.

Mr Richard Gordon MBE

Director Disaster Management Centre, Bournemouth University, UK

Richard Gordon has been the Director of Bournemouth University's Disaster Management Centre since 2003 having previously served in the Armed Forces for sixteen years. He has worked inmover 26 countries around the world focusing on the resilience and response capabilities of National Government Ministries and Agencies, Armed Forces and Emergency Services, National Public Health Agencies and International Humanitarian Organisations, as well as the Private Sector. Richard and his team provide a fused approach to crisis and disaster management which includes Professional Practice (multi-agency training and development), an MSc in Disaster Management (delivered both in the UK and overseas) and a series of cutting edge Research agendas. A key aspect of this combined approach includes the development and delivery of realistic simulation exercises that bring together multiple stakeholders to develop their shared situational awareness, joint decision making, and strategic communication. Richard regularly works with UK and overseas military personnel to develop multi-agency training and simulation events.

Colonel Francesco Pacillo

Director, NATO Modelling and Simulation Centre of Excellence

Born in Manfredonia (FG) on 9 February 1966, he attended the Military Accademy in 1985-87 and commissioned Signal Officer. In the course of his career, Colonel Francesco Pacillo has gained a wide range of experience across the institutional, operational, inter-service spectrum. He has developed his leadership and command skills together with a profound knowledge of the Signal Corp of the Army and a genuine inter-service spirit thanks to his active role over the last 18 years in the operations and C4ISTAR Department at Defence General Staff. Commander of Company for 4 years, Commander of detached and stand-alone Signal Battalion for 2 years, Commander of Signal Training Regiment for 2 years, Commander of Signal Regiment for 1 year giving C4I support to UN and NATO operations. In 2011, served as staff officer at UNIFIL HQ (J6) in South Lebanon. At the Defence General Staff – Department of C4I Systems and Transformation served as Staff Officers at CIS branch, Security Requirement Section head, IT Branch Head and national expert within the NATO Public Key Infrastructure Advisory Group (NPAG). From 2018 to 2022 posted at the NATO Strategic Command (ACT) in Norfolk (USA), Col. Pacillo was responsible for: - the establishment and the NATO accreditation of new Centre of Excellence (COE), - NATO-accredited COEs coordination, and - the Military integration of new NATO Member Nations (Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Finland, Sweden). He is married to Lucia and has a son, Vito, and a daughter, Martina.

Colonel Charles Seaberry

Director, AFC International – Atlantic

COL Seaberry serves as the Director of Army Futures Command International-Atlantic overseeing a globally-reaching organization spanning Europe, Africa, and the Middle East committed to advancing military capabilities and collaborative efforts in research and development. AFC International-Atlantic identifies foreign technology for seamless integration into Army Research and Development centers, ensuring the Army maintains its innovation edge. By aligning Army initiatives with key agencies such as OSD, USAF, and USN, COL Seaberry maximizes investments to enhance future combat capabilities. AFC International-Atlantic actively supports EUCOM, AFRICOM, and USAREUR-AF in shaping strategic S&T engagement plans to fortify the Army's global presence. Serving as the Army's S&T lead to NATO, COL Seaberry champions interoperability and modernization priorities and fostering collaborative R&D partnerships with foreign stakeholders. AFC International-Atlantic remains at the forefront of innovation and international collaboration, contributing significantly to national security.

Dr Iain Farquharson

Lecturer in Global Challenges – Security Pathway Lead, Brunel University London

Dr Iain Farquharson is a military historian and lecturer in security studies at Brunel University of London. He is the programme leader of Brunel’s MA Wargaming and resilience planning and has research interests that span twentieth century officer education and training in the British Army through to the application of wargames to contemporary challenges. His particular interest is in how frameworks of organisational culture drawn from management studies and other disciplines can be applied to military case studies throughout history as explanatory tools for understanding learning and organisational development.

