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ASEC2023 Post-Event Video & Guide
Agenda
Speakers
1-2-1 Matchmaking Tables
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Conference Chair
Amb. William A. Awinador-Kanyirige
Senior Adviser - Governance & Peacebuilding,Office of the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace & Security (PAPS)
 African Union Commission (AUC)

Ambassador William Awinador-Kanyirige is the Senior Adviser, Governance & Peacebuilding in the Office of the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace & Security. He was Ghana’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Permanent Representative to the AU and UNECA (July 2017/May2018); High Commissioner of Ghana to Nigeria; and concurrently accredited to the Republic of Cameroon and ECOWAS (September 2014 to June 2017). He also served in various capacities at both the Foreign Ministry (notably as Chief of Protocol, Director Africa & AU, Chef de Cabinet on two occasions to two different Ministers) and posted to a number of diplomatic missions abroad, including, a secondment to ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, as Chief of Staff (2002-2008). He was a Member of the Executive Board of the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), 2009 - 2014; and the Bureau of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development in 2011/12 as a Vice Chairman. He is currently a Fellow of the Society for Peace Studies and Practitioners, Nigeria; Executive Council Member, Council on Foreign Relations, Ghana; and serves on various boards.


Keynote Speakers
H.E. Amb. Bankole Adeoye
Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace & Security (PAPS)
 African Union Commission (AUC)

Ambassador Bankole Adeoye is a Pan-African Career Diplomat with over 3 and half decades of experience. A strong advocate of Africa’s regional integration and inclusive partnerships, Amb. Adeoye builds synergy across Africa for good governance, durable champions the peace, security and sustainable development. Amb. Adeoye assumed office as the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace & Security on 15th March 2021, having previously served as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the AU and UNECA, and Ambassador to Ethiopia with concurrent accreditation to Djibouti from 2017 to 2020. From 2007 to 2015 on secondment to NEPAD Agency HQ, he held the strategic positions of Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer, Coordinator of Partnerships & External Relations, and as Director of Corporate Services. Also, Bankole Adeoye served as Director (Second UN) in the International Organizations Department of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Overall, his wealth of diplomatic experience spanned postings to Cairo (Egypt); Brasília (Brazil); Pretoria & Midrand in NEPAD HQ (South Africa) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

Ambassador Adeoye’s core areas of specialization include the nexus between good governance, peace, security and sustainable development. He is an avid promoter of concerted actions for the implementation of the African Peace & Security Architecture (APSA) and African Governance Architecture (AGA) as well as the APRM. Bankole Adeoye is a generative force for inspiring change in Africa to actualize the AU Agenda 2063 - the Africa We Want, and the shared values of Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance. He is a proponent of rights-based approach to enshrine peace and stability, premised on African Solutions to African Problems.
Lt. Gen. Jonah M. Mwangi
Vice Chief of Defence Forces
 Kenya Defence Forces (KDF)

Lieutenant General Jonah M Mwangi is the Vice Chief of the Defence Forces from 18 April 2023. He was enlisted into the Kenya Defence Forces as an Officer Cadet on 14 May 1982 and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 14 April 1983. Upon commissioning, he was posted to a unit of the Kenya Army Artillery as a Command Post Officer. Thereafter he served in many regimental capacities among them Signal Officer, Battery Captain, Unit Adjutant, Battery Commander and ultimately became a Commanding Officer in 2008. He has held various appointments that span command, staff and instructional duties among them Vice-Chancellor of National Defence University-Kenya; Assistant Chief of the Defence Forces responsible for Operations, Plans, Doctrine and Training at the Kenya Defence Forces Headquarters; Chief of Operations at the Headquarters Kenya Army; Commander Artillery Brigade; Senior Instructor at the Kenya Military Academy; and Brigade Major at the Headquarters Artillery Brigade.

