Sam Cranny-Evans was a Research Analyst at RUSI in C4ISR between October 2021 and December 2022. During his time at RUSI he focused on multi-domain integration, electronic warfare, and the war in Ukraine. He co-led the establishment of the Red Team project, which provides analysis of the Russian and Chinese militaries. He has also spent time researching lethal autonomous weapons and their proliferation risk. He now works at Helsing, a defence AI company providing thought leadership and in government affairs.
Previously, he worked for five years at the Janes Information Group where he finished as a lead analyst in land warfare platforms. His primary role was the creation and maintenance of the Janes Armoured Fighting Vehicles yearbooks and online content set. His research in this area encompassed a range of topics from armoured vehicle design to their interaction with UAVs.
Alongside this he contributed to the Janes news and analysis publications, and assisted with or wrote more than 500 news articles during his time with the company. His research has included the development and modernisation of China’s People’s Liberation Army, artillery tactics in Ukraine and Russia’s concepts of escalation management.
Sam has a degree in War Studies from the University of Kent, where he graduated with first class honours in 2012 having written a dissertation on the morale of the Russian population during the Second World War. His studies included conflicts throughout history from the Punic Wars to the Falklands.
Jessica Dorsey is an Assistant Professor of International Law and Director of the Realities of Algorithmic Warfare Research Platform at Utrecht University. She is also an Expert Member of the Global Commission on Responsible AI in the Military Domain (GC REAIM) and an Ambassador to the Lawful by Design initiative of Article 36 Legal, which aims to strengthen national legal review processes and promote IHL compliance throughout the lifecycle of AI-enabled military technologies.
Her current research focuses on the legitimacy of military targeting operations in light of increasing autonomy in warfare, with a focus on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Jessica is also a renowned legal scholar and practitioner on issues related to the use of force, especially in the context of drone warfare, having worked in the field for more than 15 years. She is an executive board member of Airwars and the Managing Editor of the international law weblog Opinio Juris.
Charles Forte was appointed Chief Information Officer for the Ministry of Defence in January 2018. He is the primary advisor to the Defence Board on Information and Digital and is responsible for strategy, policy, delivery, interoperability and protection of all MOD ICT, including cyber security and resilience.
Prior to joining the Ministry of Defence, Charles gained 36 years industry experience from leading IT globally as Deputy Group Global CIO at BP. Since leaving BP, he has worked in a variety of consulting and executive roles. He was CEO of Global IT Services at Prudential, tasked with creating a turnaround in delivery, and as Interim CIO at Thames Water. He has worked as an independent consultant, helping businesses create and deliver change to transform their ability to exploit technology and to build internal capability enabling sustainable and lasting value from IT and business operations.
He has significant experience in leading business innovation, driving business change programmes and designing and leading IT delivery at a very large scale in complex, multi-stakeholder business environments.
Jim Hockenhull was educated at the Royal Hospital School and commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in 1986 after reading Politics at the University of York on a University Cadetship. His subsequent education includes a MA from Cranfield University and a Visiting Fellowship at Pembroke College, Oxford.
In addition to his career as a professional intelligence officer he has worked in a variety of strategic planning roles. He has also served as an exchange officer with the US Army at Leavenworth and Monterrey and on secondment with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Jim has served in joint appointments for the vast majority of his career, including ten years on operational tours. He has been Chief of Defence Intelligence from December 2018 and was appointed to Commander UK Strategic Command with effect from May 2022.
Anna Knack is a Senior Research Associate in The Alan Turing Institute’s Defence and National Security Grand Challenge and Lead Researcher at CETaS. She currently leads the AI for Data-Driven Advantage defence-focused policy research workstream, which focuses on identifying solutions to the technical and policy challenges the defence and national security community encounter as they drive towards AI for strategic advantage. Her recent and ongoing research focuses on AI assurance in Defence, AI in intelligence analysis and decision support, human-machine teaming, and AI for cyber defence.
Iain Lamont leads strategic partnerships at Applied Intuition UK, focussing on the adoption of safe, AI-driven machines across UK and Europe. Applied Intuition UK was established in London in 2025 to bring the company's cutting-edge autonomy solutions to the European defence sector. Prior to this Iain spent 24 years in the British Army.
The majority of his career was as a combat engineer in the UK Commando Force, concluding as the Commanding Officer of 24 Commando Royal Engineers. He also served as a procurement officer focussed on major programmes, urgent operational requirements and, most recently, defence technology. He wrote the Army’s first strategies on both Robotics & Autonomous Systems and Artificial Intelligence. Working across the MoD, and with Dstl and Defence Equipment & Support, he created the Human Machine Teaming project and led the creation of the Army AI Centre.
During his final appointment in the Army as the Commander of 12 Engineer Group, he completed a Diploma in AI for Business at Oxford University and led an innovative software project to assess and target Critical National Infrastructure in the UK and abroad.
Seb Matthews is a senior leader with more than 25 years’ experience at the forefront of defence, aerospace, and advanced technology. His career began in the military, where he gained first-hand insight into operating in complex, high-stakes environments. That foundation in service instilled the clarity of purpose and outcome-focused mindset that continue to define his approach to leadership.