Brigadier Caroline Woodbridge-Lewin MBE

Commandant, Defence College of Technical Training

Brigadier Woodbridge-Lewin was commissioned into the Royal Signals in 1995. Whilst serving, she has secured a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronic Systems Engineering and a Masters in Information Management and Technology (IMT) through Cranfield University and the Royal Military College of Science. She has held various Regimental appointments while serving in the United Kingdom, USA, Cyprus, Germany, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. She has attended the Joint Services Command and Staff College on the Intermediate, Advanced, and more recently the Higher Command and Staff Courses, and has served as a Directing Staff at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the Defence Academy. At staff, she has worked with a Defence Special Customer as a Capability and Acquisition advisor. She has also brought her expertise into Home Command delivering personnel, welfare and casualty services, within the Army Information Directorate as part of the A2020 review team and as Chief of Staff of the Defence Academy. She commanded 2 Signal Regiment from 2016 to 2018 and was awarded the MBE in 2017. In 2020, she assumed the role of Head Information Warfare Group. In 2022, she completed a secondment as the Defence Strategic Liaison Officer to the Home Office and other Government Departments before returning to the Defence Academy to lead and develop the Defence Cyber Academy. She took command of the Defence College of Technical Training as Commandant on promotion in April 2023. Outside of work, Brigadier Woodbridge-Lewin enjoys playing and coaching hockey, running and spending time with her two daughters, Sophie and Amelie, and walking her Labrador Luna.

MSc. Ornella Schavemaker-Piva

Programme Manager Simulation, AI, Data Science for Autonomous Systems, Royal Netherlands Army, Innovation Department, NL

She is an innovative leader at the forefront of simulation, AI, and autonomous systems, currently heading the program within the Royal Netherlands Army’s innovation department. With a background spanning industrial automation and academia, she brings a unique perspective to advancing Live Virtual Constructive simulation, robotics, and autonomous systems. Her work focuses on fostering collaboration between military experts, industry, and academia to drive cutting-edge solutions. Passionate about continuous learning, she actively contributes to international developments in modeling & simulation and XR technologies, robotics, and autonomous systems.

Dr John Curry

Senior Lecturer, Bath Spa University

In the hobby space, he was Donald Featherstone’s editor; in the professional space, he is the co-author/ editor for many key figures including Dr Peter Perla, Graham Longley Brown, Dr Ed McGrady, Tim Price, Dr Paddy Griffith etc. He has published 25 books on professional wargaming, including the seminal works on Matrix Gaming, Confrontation Analysis and Graham Longley Brown’s work Successful Professional Wargames. He also co-authored the first two books on cyber wargaming. He is the co-editor of the MORS Wargaming Journal. He regularly presents at MORS wargaming events in Washington, the DSET conference (Bristol UK), Connections UK conference (RMAS), and Connections Oz. He is on the DSET organising committee. He has presented at the Defence Academy of the UK and the Defence Academy of Australia. He currently supervises 4 PhDs in wargaming-related areas (including COIN, Urban and tank combat). He is an ex-infantry officer.

Lieutenant Colonel Miguel A. Marazuela

Staff Officer, CIS-CYBER-TDL European Air Group, ESP

Lt Col Miguel Angel Marazuela Martínez is a distinguished Spanish Air Force officer and fighter pilot with over 3,000 hours of flight time in high-performance jets, including more than 1,500 hours in the F-18 and 2,000+ hours in the F-5. Born in Madrid, Spain, on August 22, 1973, he embarked on his military journey in 1993, graduating from the Spanish Air Force Academy in 1998 as a Lieutenant. His exceptional skill was evident early on when he completed the UPT-38 course at Laughlin AFB, Texas, as "Top Stick" and earned the prestigious "Outstanding International Officer Student" Award. A seasoned aviator, Lt Col Marazuela began his career as an Instructor Pilot for Introduction to Fighting Fundamentals (IFF), flying F-5s at Talavera AFB in Badajoz, Spain. His operational expertise grew through deployments with the F-18 in Gran Canaria, where he participated in high-profile exercises such as DACT (Spain), Anatolian Eagle (Turkey), Cope Thunder (US), NOMAD, and Tactical Leadership Programme (Belgium). His leadership on the frontlines was matched by his strategic acumen as a Staff Officer in the Combat Command, serving in Personnel (A1) and Training & Evaluation (A7) roles. Notably, he contributed to NATO evaluations, including TACEVAL for Spain’s Ala11 fighter jet unit (2015), GRUALERCON ASAC (2018), and the GBR Eurofighter Squadron at RAF Leeming (UK, 2019). In 2021, he was appointed Spain’s representative for the NATO Flying Training in Europe Program. Academically, Lt Col Marazuela holds an MBA from the Catalonian University (UPC, 2017) and a Diploma of Joint Staff Officer (Spain, 2014), complemented by specialized training in Flight Safety (US, 2002), Jet Engine Mishap Investigation (US, 2002), Operational Risk Management (US, 2002), NATO Staff Officer duties (Germany, 2020), and Curricula Design for Studies (Spain, 2019). His innovative contributions to military education include developing "PACE for COMBAT" (Personalized Advanced Core Education for Competency-Based Artificial Intelligence Training) as Dean of Academics and Head of Studies for the IFF School. A proven leader, he has commanded squadrons on both the flying and logistic fronts for the F-18 and F-5, and served as Safety Advisor to a 3-star General in the Combat Command. His thought leadership is reflected in three published articles, including two on Safety Management System evolution and a notable study, "Impact of Real and Simulated Flights on Psychophysiological Response of Military Pilots," featured in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2021).