In addition, he has served as a Military Assistant initially to the Army Commander and subsequently to the Minister for National Security; Staff Officer Grade 1 Doctrine and Training at the Headquarters, Kenya Army; and Chief of Staff at Kenya’s Eastern Command. Lt Gen Mwangi has attended diverse local and overseas courses related to leadership, command and management. He has also earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from Africa Nazarene University. In the field of peacekeeping, he served as an Operations Staff Officer in the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG), Force Headquarters in Namibia and Force Training Officer in the United Nations Mission in Chad and Central Africa Republic (MINURCAT).
Brig Gen Paul Kahuria Njema
Director EASF Secretariat
 EASF Secretariat

Brigadier Paul Kahuria Njema EBS (NDC) is the current Director, Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) Secretariat. He is a national of the Republic of Kenya, which is one of the ten (10) EASF Member States. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Disaster Management and International Diplomacy from Masinde Muliro University of science and Technology, Diploma in Security and strategic studies from National Defence College of Tanzania and Diploma in Strategic Studies from Institute of Diplomacy and international Studies, University of Nairobi. Brig Njema has held several key leadership positions among them, Commandant School of Infantry, Commandant Recruits Training School, a principle staff officer in charge of personnel at the Defence Headquarters, and a Commander Infantry Brigade. He has experience of 37 years in service with Kenya Defence forces. He has also served in Peace Support Operations in former Yugoslavia (UNPROFOR), Sudan (AMIS) and Somalia (AMISOM), cumulatively period of 63 months. He was a member of the African Union Technical Committee that reviewed the Peace Support Operation Standing Orders that was done in 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.


Workshop Hosts
Tigabu Adane Ayele
Team Leader SSFFU, Global Procurement Support Section, Procurement Division, OSCM, DOS
 UNPD - UN Procurement Division

Tigabu Adane Ayele is Head of the Sourcing Support and Freight Forwarding Unit at the Global Procurement Support Section (GPSS), United Nations Procurement Division, Office of Supply Chain Management, Department of Operational Support (PD/OSCM/DOS). Before joining the UN in 2006, Mr. Ayele, took responsible positions in the capacity of Senior Procurement & Logistics Officer and Operations Manager for over 10 years at various Government and International Organizations. Under the United Nations, in addition to his current assignment at PD/GPSS, he served in four UN field Missions (MINUSTAH, UNAMID, UNSOA & MINURSO) as Procurement Officer, Chief Procurement Officer & chief of Acquisition Planning & Requisitioning Section for 17 years. Mr. Ayele received his BA Degree in Social Science from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia and his MSc. In Procurement from the University of Glamorgan, UK and is a professional member of CIPS (The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply), UK. Mr. Ayele enjoys spending his leisure time socializing with friends and peers and on community collaboration & social service activities.
LLM Lcol Nils Rienks EMSD
Defence Attaché
 Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Kenya

Lcol Rienks took on his current position of Defence Attaché to Kenya, Seychelles, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania in August 2020. He is responsible for all aspects related to military cooperation between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the mentioned countries of accreditation. As a Defence Attaché accredited to Kenya, Lcol Rienks is also a member to the Defence Attache Association Kenya (DAAK). After one year membership, Lcol Rienks became the secretary to the DAAK. In his third year in Kenya Lcol Rienks was selected to become the Dean of the DAAK. Lcol Rienks joined the military in 2002 after achieving the Master of Laws degree at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. Within his military career Lcol Rienks first carried several positions as Brigade Legal Advisor for the Army (2002-2010), during which timeframe Lcol Rienks also got deployed as Legal Advisor to the respective Forces Commands in Bosnia-Herzegovina (2004) and Afghanistan (2006). As of 2010 Lcol Rienks was active on different positions for different branches within the Royal Netherlands Army Staff Command, during which timeframe Lcol Rienks was deployed as Chief of Staff for the Netherlands Contingent within the UN MINUSMA mission in Mali (2014). After being selected for the Advanced Command and Staff Course (2016) Lcol Rienks worked within the Operational Readiness branch for the Royal Netherlands Defence Staff. The current Defence Attaché position is Lcol Rienks his second position for the Royal Netherlands Defence Staff, now as a part of the International Military Cooperation Branch.


Speakers
Paolo Siddi (Panel Chair)
Regional Sales Manager
 RCS S.p.A.