He went on to work within the space sector, contributing to major programmes with NASA and SpaceX. These experiences underscored the importance of engineering excellence, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and the relentless pursuit of innovation—principles that remain central to his work today.
In recent years, Seb has focused on the application of artificial intelligence to defence and national security. As a commercially driven and technically grounded executive, he has led teams and organisations in bringing AI-enabled and software-defined systems into mission-critical contexts, delivering agility, accelerating decision-making, and creating enduring strategic advantage.
Seb is a recognised voice on the future of defence technology and the role of AI in shaping tomorrow’s operating environment. He continues to champion innovation with purpose—ensuring technology delivers not just disruption, but decisive impact where it matters most.
Andy Mitchell was appointed Deputy Director – Navy Capability Strategy in July 2024. His role covers Force Development to determine how the Navy will fight in the future, the implementation of the Navy’s transition to a system of systems approach to capability development and associated requirements management, and the sponsorship of the Navy’s Digital & C5ISR, Support, Infrastructure, T3E and People capability development.
Prior to this Andy held the role of Deputy Director – Navy Capability Sponsor for 3 years, where he was responsible for sponsoring capability development of the Above Water Battlespace & Surface Fleet, Commando Force and the Fleet Air Arm. Sponsorship includes the design of capabilities; RD&E to evidence the design; securing of funding for new and upgraded capabilities; progressing of programmes through initial MOD approval gates; assuring that in-service and in-acquisition capabilities continue to meet design intent and collaborating with allies on capability development.
Andy has a mechanical and systems engineering background and spent over 25 years in the defence industry before joining the Royal Navy. In industry he carried out roles in business development, project & business management, design, production and support of platforms, systems and equipments in the maritime, land and air domains, for UK, Canadian, Spanish, US, Australian, South Korean and Norwegian military customers.
Enrique Oti is the Chief Strategy Officer of Second Front Systems (2F), where he accelerates government access to disruptive, commercially-proven, digital applications for defence and national security missions, with an emphasis on international expansion and coalition operations.
Prior to joining 2F, Enrique had a 23-year career in the United States Air Force, during which he served in multiple assignments as a cyber warfare officer and China Foreign Area Officer. Enrique commanded an intelligence support squadron in Korea, and was a co-founder of the Defense Innovation Unit in Silicon Valley. He co-founded the Kessel Run software development program, and in his final assignment served as the Kessel Run commander, retiring as a Colonel.
Enrique earned a BS in History from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an MS in Strategic Intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College, and an MA in International Relations from Zhejiang University in China, where he studied as an Olmsted Scholar.
Matthew Savill is the Director of Military Sciences at RUSI, focussing on developments and trends in modern conflict, and the use of force in the 21st Century.
Before joining RUSI he spent over 20 years as a civil servant working on defence and security, predominantly in the Ministry of Defence. He joined the MOD in 2003, starting his career in Defence Intelligence as an Iraq analyst before moving to intelligence coordination and support to operations, and later roles in private office, approvals and scrutiny of major procurement projects, before a return to analysis and a secondment to the Cabinet Office.
He has also specialised in strategy and policy, with roles in: Defence Strategy and Priorities, working on the Integrated Review; the MOD’s Operations Directorate, where he was responsible for operational policy for the Middle East and overseas counter-terrorism; the Cabinet Office National Security Secretariat, to cover intelligence oversight and then Middle East policy; the MOD team responsible for the deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group in 2021; and operations and crisis team responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His final role in the MOD was responsibility for Special Operations policy, covering oversight of UK Special Forces and intelligence operations.
He attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Defence Academy Shrivenham in 2010-11, and the Higher Command and Staff Course in 2020, and has a Masters in Defence Studies from King’s College London. He has had articles published in Defence Studies and on The Wavell Room website.
He has deployed on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the Middle East for the military campaign against Daesh.
Matthew was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2008.
Vladi Shlesman is Chief Commercial Officer at Hadean, where he leads product, engineering, and go-to-market teams developing AI-powered systems for the modern connected battlefield. These products enable faster, more resilient decision-making, operational advantage, and improved readiness.
In this role, Vladi has worked with the UK MoD and leading defense primes, applying distributed simulation and digital targeting technologies to strengthen force readiness and mission effectiveness. Earlier this year, he participated in NATO’s CWIX exercise in Poland, where Hadean validated interoperability with 25 nations, including integration with Ukraine’s Delta C2 system.
Born in Ukraine, Vladi brings a unique perspective on technology in modern conflict, combining frontline insights with deep experience in global software leadership. Previously, he served as Managing Director, EMEA at ChannelAdvisor, where he scaled revenues and led teams across seven countries. He has also held senior leadership roles at CA Technologies, Automic, and BMC Software, consistently driving innovation, resilience, and growth in complex, mission-critical systems.
Dr Simona R. Soare specialises in defence innovation, the applications of emerging technologies in defence capabilities, software-defined defence, digital transformation of defence, and future of war. Simona is Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Technology in the Department for Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University.