Fiona Stone

Head of Space Critical National Infrastructure, UK Space Industry, UK

Fiona has worked for the UK Government for over 30 years, with the past 20 years in the field of risk, resilience and national security. She joined the UK Space Agency in 2019 to develop the malicious threats work programme within the Agency with a specific focus on cyber security. This work includes working with industry and partners to drive forward a programme of awareness, training and adoption of recommended standards.

Lieutenant Colonel Max Garrety MBE

SO1 Adaptive Training & Exploit, HQ Joint Aviation Command

"Lt Col Max Garrety MBE has led a varied military-career to date: he originally joined the Queen’s Own Highlanders TA, in Oct 85 in his final year at school, as an officer cadet before passing selection for RAF Pilot and joining the RAF in 1987. Post commissioning, he undertook RAF pilot training and was subsequently re-roled to the navigator stream; this led to a posting to the Air Defence environment with a few hours on the F4 and then onto the Tornado F3. Unfortunately, a loss of medical category led to grounding and leaving the RAF in 1993. During a degree in Agriculture and Rural Estate Management, he was commissioned into the Yeomanry (Reserve Cavalry) serving as a troop leader and squadron 2IC; this led to an opportunity for service with the Queen’s Royal Lancers in Germany and the UK until 2004. Sub-unit command followed back in the Yeomanry up to 2006, whilst holding down a demanding civilian role with Knight Frank as a professional-valuation chartered-surveyor. Garrety undertook FTRS in 2009 with the Army Recruiting and Training Division (ARTD) as SO2 Trg Ops in which he undertook a full review of the Reserve officer and soldier phase 1 and 2 training pipelines leading to ARTD taking ownership through RMAS and ITG respectively. Throughout this time, he undertook an MSc in International Security through Cranfield University, in which the thesis developed a model of anti-piracy measures in the world of maritime security. Promotion to SO1 in 2012, kept Garrety in ARTD whereupon he undertook requirement-setting, test and acceptance, COS and DCOS of Recruiting Group and the Recruit Partnering Project; a role which endured for 4½ years, before boarding for a role in commercial oversight of Marchwood Sea Mounting Centre in Dec 16. This heavily utilised the commercial, estate management and project management skills acquired in previous roles. As a result, he was awarded an MBE in the final Queen’s Birthday Honours List. The need for a new challenge in an interesting field has led him to Joint Helicopter Command, back in aviation and looking after all aspects of simulation. Lt Col Garrety is married with two teenage boys, neither of whom has any desire to replicate their father’s most unorthodox career. Hobbies include cycling, sailing, oil painting and military history."

Craig Needham

Space Resilience Manager, UK Space Agency

At the UK Space Agency, Craig develops the policy area to better understand the essential role space infrastructure has in the system-of-systems that is required to facilitate modern social, economic and national security functions. Along with this, he works with the wider team to identify, understand, mitigate, and prepare for hazards and threats to commercial space infrastructure. Craig comes into this role with an academic background in emergency and disaster management and operational experience with HM Coastguard and serving as an On-Call firefighter in his home town in Yorkshire.

Group Captain Ruari Henderson-Begg

Chief Modelling and Simulation Officer, Royal Air Force,UK

Gp Capt Ruari Henderson-Begg is the RAF’s Chief Modelling and Simulation Officer, responsible for developing a strategy for use of Modelling and Simulation across the Air environment and developing a coherent Modelling and Simulation Ecosystem to deliver this strategy. Ruari took on this role after 5 years as the Programme Manager for Gladiator – the RAF’s Distributed Synthetic Training system, which entered Service in Jan 23 – and aims to use his experience to enhance interoperability and effective use of data across the RAF’s suite of Modelling and Simulation capabilities, as well as working with Service and industry colleagues to support development of Defence’s Modelling and Simulation enterprise.