Paolo Siddi is a Regional Sales Manager at RCS, one of the company's leaders in the international lawful interception and cyber intelligence markets. With more of 20 years of experience in the telecommunication industries, he joined RCS in the 2021 working with African, Middle East and Far East countries with focus on the data collection, data analysis, strategic and tactical investigation. He has senior skill in the business and market development, including bidding activities, commercial negotiations, Key-accounting and project management of complex international contracts.
Robert Mabeya Mabera
Regional Specialized Officer
 INTERPOL Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa

Robert Mabera serves the Interpol Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa / EAPCCO Secretariat as Regional Specialized Officer. He coordinates the Legal Desk for the region, which covers 14 Member Countries. A Police Officer and an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Mr. Mabera possesses 29 years law Enforcement experience, gained while working in the Republic of Kenya, the African Union and currently Interpol amongst other key institutions.
Julia Eckelmann
Weapons & Ammunition Management Regional Project Manager - Malawi & Mozambique
 HALO Trust

As Weapons and Ammunition Management Regional Project Manager for The HALO Trust in Malawi and Mozambique, Julia Eckelmann oversees training and capacity building for security forces to build toward human security through enhanced legitimacy, accountability, and state capacity for peace and security. Prior to joining HALO, she provided USAID mission support to the Middle East and published research on illicit firearms trade and use in the European Union. Her experience includes military liaison, security sector reform, countering weapons diversion, open-source investigation and analysis, and counterterrorism policy across the United Nations, United States and other governments, research, and private sector stakeholders.
Kauko Aaltomaa
Head of Mission
 EUCAP Somalia

Kauko Aaltomaa, Finnish, currently serves as Head of Mission at the European Union Capacity Building Mission in Somalia (EUCAP Somalia). His previously held positions include: Director General, Special Assignment, Ministry of the Interior, Government of Finland (06/2022 – 12/2022); Director General, Department of Police, Ministry of the Interior (2010-2022); Police Commissioner, Provincial Police Command of Southern Finland (2002 – 2009); Deputy Chief, National Bureau of Investigation (1998–2002); Detective Chief Superintendent, National Bureau of Investigation, Head of Main Division (1997–1998); Detective Superintendent, National Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Intelligence Division (1994–1997); and various duties in different police units 1980–1994. Additionally, Mr. Aaltomaa’s international experience includes: Head of Operations / Head of Division, Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC), European External Action Service (EEAS) (2021 - 2022 ); Head of Mission, European Union Police and Rule of Law Mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS) (2017 - 2020 ); UN Military Observer, Special Investigation Officer, UNTSO and UNGOMAP (1987–1988); and UN Peacekeeping Force, Duty Operation Officer, UNDOF (1984–1985).
Dr. Michael Masiapato
Commissioner & Chief Executive Officer
 BMA - Border Management Authority of South Africa

Dr. Mike Masiapato, spent two decades in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster. His experience spans through the police, defence intelligence, civilian intelligence structures and the Financial Intelligence Centre. He holds two Doctoral degrees, one being of literature & philosophy from University of Johannesburg, the other being Doctor of philosophy from University of Witwatersrand. He also holds a Master’s degree in Public Management from the University of Pretoria. His honours degree in Public Administration is from the University of South Africa, whilst his junior degree is from the University of Venda. He also completed the Executive National Security Programme (ENSP) from the South African National Defence College.
Maj Gen Sydney Shuping Modise
Chief Director Collection
 South African National Defence Force (SANDF)

Augustus Kamitu (Panel Chair)
Sales Director - Fixed Data Africa
 SES

Augustus is an astute technical and solution sales professional with over 15 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry. His role at SES encompasses all sales activities, customer relations and business development across Africa region working closely with Governments, Mobile Network Operators, Telcos, Carriers and ISPs. Prior to joining SES, Augustus worked with Avanti Communications Group PLC (London, UK 2018-Nov 2019, as a Regional Sales Manager, East Africa), Thuraya Telecommunications Company (UAE, 2014-2018, as a Sales Manager Africa) and Safaricom PLC (Kenya, 2007-2014, as Enterprise Sales Manager). Augustus has built a reputation for augmenting compelling and successful business partnerships, developing winning business strategies, incubating new business models and building out channel programs across Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya, among other professional certifications such as Cisco Sales Expert, ArcGIS and Introduction to GPS, and is most fulfilled when helping people and organizations grow and achieve their goals.
Col. Ahmed Abdo
Head of Research & Analysis Department
 CISSA - AUC's Committee of Intelligence & Security Services of Africa

