Professor Malcolm Chalmers is Deputy Director-General of RUSI and directs its growing portfolio of research into contemporary defence and security issues.
His own work is focused on UK defence, foreign and security policy. His most recent papers have been on national interest and UK foreign policy, tensions between the rules-based international systems, UK defence budgeting, and the security implications of Brexit.
Chalmers has been an Adviser to Parliament’s Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy since 2012, and was Senior Special Adviser to Foreign Secretaries Jack Straw MP and Margaret Beckett MP.
Francisco de Santibañes is President at the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI), a leading Lagin American think tank dedicated to international relations. He is the author of four books: Argentina and the World (EDICON, 2016), When Nations Revolt (Vértice de ideas, 2019), Argentina after the Storm (Vértice de ideas, 2021) and Argentina’s Strategy (Ediciones Austral).
De Santibañes has published in Armed Forces and Society, Survival and the Oxford Handbook on Geoeconomics and Economic Statecraft, while given talks at institutions such as the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI), the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and Chatham House.
Prior to CARI, he was a professor at Austral University in Buenos Aires and a global fellow of the Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington DC. He holds an MA in international relations from SAIS´s Johns Hopkins and is a PhD candidate from the Department of War Studies at Kings College London.
Kezia McKeague, Managing Director at the McLarty Associates Washington office, advises multinational companies in a wide variety of sectors on Argentina, Cuba, and regional Latin American issues as well as on engagement with multilateral organisations at the global level.
She has more than 15 years of experience at the nexus of policy and business in Latin America, including several years living and studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Prior to joining McLarty Associates in 2016, Ms McKeague was Director of Government Relations at the Washington office of the Council of the Americas, where she advocated for corporate member interests throughout the region and convened high-level meetings between the public and private sectors.
Previously, on the staff of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, she co-authored multiple staff studies that shaped debate in Washington on US policy toward Latin America. She has also done field research in Cuba, served as an electoral observer for the Organization of American States in Colombia, and worked at the United Nations Secretariat and the US Embassy in Madrid, Spain.
Ms McKeague is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and she serves on the Executive Committee of the Cuba Study Group. She was a Nancy S. Reynolds Scholar at Wake Forest University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a BA with honors in Political Science and Spanish. She holds an MA in International Studies from Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with an exchange at Sciences-Po Paris. She also co-founded and leads the 'Global Deacs' network, a Wake Forest University alumni network committed to supporting students interested in careers in international affairs. Her family hails from Cuba and New Zealand, and she speaks Spanish and French.
Brian Fonseca is Director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and an adjunct professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University’s (FIU) Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. He is the founding Executive Director of Cybersecurity@FIU, FIU's university-wide interdisciplinary emerging preeminent program. Brian also serves as a Cybersecurity Policy Fellow and International Security Fellow at the D.C.-based think tank New America.
His analysis has been featured in local, national, and international media and he serves as the on-air political analyst for South Florida’s WSVN-Fox News. Brian has testified before the U.S. Congress in 2019 and 2021. His recent publications include two edited volumes titled Culture and National Security in the Americas (Lexington Books, 2017) with Eduardo A. Gamarra and Democracy and Security in Latin America (Routledge, 2021) with Orlando Perez and Gabriel Marcella, and he is co-author of The New US Security Agenda: Trends and Emerging Threats (Palgrave, 2017) with Jonathan Rosen. Brian's technical expertise and publications focus largely on U.S. and Latin American governance, national security, and foreign policies, with particular focus on Venezuela, China, Russia, and cyberspace.
Brian joined FIU after serving as the Senior Research Manager for Socio-Cultural Analysis at United States Southern Command’s Joint Intelligence Operations Center South (JIOC-S). Brian holds degrees in International Business and International Relations from Florida International University in Miami, Florida, and attended Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, and National Defense University in Washington D.C. From 1997 to 2004, he served in the United States Marine Corps and facilitated the training of foreign military forces in both hostile theatres and during peacetime operations.
Juan Pablo Toro is the Executive Director of AthenaLab, a Chilean think tank dedicated to International Relations, Security and Defense, with special emphasis on issues in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Antarctica.
After more than two decades of working as a journalist in different countries and teaching at several national universities, he has concentrated his knowledge on politics and security in Latin America, as well as on geopolitical issues of the Asia-Pacific, irregular conflicts and drug trafficking. While his multiple trips have taken him from Singapore to the coast of Somalia, his journalistic activity also allowed him to make contact with leaders across the world.
He was previously International Editor of the Chilean newspaper, El Mercurio; Editor-in-Chief of the El Mercurio de Valparaíso; News Editor of the Associated Press in Mexico and correspondent for the Associated Press in Colombia. He has been Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Communications at the Catholic University of Chile since 2015. His articles have appeared in newspapers in the Americas and he has also published in specialised magazines such as Foreign Affairs in Spanish.