Mr Nimantha Priyamal Dasanayake

PhD Student, University of Portsmouth, UK

I'm a researcher in the field of dynamical systems and control. My research mainly focuses on developing and testing various control schemes on autonomous systems. I worked on a vehicle traction and stability control project during my undergraduate studies. For my masters research, I developed a control system for an exoskeleton robot. Now, as a PhD scholar, I'm testing various control strategies on unmanned surface vessels.

Dr Katie Yates

Head of Data Science & Machine Learning, Raytheon UK

Dr Katie Yates is the Head of Data Science & Machine Learning at Raytheon UK, leading the Artificial Intelligence Research Group. Katie has been at Raytheon for 5 years as a machine learning specialist and technical lead. She has technical expertise in many areas of AI including generative AI, natural language processing and computer vision, specialising in ethical and explainable AI. Katie has a mathematics degree and PhD in unsupervised learning for high-dimensional and complex data, and has previously worked as a data scientist in Formula One.

Mr Al Edwards

Senior Policy Adviser (Wargaming), SONAC, Ministry of Defence, UK

Al Edwards is a wargaming adviser at the Ministry of Defence, where he is responsible for conducting wargames and exercises to explore scenarios and provide analysis in support of the Defence Secretary's strategic priorities. Prior to this, he held government roles in international corruption investigations, security and worked on the UK's COVID-19 testing programme.

Eur. Ing. David Burden

PhD Student, Wargaming Urban Conflict, Bath Spa University

David has been involved in AI and immersive environments since the 1990s, delivering over 100 Virtual reality and conversational AI projects for clients across the globe, including over two dozen projects for MOD around conversational AI, autonomous agents, virtual reality and wargaming. David has been a hobby wargamer since the 1970s, and has been involved in professional and academic wargaming since 2020. David has published widely and is currently series co-editor for Taylor & Francis on The Metaverse Series. David is an ex-Royal Signals officer, a Chartered European Engineer and is studying for a PhD in Wargaming Urban Conflict.

Mr Björn Möller

President, Pitch Technologies

BJÖRN MÖLLER is the President and co-founder of Pitch Technologies. He has more than thirty years of experience in the training and simulation industry. Björn Möller holds an M.Sc. in Computer Science and Technology after studies at Linköping University, Sweden, and Imperial College, London. He is currently serving as an officer in SISO standardization groups for HLA, platform simulation and space simulation. He has also served as a secretary in the NATO M&S group MSG-080 for Security in collective mission training.

Eleanor Ross

Creative Director, Valens Games, USA

Eleanor Ross is the Creative Director at Valens Games, where she leads the development of immersive, AI-powered simulations on Providence – an online engine that lets users design and run matrix-style wargames in minutes. She has built and facilitated games for Canada’s Department of National Defence, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Johns Hopkins University, top tech firms, the Stimson Center, and others confronting global security challenges. Eleanor’s mission is to lower the barriers to wargaming so more people – students, policymakers, and professionals – can gain the strategic insight and critical skills these tools offer. She also serves as Chair of Programming for the Women’s Wargaming Network.

Major General Nick Cowley OBE

Commandant, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK

Major General Cowley joined the British Army in 2000 and commissioned into The Queen’s Royal Hussars with whom he conducted tours of Kosovo and Iraq. From 2005 he commanded at both troop and squadron level in a specialist unit. During that time, he conducted multiple tours of Iraq and Afghanistan before being wounded in 2013. On recovery, Major General Cowley served as the Chief of Staff of 16 Air Assault Brigade in 2014/15 before studying for a Masters Degree in Planning and Strategy at the US Joint Advanced Warfare School in Norfolk, Virginia. In 2016/17 Major General Cowley deployed to Iraq as part of the coalition to defeat ISIS before assuming command of The Queen’s Royal Hussars in Germany. On completion of unit command in 2019, he worked as the Military Assistant to The Chief of the General Staff before assuming command of 16 Air Assault Brigade in 2021. As a Brigadier, he was appointed Commander of the Combat Manoeuvre Centre in July 2023. In October 2024, Major General Cowley was appointed as Commandant Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which has now merged with other training organisations to form Army Individual Training Command (AITC); an organisation which trains all new officers and soldiers across the Army. He is also the 2* advocate for the Army Multicultural Network. Major General Cowley is married to Katherine and they have three daughters. In 2011 he founded The Talent Tap, a charity which helps underprivileged school leavers achieve their potential. More recently he founded a not-for-profit called Future Forces, which aims to attract more talent and technology into defence and security. He was awarded a QCVS in 2009, an MBE in 2015 and an OBE in 2019.

