Confirmed speakers
Claude-France Arnould
Dr Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer
Ambassador Gérard Errera
Alexandre Escorcia
The Rt Hon James Heappey MP
Angus Lapsley
Lieutenant General David Leakey
Lord Ricketts
Claude-France Arnould was Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency between 2011 and 2015. From October 2015 to July 2019, she was Ambassador of France to the Kingdom of Belgium. Until July 2020, she was a diplomatic adviser to the government, at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. In this context, she was entrusted with a mission regarding space.
Her previous roles include head of the Crisis Management and Planning Directorate at the Council of the European Union, director for defence matters at the Council of the European Union, and Director of International and Strategic Affairs at the General Secretariat of National Defence.
Dr Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer is Senior Vice President, Geostrategy, at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Her areas of expertise include geopolitics, transatlantic relations, US and French foreign policies, and European affairs.
Before taking up her current role, she held several positions in the French government and academia, and as an advisor to international organisations. She was from 2009 to 2011 a senior advisor for US foreign policy and transatlantic relations on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ policy planning staff. She was also, from 2010 to 2013, an advisor to NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) as part of the Next Generation Advisory Panel.
Ambassador Gérard Errera served as Secretary General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2007-2009), Ambassador to the United Kingdom (2002-2007), to NATO (1995-1998), to the Conference on Disarmament (1991-1995) and Director General for Political Affairs of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1998-2002). In this role, he was closely involved in all the discussions on the Saint-Malo Declaration.
Alexandre Escorcia took up his current role as the Head of Service for Europe, North Africa, and Multilateral Action in the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, Directorate-General for International Relations and Strategy, in September 2023. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Deputy Permanent Representative of the French Permanent Representation to NATO, beginning in September 2019.
His other roles as a state administrator have been in the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs as the Deputy Director of the Centre of Analysis and Advisor to the Minister’s Office, as well as roles in the French Embassy in Germany as the First Secretary, in the Ministry of the Armed Forces as a Diplomatic Advisor, and in the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs as a Case Manager on European Defence and NATO.
James Heappey was appointed as Minister of State (Minister for Armed Forces) at the Ministry of Defence on 7 July 2022. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Wells Constituency in May 2015.
Before entering politics, James served in the Army reaching the rank of Major. In a 10 year career in the Rifles, James served on operations in Kabul in 2005, Northern Ireland in 2006, Basra in 2007 and Sangin in Helmand Province in 2009. He also served in Kenya and across the United Kingdom.
James was appointed Minister for Defence Procurement on 16 December 2019, having previously served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.
Angus Lapsley was appointed NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning in September 2022. Within NATO’s International Staff, he leads the team responsible for the Alliance's capability and force planning, posture, plans, and a range of defence policy questions, including nuclear issues.
After studying English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford, he spent over 30 years as a diplomat for the UK. He served as Director General Strategy and International in the Ministry of Defence, as Ambassador to the European Union's Political and Security Committee, and worked in the private offices of two Prime Ministers.
Lieutenant General Leakey served in the UK, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Germany, the Balkans and in Canada. He was the UK Military Representative in Dayton at the Bosnia peace negotiations, Director of Military Operations in the Ministry of Defence, Director General Army Training and Recruiting, and commanded the European Force (EUFOR) responsible for peace and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2004 to 2005. He was appointed Director General of the European Union Military Staff in Brussels in February 2007.
Lord Ricketts is Vice-Chair of RUSI, former UK National Security Advisor and former British Ambassador to France. He spent 40 years as a member of the Diplomatic Service. His final post was Ambassador in Paris (2012-16). Before that he was the UK’s first National Security Adviser (2010-12), and in that role was the coordinator of the 2010 National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review. He was Permanent Under Secretary at the FCO and Head of the Diplomatic Service (2006-10). He spent much of his career working on politico-military issues and crisis management, including spells as the FCO Political Director (2001-3) and Permanent Representative to NATO (2003-6).