195th RUSI Annual General Meeting

Overview

Notice is hereby given that the 195th Annual General Meeting of the Institute will take place on 8 October 2026 at 10:00 BST.

All business to be transacted at the meeting will be posted on the Institute’s website, at least 14 days before the date of the meeting.

If you are a member and wish to raise additional agenda items or matters for discussion, please email the Director-General’s office by the close of business on 10 September at [email protected].

Agenda

Director-General Update
Finance Report
First Resolution: “That the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026, as circulated, be taken as read and adopted”.
Second Resolution: “That Messrs Price Bailey LLP be re-appointed auditors for 2026/27”.
Third Resolution: "That The Rt Hon Amber Rudd has her appointment as Trustee extended by three years; that Ms Divyata Ashiya and General Sir Nick Carter have their appointments extended by four years”.
Fourth Resolution: “That Baroness Gustafsson be appointed as Trustee”.
Fifth Resolution: “That the bye-laws should be amended to remove the Advisory Board”.
Sixth Resolution: “That the Institute acknowledges with gratitude the service of the late Sir Alex Younger over six years”.
AOB

Profile: Baroness Poppy Gustafsson CBE

Poppy Gustafsson CBE has experience across both the technology sector and within government. She was Chief Executive Officer of Darktrace, the global cybersecurity firm she helped build from start-up to international scale, including a London Stock Exchange listing and multi-billion-pound acquisition. Under her leadership, Darktrace won numerous industry accolades, she was named Tech Businesswoman of the Year and Vodafone’s Woman of the Year for Technology and Innovation, and was appointed to the Order of the British Empire for services to cyber security, later being promoted to Commander (CBE).

In October 2024, Poppy was appointed Minister of State for Investment jointly within HM Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade, bringing her deep private-sector experience to government to help strengthen the UK’s global investment appeal. She was created a life peer in the House of Lords as Baroness Gustafsson of Chesterton, where she continues to contribute to national policy discussions on innovation, digital security and economic growth.

As a RUSI trustee, Poppy brings strategic insight at the intersection of technology, national security and public policy, and a commitment to advancing constructive dialogue on the challenges and opportunities posed by emerging digital threats.

RUSI Bye-Laws

Please review our current Bye-Laws as of the 8 October 2025.

The Fifth Resolution in the agenda proposes to disband the Advisory Board and for this to be reflected in the Bye-Laws by removing Chapter 4 and any other reference to the Advisory Board in the document. This is the proposed version of the Bye-Laws that will be voted on.

Voting Eligibility

In accordance with the Byelaws of the Institute, all Individual and Organisation Members with a fully paid annual subscription at the time of the Annual General Meeting are eligible to vote.

Each Organisation Member shall have the right to cast a single vote at an Annual General Meeting, irrespective of the number of nominees allocated to it.

Diplomatic Members are welcome to attend the Annual General Meeting, but do not have the right to vote.