Flight Lieutenant Leo Banks BSc

JTEPS SO3 Scenario, RAF Video Gaming and Esports Association, UK

Flt Lt Leo Banks is an RAF Intelligence officer with a background in long-range munitions, counter-air defence and a specialist in Modelling and Simulation. Flt Lt Banks has advocated extensively for the recognition of the skills and expertise that military personnel develop as a result of serious games and Esports. These are particularly relevant to the incoming generation of military personnel. Over the years, Banks has worked in stand-off munitions planning, targeting, modelling and simulation, operational intelligence as part of a brigade headquarters and most recently as a Scenario planner for the Joint Training and Exercise Planning Staff (JTEPS).

Mr William Burnett-Boothroyd

Client Engagement Officer Matrix Pro Sims, UK

William is a recent entrant in the world of defence and wargaming. As the Client Engagement Officer for Matrix Pro Sims he is a collaborative force with organisations like DSTL, USMC, and UK STRATCOM in their wargaming efforts. A lifelong wargamer, William joined groups such as Fight Club International where he assists in running weekly online wargames utilising various digital games to stimulate discussion and learning to an audience with a wide variety of experience and backgrounds. Alongside Fight Club, as a leading member of the DSET NextGen committee William is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of wargaming talent.

James Weston

Head of Cyber Security, Raytheon UK

James is the Head of Cyber Security at Raytheon UK. Raytheon UK's Cyber & Intelligence unit has extensive experience designing solutions, developing software, testing services and in-service system support to help customers across national security and defence achieve their goals.

Rebecca Huffee

Space West Cluster Manager, National Composites Centre, UK

Rebecca Huffee is Cluster Manager for Space West which covers the geographies of Swindon and Wiltshire, Bristol and Bath and Gloucestershire having taken up the post based at the National Composites Centre in 2023. She works collaboratively with her Space Cluster colleagues from across the UK to accelerate innovation and grow the space sector in the UK. Prior to the this she was a programme manager for Space and Net Zero at the University of Bristol, engaging with industry and policymakers to support the university’s academic community to understand industrial and policy challenges to help deliver innovation for real world problems.

Colin Hillier

CEO, Mission Decisions, UK

A graduate in Aeronautics & Astronautics from Southampton University and with previous experience in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, Colin has over 15 years experience in the defence industry. On leaving the military, Colin worked for Leonardo Helicopters on the build line for EH101, Lynx and Apache, and then leading the design, development and implementation of advanced mission training systems. Following this, Colin was seconded into Niteworks (a UK government research and decision support agency) as the project lead for the Aviation Simulation project – a key component to the UK MoD’s training transformation initiative. He also established the first EDA Helicopter Tactics Training system at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Since leaving Leonardo, Colin has grown and led a number of defence technology companies, supporting their growth in the UK and Europe. He now heads up Mission Decisions, a startup that is supporting the exploitation of data and AI for military training.

Lieutenant Colonel Thorsten Kodalle

Lecturer in Security Policy, Bundeswehr Command and Staff College, Germany

Lieutenant Colonel Thorsten Kodalle is Head of the Innovation Laboratory at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College in Hamburg and a trained general staff officer. He leads initiatives in strategic wargaming, gamification, and serious games, with a particular passion for the blackout simulation Neustart, one of his favorite serious games. As a lecturer in security policy and cyber resilience, he has developed innovative educational tools such as the Cyber Resilience Card Game to enhance cybersecurity learning. With a background in political and social sciences and extensive experience in military leadership and agile project management, Thorsten advocates for game-based learning and digital transformation in military training.