Ahmed Mahmoud Abdo currently serves the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) as the Head of Research and Analysis Department. Professionally, Mr. Abdo has upheld multiple Egyptian Diplomatic Missions in different countries, as a consultant for security affairs, crisis management and emergencies.
Maj Gen Gold Uhuoma Chibuisi
Force Commander
 Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF)

Maj Gen GU Chibuisi was commissioned (Infantry) in September 1993 as Second Lieutenant, Regular Combatant, and ultimately promoted to his current rank, Major General, in September 2020. More recently Maj Gen Chibuisi’s appointments include: Army Headquarters (Office of the Chief of Army Staff) – Director Inspections & Compliance (Aug 22 to date); 2 Division Nigerian Army, General Officer Commanding (Mar 21 to Aug 22); Army Headquarters Department of Civil Military Affairs – Director Civil Military Affairs (Jan 21 to Mar 22); 19 Brigade Op LAFIYA DOLE – Commander (Oct 19 to Jan 21); Headquarters Training & Doctrine Command Nigerian Army – Director of Training (Nov 17 to Oct 19); and many more. Maj Gen Chibuisi has also served the following Operations throughout his career: Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG); UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL); African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS); Internal Security Operations (Op MESA - Sokoto and Kaduna States); Internal Security Operations in the Niger Delta (Op PULO SHILED/DELTA SAFE); and Internal Security Operations in the North East (Op LAFIYA DOLE).
Khalid Abdelrahman
Head of Security Institutions Capacity Building
 IGAD Security Sector Program (ISSP)

Khalid Abdelrahman, Sudanese, serves the IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as Head of Security Institutions Capacity Building where he contributes to enhancing the capacity for forecasting, managing, preventing, and countering existing, evolving, and emerging transnational security threats (TSTs) including terrorism, TOC, and maritime insecurity; with furthermore a focus on SSR; DDR, IED, & SALW. His previous positions include: Reintegration Projects Manager of Disarmament Demobilization & Reintegration Commission (DDR), Khartoum, Sudan; and Training & Rostering Officer, of Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), Kenya, Nairobi.
COL Matthew Kopp
Director - Security Cooperation Directorate (SCD)
 U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)

COL Kopp is a sub-Saharan Africa Foreign Area Officer, beginning his career as an officer serving in the 25th Infantry Division (Light) as a Platoon Leader, Maintenance Control Officer, and Battalion Assistant Operations Officer. Following EOD school, he deployed to OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM as the EOD Liaison Officer for the 101st Airborne and then the 4th Infantry Division. Following an assignment as an EOD Battalion Logistics Officer, he commanded the 707th EOD Company in OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM and Fort Lewis, WA. He then served as the Battalion Executive Officer and Operations Officer of the 3d EOD Battalion in Fort Lewis, WA and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. Following Foreign Area Officer training, he served as the Assistant Army Section Chief in the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City; a Political-Military Affairs Desk Officer and the South America Division Chief at the United States Southern Command in Miami, FL; a Field Grade Assignments Officer at the Army Human Resources Command OPMD in Fort Knox, KY; a SAMS Goodpaster Scholar at the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs; and the Chief of the Kenya-U.S. Liaison Office (KUSLO) in the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. COL Kopp assumed duties as the US Army Southern European Task Force – Africa (SETAF-AF) Director, Security Cooperation Directorate in August 2022.
Thomas Kontogeorgos
Chief - DDR Section (Disarmament, Demobilization & Reintegration)
 UN OROLSI - Office of Rule of Law & Security Institutions