Prior to her Lancaster role, Simona was research fellow for defence and military analysis with IISS, senior associate analyst for transatlantic defence and EU-NATO cooperation with the EUISS, senior security and defence advisor to the Vice-President of the European Parliament and defence analyst with the Ministry of Defence. Simona holds a PhD in International Security (2011), and she is a US Department of State Fellow and a Denton Fellow.
Among Simona’s latest publications are Simona R. Soare, Software-Defined Defence: Algorithms at war (IISS, London, February 2023); Simona R. Soare, Digitalisation of Defence in NATO and the EU: Making European Defence Fit for the Digital Age (IISS, London, August 2023); Simona R. Soare and Fabrice Pothier, Leading edge: Key drivers of defence innovation and the future of operational advantage (IISS, London, November 2021); Simona R. Soare, J. Burton, and R. Steff (eds), Emerging technologies and international security: the man, machines, and war (London, Routledge, December 2020); Simona R. Soare, European Military AI: Why Regional Approaches are Lagging Behind (Routledge, London, March 2023); Simona R. Soare, Algorithmic power? The role of artificial intelligence in European strategic autonomy (Routledge, London, May 2023); and Simona R. Soare (ed), Turning the Tide: How to rescue transatlantic relations (EUISS, Paris, October 2020).
Major General Brett G. Sylvia most recently served as the Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He currently serves as Special Assistant to the Director of the Army Staff, leading Army Process Reform and Continuous Transformation initiatives at the Pentagon. He is Senate-confirmed for promotion to Lieutenant General and assignment as Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J5), Joint Staff.
Commissioned in 1994 from the U.S. Military Academy, MG Sylvia began his career serving in Germany and Bosnia. Over three decades, he held command and staff positions at every level, including multiple assignments with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. His commands as a general officer include: Commander of the 1st Cavalry Division – Forward in Operation Atlantic Resolve, acting Commanding General of 1st Cavalry Division; and Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division.
Major General Sylvia has over five years of combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan and held multiple key national security roles in Washington, D.C. He holds advanced degrees in engineering management and military arts and sciences and is a SAMS graduate.
Dr Linus Terhorst is a Research Analyst within the Military Science team where he works on defence procurement and industrial strategy questions and innovation management in defence. Previously, Linus has been a Research Associate at the Freeman Air and Space Institute of the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, where he was the Editor of the Institute’s publications. He has taught various courses at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.
Linus earned his PhD from the Defence Studies Department at King’s College London, investigating German procurement policy formulation processes. He holds an M.A. in International Security from Sciences Po Paris, and a BA in War Studies & History from King’s College London. He is also an elected Associate of KCL. During his doctoral studies, he was a Fellow of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s doctoral college on security and development in the 21st century.
Colonel Toby Till is currently Colonel Army Training in Army Headquarters and a former commander of the Army’s Experimentation and Trials Group (ETG), which he commanded for 3 years until July 2025. This included delivery of trials on new capability entering the Army and leading experimentation, with a focus on Robotics and Autonomous Systems including the development of new Battlegroup Recce Strike Tactics. His focus is now on transforming Army Training.
Colonel Toby Till commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in April 1993. He has commanded in Light Infantry, Armoured Infantry, Reconnaissance, Close Observation and Pathfinder Roles and commanded the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards deploying to Afghanistan. His operational service includes multiple tours in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and he has trained globally.
On the Staff he has served in the UK 3rd Division HQ twice as both a Captain SO3 Operations and as a Lieutenant Colonel SO1 Plans. As a Major he served in the MOD Directorate of Equipment Capability Special Projects and as SO2 J2 Plans in the PJHQ. As a Colonel he was Assistant Head Joint and Land Concepts and then in the Army Headquarters Personnel Directorate. He is a graduate of the Advanced Command and Staff Course and has Master’s Degree in Defence Studies.
Nicky is a Chartered mechanical engineer and is the UKDI Lead Engineer on the British Army’s Dismounted Data System, a key component of Project ASGARD. He holds an MSc in Robotics and Automation and following graduation conducted the DE&S engineering graduate scheme, completing placements including the Land Warfare Centre, Bristol Robotics Laboratory, Horiba MIRA, and Clearpath Robotics. In his time in UKDI he has taken the leading technical role on the Robotic Platoon Vehicles project, Heavy UGV Challenge, and the Leader Follower logistics element of Project THESEUS.
An Army Reservist, in 2017 he deployed as an infrastructure engineer on Op KIPION, designing and delivering infrastructure across Ops TORAL and SHADER. He is now a Troop Commander in the Royal Engineers Railway Team, and in what little spare time he has left is studying for a PhD in (very broadly) developing appropriate trust between soldiers and autonomous systems.
Dr Paddy Walker is Managing Director of the Leon group, a fifth-generation family office. A graduate of Durham University and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he holds an MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. Paddy has a PhD from the University of Buckingham’s School of Humanities in the field of autonomous weapons and challenges to their deployment.
He is an associate research fellow at RUSI and an Associate at the Imperial War Museum’s Institute for the Public Understanding of War and Conflict. He also sits on the Development Board of the Museum. Formally chair of the London Committee of NGO Human Rights Watch, he is a director of Article 36, a charity focused on reducing collateral harm to civilians from weapon systems.