Louise Butt

Director, Space South Central Enterprise Network, UK

Dr Louise Butt is the Director of the Space South Central Enterprise Network, the delivery arm of Space South Central - one of the UK’s largest and most dynamic regional space clusters. With over six years of dedicated leadership in the sector, Louise has been a passionate advocate for the transformative potential of space and satellite technologies. During her tenure at the South Coast Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications, Louise led a team that played a pivotal role in unlocking the region’s latent space potential. She has been instrumental in building a vibrant regional space community, forging strong partnerships between business, academia, and government, and championing initiatives that drive economic growth through innovation. Louise’s influence extends beyond her role at Space South Central. She is a board member of Made Smarter South-East, where she helps steer the digital transformation of manufacturing and engineering SMEs, and sits on the ADS Space Sector Council, contributing her expertise to national space strategy and sector development. Her work is distinguished by a deep commitment to harnessing science and technology for commercial, academic, and societal benefit. Louise is dedicated to building networks that accelerate the adoption and impact of space-based solutions, enabling organisations to collaborate, innovate, and thrive.

BGen (Ret) Errico De Gaetano

Section Head Wargaming, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), IT

Errico De Gaetano is Section Head Wargaming at SHAPE. He has served the Italian army for 30 years in commanding and general staff positions. After retiring as a Brigadier General, he has joined NATO as an International Civilian. Errico De Gaetano holds a master degree in Political Science, a master in Strategic Studies and one in International Relations. Passionate about warfare he has published, in Italian, several books and hundreds of articles related to military technology, doctrine, current conflicts and military history. He is also keen on wargaming and a professional wargame designer himself.

Colonel Nick Waldron

NATO ACT Experimentation & Wargaming Branch Head, HQ SACT, USA

Colonel Nicholas Waldron was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps in May 2000, and later earned his Flight Wings in 2002. Colonel Waldron has amassed over 2500 flight hours, supporting multiple deployments in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom and has earned every Instructor Qualification and Certification in the EA-6B. He was twice selected to serve as an Instructor the Marine Corps’ premier Weapons School and has commanded at the Lieutenant Colonel level. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Rochester, a Master’s Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies with distinction from the US Naval War College, and a Master’s of Business Administration from New England College. Colonel Waldron is currently serving as NATO ACT, Multi-Domain Force Development Directorate Experimentation & Wargaming Branch Head.

Roch Pelletier

Regional Vice President, Calian Defence Europe/UK, CAN

Roch Pelletier assumed his current position as Regional Vice President (RVP) Calian Defence Europe/UK upon his retirement from the Canadian Armed Forces in January 2025, following 36 years of dedicated service. He joined Calian with an extensive background in leadership, executive management and planning and execution of multinational military operations, individual instruction, collective training, and professional and military education. Before joining Calian, he served at the senior executive level in fast-paced military environments as the Commander of the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre (CADTC), the Director General Intelligence, Operations, and Plans at Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC), the Commander of the 5th Canadian Division and Deputy Commander Joint Task Force Atlantic (JTFA), and the Deputy Commander of Operation, United States Army, Alaska. Throughout his career, He has successfully led multidisciplinary teams during domestic and international operations. He also developed a solid expertise in leading and delivering highly effective and efficient military training using advance technology and simulation.

Wim Huiskamp, MSc

Chief Scientist M&S, Scientific Advisor, TNO and NMSG, NL

Wim HUISKAMP is Chief Scientist Modelling & Simulation in the M&S department at TNO Defence Research in the Netherlands. He is member of the NATO Modelling & Simulation Group (NMSG) and served as NMSG Chairman (2013-2016) and before as Chairman of the NMSG M&S Standards Subgroup (MS3). He is currently the Scientific Advisor to the NMSG. Wim is liaison of the NMSG to the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization SISO.

Mayowa Olonilua

Principal Research Psychologist, Dstl, UK

Mayowa is a Principal Psychologist at the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), where he leads cutting-edge research into the application of digital learning technologies—particularly Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)—to enhance military training and education. With over a decade of experience in human science, Mayowa has contributed to a wide range of defence projects, including fast jet training and human augmentation. He currently heads a project focused on integrating XR into blended learning environments to improve learning outcomes across the Ministry of Defence. Alongside his professional role, Mayowa is pursuing a part-time PhD in Psychology at the University of Exeter, where his research explores the intersection of cognitive science and immersive technologies.

Major Amanda Willcox-Jones

SO2 Learning and Development, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK

Amanda Willcox-Jones serves in the British Army’s Educational and Training Services, where she designs and delivers learning for the next generation of military leaders. Based at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, she is focused on enhancing education through evidence-based methods and the smart use of technology. Her work aims to improve the quality and lasting impact of training, ensuring it equips Officer Cadets with the mindset and skills they need to lead. At this year’s conference, Amanda will explore how gamification can enhance the effectiveness, retention, and relevance of values and behaviours training in leadership development.