Thomas Kontogeorgos possesses more than 24 years of service and experience in peace and security, civil affairs, program development, humanitarian work, stabilization initiatives, conflict resolution and mediation, community development and outreach, peacebuilding, civil-military cooperation, and public administration. He spent over 17 years in field settings and served with UN DPO missions as Civil Affairs Officer (UNMIK, UNIFIL), Senior DDR Officer, Senior CVR Officer, OiC for the Integrated office of DSRSG/RC/HC (MINUSTAH). Today, Kontogeorgos is the Chief of the DDR Section in New York HQ, where he provides strategic guidance 12 staff members that backstop over twenty missions, including Haiti, Somalia, DRC, Mali, Cameroon, CAR, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and Libya. He oversees and advises on programmes in peacekeeping operations and provides support to Special Political Missions and Member States involved in DDR processes. Additionally, he co-chairs, together with UNDP, the Inter-Agency Working Group of DDR, bringing together 27 UN departments, agencies, funds, programmes, and the World Bank, in order to provide strategic guidance and innovation on the UN Integrated DDR Standards.
Mustafa Murat Ustunel (Panel Chair)
Int. Business Development & Sales Manager
 HAVELSAN A.S

COL Crystal M. Hills
Commander
 U.S. 405th Army Field Support Brigade (U.S. Army Sustainment Command)

Colonel Crystal M. Hills is a career Army Logistician with extensive experience at all levels within the Supply Chain and Logistics management industry. Currently, Hills is the Commander of 405th Army Field Support Brigade (Germany) where she is responsible for leading a diverse workforce of over 6k personnel entrusted with the mission of maintaining strategically positioned critical war-fighting stocks, providing technical support for all Army fielding equipment, providing base-life support and sustainment services to deployed forces during contingency operations, and managing installation logistics--across the African and European theaters. Hills’ other assignments include: Commander, Army Field Support Battalion-Africa (Italy), entrusted with the strategic mission of maintaining and issuing prepositioned critical war-fighting stocks and providing technical support for Army equipment with a focus on the African theater; Senior Supply & Logistics Officer for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Rapid Deployable Corps (Turkey) entrusted with the procurement, transportation, synchronization, and distribution of materiel and resources for multi-national military organizations across SouthWest Asia, the Middle East and Europe; Special Assistant to the Director of Army Staff, Pentagon; Chief of Staff Army, Senior Fellow with New America; along with several other staff positions. Hills supported COVID-19 relief efforts as part of the White House Supply Chain Task Force and served as a mentor for John Hopkins’ Design Challenge. As a Defense Ventures Fellow she worked with Structure Capital and innovation hubs to leverage dual use technology. Hills holds an MBA, an MS National Security and Resource Strategy, and a MA in Literature. Her interests include the use of blockchain and Artificial Intelligence to improve Supply Chain resilience and performance.
COL Douglas LeVien
Assistant Chief of Staff; G4
 U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)

Col. LeVien serves as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G4 of Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF). Col. LeVien’s assignments include but not limited to: Support Operations Officer for the 1st Theater Sustainment Command in Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq and Afghanistan; Commander of the 406th Army Field Support Brigade at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and as the XVIII Airborne Corps G4, deploying in Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) as the Kobane Landing Zone (KLZ) Syria Base Commander for the Special Operations Joint Task Force (SOJTF) and then the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) during the territorial defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS); Deputy Commanding Officer of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command (TSC), executed theater opening, distribution and sustainment operations, and enabled operations to set the European Command (EUCOM), and as directed, African Command (AFRICOM) Theater. Notably, Col. LeVien commanded the 7th Mission Support Command (MSC) from 2 June to 8 December 2020. The 7th MSC is the only forward stationed U.S. Army Reserve Command in Europe and enables integration at the service, joint, and multinational levels in Europe and is capable of interfacing with NATO Allies and other partners.
Dragica Pajevic
Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Africa
 WFP - UN World Food Programme

Most of her 25-year experience with WFP, Dragica worked in Country Offices in Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro 1997-2000), Middle East (Iraq, Turkey 2001-2004), Africa (Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya 2005-2013), and thereafter in WFP global headquarters in Rome (2013-2019) covering various roles including Chief Supply Chain Governance and the role of Supply Chain Staffing Coordinator. During the 6 years while based in HQ, Dragica was also deployed to several missions around the globe, including in West Africa as the Chief Common Services in Liberia during the EBOLA response. Prior to her reassignment as the Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Africa, Dragica worked in WFP’s Regional Bureau for Middle East, Nortern Africa and Eastern Europe, based Cairo, where she was assigned as the Senior Regional Supply Chain Coordinator and during which period, she also covered various other managerial roles such a.i. Country Director for Egypt and a.i. Deputy Regional Director. Most recently, Dragica was the Deputy Emergency Coordinator for WFP response in Ukraine. Before joining WFP, Dragica taught in a high school in her home-town Banja Luka, worked as graphical designer for the national publishing company and as the news director at a local radio station during the war in her home country.
Tony Bamgbose
Logistics Manager
 U.S. 405th Army Field Support Brigade (U.S. Army Sustainment Command)