He was awarded an M.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Journalism from the Catholic University of Chile. He also holds a National Security Diploma from the Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the Strategy and Defense Policy course at the Center for Hemisphere Defense Studies.
Sarah Martinez has served as the National Intelligence Officer for Western Hemisphere since December 2023. Dr Martinez joined the US Government to work on Western Hemisphere national security issues in 2007. Beyond her work with the intelligence community, she has served stints with State Department, the National Security Council, and the Office of the Vice President covering Latin America issues.
Prior to her work in national security, Dr Martinez worked in public policy and academia in California. She has a BA in Social Sciences from UC Berkeley, a BA in Spanish from San Francisco State University, and a Masters and PhD in Political Science from UCLA where she completed a dissertation on Mexico’s electoral system and democratic transition. Dr Martinez has received numerous awards for tradecraft excellence, leadership, mentoring, and fostering diversity and inclusion.
Estefania Dominguez is a Senior Analyst for the Americas desk in Janes' Country Intelligence department, leading on the topic of serious and organised crime, with a primary focus on the violent dynamics of organised crime in Mexico and narcotics trafficking patterns across the region. Estefania has first-hand, on-the-ground experience conducting research in coca cultivation areas along Colombia's southern border with Ecuador. Her doctoral research focuses on drug policy, with an emphasis on the drug wars in Colombia and Mexico.
Juan Battaleme is the Secretary for International Defense Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Argentina. He has a BA in Political Science, Buenos Aires University; an MA in International Affairs (FLACSO), and an MA in Public Policy (UCEMA) and was a Chevening and Fulbright Fellow.
Battaleme is a Professor at the Naval War College and Air War College and Professor in International Politics and Security at Buenos Aires University and UCEMA.
He is the author of several articles on defense, Argentinean Foreign Policy, and International Security, the former Head of the Government and International Affairs department at UADE University and Academic Director of the Argentinean Council of International Relations.
Senior researcher at AthenaLab (Chile) focused on strategic studies, security, defense and military operations. He is a retired Chilean Army officer (Colonel), graduated as Staff Officer from the war colleges of the Chilean Army, Chilean Air Force and the US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth.
He holds a Master’s degree in Military Sciences from the Chilean Army War College and a Master of Arts in International Security from Georgetown University (Washington DC). He has taught at the Army and Air Force War Colleges, Pontificia Universidad Católica, as well as the United States Military Academy (West Point), imparting classes about strategy, operations, military history, geopolitics, and war studies. His professional experience includes strategic and operational planning and commanding positions from squad to regiment.
Peter Olive is a former senior Royal Navy officer and defence official. His operational career spanned the globe, and he has worked with UK partners around the world. Peter also specialised in strategy development and strategic implementation. His last role in Defence was to lead the development of Global Strategic Trends edition 7 Global Strategic Trends Out to 2055, a global 30-year forecast that is informing the ongoing Strategic Defence Review. This work identified Latin America and the Caribbean as a key emerging region for changing demographics, economies, trade including in critical minerals and food, environmental impacts and technologies. These will increasingly impact the regions geopolitcal outlook in the coming decades, including choices over partnerships which may well have wider security implications.
Peter is now a Fellow at RUSI, Senior Adjunct Fellow with Pacific Forum, and a Senior Adviser to Herminius Strategic Intelligence. He holds a Masters from Cambridge University, and is an alumnus of the Higher Command and Staff Course and Royal College of Defence Studies.
Ricardo Montero Allende is the Defense Undersecretary of the Government of Chile. He holds a Degree in Law from the Pontificia Universidad Católica, a Master’s in Defense and Security from the Inter-American Defense College in Washington, United States, and a Master’s in International Relations from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
During the second administration of former President Michelle Bachelet, he served as chief of staff of the Defense Ministry and the Interior and Public Security Ministry, a position he held again under the current Interior Minister, Carolina Tohá.
Vanessa is the Latin America and Caribbean editor for BBC News Online. She has been covering Latin America and the Caribbean for the past 14 years, first for World Service radio and for the past decade for the BBC’s news website.
She provides news coverage and analysis from her base in London and from the region (past deployments include Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Panama and Venezuela).
While she covers news in the region in general, she has developed a particular interest in the role played by criminal networks, drug trafficking and the prison system. She holds a MA in Latin American Studies, North American Studies and Political Science from Freie Universität Berlin.
Martín Verrier currently serves as the Secretary of State for the Fight Against Drugs and Organized Crime in the Ministry of Security of Argentina, where he also served as the Counternarcotics Undersecretary between 2015 and 2019.