Matt Smith

Senior Analyst: Novel Simulation for Training Team, Dstl

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Jess Viccars

Wargame Analyst

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Beth Hopkins

Dstl

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Laura van Veen

Competence Development manager

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Douglas Ross

Deputy Head, NATO Modelling and Simulation COE, USA

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Harrison Quinton

Defence Industry Placement, University of Portsmouth, UK

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Capt Eugene Morgan RN

AH Wargaming, Joint Warfare, UK StratCom, UK

Eugene Morgan is a naval reservist serving full time within the Integrated Warfare Centre in UK Strategic Command as the Assistant Head Defence Experimentation and Wargaming. As a reservist, Eugene has continually balanced the, often competing, military and civilian elements of his career. Following graduation with an Engineering Degree and a particular interest in Control Systems Engineering, he began his civilian career with British Aerospace (later MBDA), specialising as a design engineer for surface-to-air and anti-ship missile systems. A period of secondment to MoD was followed by an appointment as the UK industry representative to the ‘Star Wars’ projects including a period as an advisor to the UN Commission on Iraq’s ballistic missile programmes. Leaving MBDA in 2001, Morgan was then appointed as a Director and Board Member for several small to medium sized businesses, with a particular focus on growth implementation. He is a fellow of the Institute of Directors, a Chartered Director, and a Chartered Engineer. He joined the Royal Naval Reserve and HMS President in London as a direct entry officer in January 1989 and was commissioned in June of that year. Morgan completed operational tours of Iraq (2007) and Afghanistan (2010) before assuming command of HMS PRESIDENT in February 2011 for an exceptionally busy period covering most notably the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 London Olympics. A further period of mobilised service saw him support the national effort in response to Covid-19. Morgan was appointed as Assistant Head Experimentation and Wargaming in February 2023 with the remit to enhance Defence’s capacity and capability to wargame. He was appointed as an Officer to the military division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the King’s Birthday Honours of 2025. Eugene Lives in Somerset with the eternally supportive and understanding Emma and his two working cocker spaniels neither of which appear to work very hard!

Lieutenant General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes KCB CBE

Deputy Commander, STRATCOM, UK

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Chris Rolfs

Nova Systems

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Winston Chang

Field CTO, Snowflake, USA

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Bijal Mistry

Head of Defence Modelling and Simulation Office (DMSO), StratCom, UK

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Group Captain Karen Moran MA

DACOS Aerodrome Operations & Battlespace Management, RAF, UK

Group Captain Moran joined the Royal Air Force in 1989 embarking on a distinguished career that includes five operational tours and significant roles in training and instruction. As an instructor at the Officer and Airmen Cadet Training Unit, RAF College Cranwell, she played a key role in preparing future RAF officers for leadership in dynamic and complex environments. She also served at the UK Defence Academy, overseeing the development and delivery of joint multi-domain warfare exercises for Command and Staff Courses, shaping the next generation of military leaders. Her role involved strategic planning to ensure personnel were equipped with the expertise and capabilities required to meet the evolving demands of Air and Space operations.  led the RAF-wide Command and Control training transformation programme. In her capacity as the Air and Space Operations Profession Advisor, she focused on workforce structures, alongside the training and development of a highly skilled cadre. Her role involved strategic planning to ensure personnel were equipped with the expertise and capabilities required to meet the evolving demands of Air and Space operations.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as the Strategic Military Liaison Officer to NHS England, acting as a vital link between the Armed Forces and the NHS. In this role, she shared military planning expertise, coordinated resources, and provided advice on operational strategies, ensuring effective collaboration and the seamless integration of military support into NHS operations during an unprecedented national crisis. Promoted to Group Captain in 2022, she assumed a role at UK Space Command, where she was instrumental in integrating space capabilities into Defence activities, including future force training. Currently, she serves as the Inspector of Battlespace Management Safety and Senior Air Traffic Services Officer. In these roles, she focuses on the training and professional development of personnel, operational safety, capability integration, and workforce readiness. A passionate advocate for gender equality, Group Captain Moran also brings over 35 years of experience as a Girlguiding Leader, demonstrating her commitment to empowering and inspiring the next generation.

Martin Carr

CEO, Applied Virtual Simulation

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Hugh Griffiths

Founder | Investor | Entrepreneur | Mentor

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