Tony T. Bamgbose, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, currently serves as the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) Planner and Integrator with the U.S. Army Field Support Brigade-EUCOM, supporting U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) mission out of Stuttgart, Germany. Mr. Bamgbose served in the United States Army from 2005 to 2012 as an Indirect Fireman and Unit Supply Specialist, deploying to Camp Taji, Iraq from 2007 to 2009 in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF). Mr. Bamgbose entered the civilian service in 2016 as a Logistics Management Specialist (LMS) intern with Headquarter, U.S. Army Sustainment Command (ASC), serving as a Lead Materiel Integrator (LMI). From 2017 to 2019, Mr. Bamgbose served in an LMS position with the Logistics Assistance Program (LAP), supporting the U.S. Army Field Support Battalion-Riley mission. From 2019 to 2021, Mr. Bamgbose served in two separate LMS positions as a Lead Mobilization Planner and Plans and Operations Specialist, supporting the U.S. Army Field Support Battalion-Hawaii mission. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Bamgbose deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait as an LMS serving as a LOGCAP Planner and Senior LOGCAP Planner with the U.S. Army Field Support Brigade-CENTCOM.
Michael Bradshaw (Panel Chair)
General Manager
 Jadin Tech, LLC; Sugpiat Family of Companies

Michael Bradshaw, General Manager of Jadin Tech, LLC, an SBA 8(a) certified firm and subsidiary of Akhiok-Kaguyak, Inc. (AKI), an Alaska Native Village Corporation headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. Mr. Bradshaw is a Senior Operations and Business Development Executive with 34+ years of corporate management experience. In 2017, Mr. Bradshaw created, branded, and launched the Sugpiat Family of Companies to deliver global leading-edge technologies supporting Cybersecurity, Supply Chain Risk Management, Infrastructure and Logistics, Munitions, Construction, Maritime Solutions, Security Assistance, and Aviation Services. Adhering to mature business and contracting practices, Jadin Tech offers lean, responsive solutions to a growing international customer base.
Ackim Sanuka
Head of Cybersecurity
 Malawi National Intelligence Service (NIS)

Ackim Sanuka joined the National Intelligence Service in 2009 currently holding the Head of Cyber Security position responsible for identifying system vulnerabilities and mitigating potential cyber security threats. He is an accomplished Certified Ethical Hacker, Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator, and Cisco Certified Network Associate respectively. Ackim is a powerful force in the workplace and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to training others to use cyber security software and tools. He graduated from the University of Greenwich in 2017 with a Bachelor’s (Hons) Degree in Business Information Technology. He resides in Lilongwe, Malawi with his wife Marion and their three children. When he isn’t spending time with his family, you will find him watching soccer at the stadiums.
Dr. Jonathon Brame
Basic & Applied Research Lead
 U.S. Army DEVCOM Atlantic

Dr. Brame is the Team Lead for Basic & Applied Research (BAR) for DEVCOM Atlantic, coordinating international fundamental research and discovery between universities and Army Labs & Centers. The BAR Team includes staff from DEVCOM International Technology Centers (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa), the Army Research Office, and matrixed scientists and Engineers from throughout DEVCOM with a mission to identify promising, unique science and technology innovations and connect researchers from around the world with US Army subject matter experts. Previously, Dr. Brame spent two years at the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASAALT), working in Research and Technology. Dr. Brame worked across the entire Army S&T portfolio, including serving as the Deputy Portfolio Director for Network and Environment & Terrain. He also served as the Army representative to the DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program Advisory Panel, providing direction from the Executive Steering Group to the Program. Dr. Brame was the liaison to ASAALT from the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), guiding the ERDC through the implementation of the Army Modernization Priorities, Cross Functional Teams, Night Court, and standup of the Army Futures Command. During his time at ERDC, Dr. Brame was the team lead for the Materials Science team in the Chemistry Branch of ERDC’s Environmental Lab.
Butch Zachrel
VP Cyber & Intelligence Analytics
 LP3