He is also a CTOC professor at the George C. Marshall Center European Centre for Security Studies in Garmish-Partenkirchen and worked as a Senior Analyst for RUSI Europe where he researched criminal convergence in South America. He previously worked as a senior consultant for international organisations ( IADB, OAS, PADF ), directing operations at a Buenos Aires security consulting firm and served in the Security Committee Advisor's Board at the National Parliament. He is also a Chevening Scholar, former Professor of International Relations Theory at the International Relations Department and at the Organised Crime Postgraduate course at Universidad de Belgrano, Buenos Aires, and was an AML professor at the Universidad de Buenos Aires.
He holds an MA in Intelligence from King's College London, where he has been appointed as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow, an MA in Strategy and Geopolitics from the Argentine Army War College, and a BA in International Relations from the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires. He currently resides in Buenos Aires.
Political scientist. Master in Political Science, with a mention in Public Affairs from the Pantheon-Sorbonne University in Paris.
Specialist in Intelligence Services (UNED-Spain) and Asset Recovery and Confiscation of Proceeds of Crime from the Attorney General's Office of South Korea.
Carolina has more than 13 years of experience leading areas related to Public and State Security, and Strategic Intelligence.
Between 2018 and 2020, she served as a consultant for the United Nations on issues of peace and security, climate action, women in power, and global governance. In this framework, she conducted academic research in Africa and the Middle East, and accompanied diplomatic negotiations in the Americas.
Since 2021, she acted as regional advisor of the Climate and Security program at the Igarapé Institute in Brazil. Here she led regional researches and consultations on environmental crime and its relationship with money laundering networks in the Amazon Basin.
Currently, she is the General Secretary of Citizen Security and Risk Management of Quito.
Mike Ascencio is the Acting Director of Cybersecurity Policy at the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy, leading the institute's Cyber pillar and multiple initiatives, including the CyberSecureFlorida Local Government Initiative, Veterans and First Responders Training Initiative, and the USAID Integrating Cybersecurity into Development. He has a focus on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cyber infrastructure resiliency, cyber safety, and cyber policy, dedicated to enhancing cyber readiness.
Previously at Florida International University (FIU), Mike directed the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC), expanding its global reach, and managed projects on emerging technologies like blockchain and Web3 at the Office of Engagement.
He collaborates with government and industry to develop innovative solutions, shaping robust cybersecurity strategies and policies. Fluent in Spanish, Mike holds an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction focused on Learning Technologies, and a B.A. from FIU.
Yaroslav Brisiuck is the Director-General, Third Territorial Department (The Americas), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
He graduated from the Institute of International Relations, Kyiv National T. Shevchenko University, in 1997, where during his course of study he also spent the 1993-94 academic year at Davidson College (Davidson, North Carolina, U.S.A.) as an exchange student.
In 2002, he graduated from Temple University School of Law (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.) with a degree of Juris Doctor.
Mr Brisiuck clerked at the Supreme Court of New Jersey and worked as an attorney at law in Philadelphia before joining the Ukrainian foreign service in 2004.
He held various positions at the MFA headquarters and was posted at the Embassies of Ukraine in Ottawa, Canada (2006-08) and in Washington, D.C., first as Political Counselor (2011-12) and then twice as Deputy Chief of Mission (2012-16 and 2019-2023).
In September 2023, Mr. Brisiuck was appointed Director General of the Third Territorial Department (The Americas) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Mr Brisiuck holds the diplomatic rank of Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the 1st Class.
Paz Zárate is a public international law practitioner (University of Chile LL.B. -class valedictorian-, LLM. Cantab, D.Phil cand. Oxon -Chevening Scholar-), with 25 years of experience, most of them spent in the UK, Switzerland, the United States, France and Italy. An advisor in international affairs to international organisations, public entities and multinationals, she has built an extensive practice in international dispute resolution in both contentious and non contentious matters before many international courts, including several proceedings before the International Court of Justice and investment tribunals in Investor-State disputes. Paz has taught at several universities worldwide, and also led the Foreign and Trade Policy team for Chile's centre-left coalition in Chile’s last presidential election (2021).
In addition to her legal practice, Paz is senior researcher at Chilean defence and International relations think tank AthenaLab, and is also an expert columnist on international affairs for leading media outlets.
Dr Carlos Solar is Senior Research Fellow in the International Security Studies team at RUSI. His current research is focused on security dynamics in the Americas, notably on military, human security, and international relations issues that connect with the West.
He is the author of Cybersecurity Governance in Latin America (SUNY Press), Governing the Military (Manchester University Press), Government and Governance of Security (Routledge), and co-edited Violence, Crime and Justice in Latin America (Routledge).
Carlos' publications on democratic governance, security policy, and civil-military relations have appeared in several academic journals including the Journal of Strategic Studies, Global Crime, British Politics, International Politics, Current Sociology, Contemporary Politics, Bulletin of Sociological Methodology, and Journal of Cyber Policy, among others. He holds a PhD from the University of York, and has been a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at the Latin American Centre at Oxford University.