Dominic Godana (Panel Chair)
Country Director
 PanAfricare Kenya

Dominic D. Godana is a results-oriented and diligent organizational director with a diverse skill set spanning all aspects of organization development and management. With over two decades of experience in food systems and development, both in humanitarian and development settings with international organizations, Dominic is a seasoned professional. His expertise lies in business management, health, nutrition, food security, and health policy issues across the continent of Africa region. He is deeply passionate about improving the well-being of vulnerable communities. Dominic is the current Country Director of PanAfricare Kenya. Prior to joining PanAfricare he served as the Country Director and Head of Programs for the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in Kenya, a Swiss-based international organization launched at the UN headquarters in 2002 organization dedicated to addressing the human suffering caused by malnutrition and is headquartered in Geneva. Before his tenure at GAIN, Dominic also worked for Food for the Hungry (FH) International, a US-based international organization. Dominic holds an MBA in Global Business and Sustainability-Social Entrepreneurship from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, a BSc in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and is a Public Health professional.
Prof. Georges Ki-Zerbo
Director WHO Office to the AU & UNECA
 WHO - World Health Organization

Prof. Georges Ki-Zerbo possesses extensive experience as an expert, scholar and leader in health and development. He has contributed to national, regional, continental, and global programs, and flagship initiatives related to prevention control and the elimination of communicable and non-communicable diseases in line with the SDGs and Africa Health Strategy and Agenda 2063 ‘The Africa we Want’. He is also a strong advocate applying science and health diplomacy for accelerated progress in UHC, Health through the life course and Health Security. He has helped develop expert network centers of excellence partners platforms to address HIV, TB, Malaria, NTDS and other priority disease and problems related to the Humanitarian Development Peace and Security Nexus. Georges played a key role in WHO and UN efforts against Ebola Disease other Haemorrhagic Viral Fevers Zika working with national regional and continental mechanisms. Prof. Ki-Zerbo is a member of several Academic and scholarly bodies as well as the International Leadership Association and the International Coaching Federation. He is currently Director of WHO Office to the African Union and UN-ECA.
Oumar Sylla
Ag. Director - Regional Office for Africa
 UN-Habitat - UN Human Settlements Programme

Oumar Sylla is the acting Director, Regional Office for Africa (ROAf) at UN-Habitat in Kenya. He has more than 20 years of academic and practical experience in land, natural resources, conflict resolution, urban development, regional cooperation and partnerships. Prior to this assignment, Oumar was coordinator of the Urban Legislation, Land and Governance Branch within UN-Habitat, leading and coordinating efforts steered towards improving tenure security for vulnerable persons through the expansion of Global Land Tool Network (GLTN). He also previously served as a Senior Human Settlement Advisor, overseeing cooperation with African francophone countries, and backstopping the African Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (AMCHUD). Correspondingly he had been appointed as UN-Habitat’s Chief Technical Advisor for the Democratic Republic of Congo to support peace and reconstruction and land reform processes. Oumar also worked within the European Union framework and operated as a Researcher Fellow in the Laboratory of Legal Anthropology in Paris 1 Sorbonne.
Senai Terrefe
Senior Protection Coordinator
 UNHCR - UN Refugee Agency

Senai Terrefe is a practioner of international public law and a global advocate for the forcibly displaced for over 23 years. He currently holds the position of Senior Protection Coordinator at the UNHCR Regional Bureau for the East, Horn, and Great Lakes region of Africa based in Nairobi, Kenya. The sub-regions he supports currently accounts for 5 million refugees, 12 million IDPs and an estimated millions of persons at risk of statelessness. His tasks include to provide protection operational support to 12 countries in the region namely: Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia. His work entails policy formulation pertaining to protection and solutions in the region for the UN Refugee Agency. Mr. Terrefe holds frequent interface and conducts joint conflict sensitive planning and responses to displacement with Government and other operational UN protection partners, civil society, refugee led organizations and other protection stakeholders. Prior to his assignment in Nairobi, Mr. Terrefe worked at the United Nations in New York on diverse Humanitarian, Development and Peace (HDP) nexus as well as Protection of Civilian (PoC) portfolios. His counterparts at UN HQ NY notably were PBSO, DPPA and DPO and regional peace and security mandate holders.
Dr. Vlasta Zekulic
Head - Strategic Issues & Engagements
 NATO HQ Supreme Allied Command Transformation (ACT)

Dr. Zekulic was commissioned as an Infantry officer to the Croatian Armed Forces in 2002. During her military career she held numerous command and staff positions and deployed several times to operational theatres. From 2014, she served two consecutive tours in NATO military commands leading the work on hybrid warfare, resilience, and geopolitical strategic assessments. In 2017 she joined the NATO HQ Operations Division where she led the work on posture management and deterrence messaging, and developed political military assessments of the conventional and hybrid security challenges. As of July 2021, Dr. Zekulic leads Strategic Issues and Engagements Branch developing strategic issues identified by SACT, coordinating and designing engagements with NATO’s senior leadership, industry and academia and managing Command’s overall strategic engagements and communications output. Parallel to her military and policy career, Dr. Zekulic gained several academic degrees in computer science, criminalists and in international relations and national security.
Koos Joubert (Panel Chair)
Technical Adviser,International Business Development
 DCD Protected Mobility

Presently Koos is the Technical Adviser to DCD Protected Mobility on Route Clearance Applications and Mine Protected Vehicles. He joined Armscor (Defence Acquisition Agency) in 1971 and studied Mechanical Engineering and served for 42 years at Armscor where he was involved in the design, development and testing of mine protected vehicles and managed the Landward Defence Programmes on behalf of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Koos is also a retired Citizen Force Officer and served operationally in the Namibia/Angola Border War. Koos did several post graduate courses which included; Systems Engineering, Logistic Engineering, Programme Management (University of Pretoria), Fluid of Mechanics, Strain Gauge Course (University of Stellenbosch0, Explosives Course (SANDF), Armour Development Course (Shriven ham -UK) and participated in the Executive National Security Programme: ENSP 04/01 Jan – June 2001.
Brig Gen Domitien Kabisa
Head of Peace Operations Department
 EASF Secretariat

Brigadier General Domitien Kabisa is an experienced strategic military and security advisor having worked in an international position (through the AMISOM with the United Nations, United States of America, United Kingdom, European Union, and Turkey) and held senior positions in the Government of Burundi on strategic military planning issues. He is a Military commander of high political profile and sensitive command at multinational command level (Former Commander of Eastern Africa Standby Force). Chief of Staff to 3* Military Commander of the AMISOM, the African Union’s highest profile military intervention operations in Africa. He has a proven record in strategic transition planning, capacity and institutional building, international projects implementation in conflict and post-conflict environments in Burundi and Somalia for more than twenty-eight years. General Kabisa is currently the Head of Peace Operations Department, Eastern Africa Standby Force and a member of the Security Sector Reform Advisory Network Team to the United Nations since March 2021.
Mody Berethe
Police Commissioner
 MONUSCO - UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

General Mody Berethe, MONUSCO Police Commissioner since 23 January 2021, brings a wealth of UN peace operations leadership experience and a proven track record of Security Sector Reforms expertise to this position. Between December 2016 and October 2019, he served as the Chief of Security Sector Reform in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). His other significant UN assignments included Security Sector Reform Officer in UN Office to the African Union (UNOAU) and DPKO from 2011 to 2014; Police Reform Officer in Standing Police Capacity (SPC) and Police Officer at Mission Management Support Section of Police Division, UNHQ from April 2008 to July 2011. He also served as Technical Advisor on small arms and armed violence reduction issues at UNDP, Burundi between Sept 2005 and May 2007. As a Civilian Police Officer, he rendered valuable service in MONUC and ONUB from February 2003 to August 2005. At the national level, Mr Berethe has a solid police background in command positions for over a decade. He served as Director General of Peacekeeping School in Bamako, Mali from November 2019 until taking up the responsibilities of this present position. He was the head of the National Gendarmerie from January 2014 to October 2015. He held key leadership positions in National Gendarmerie of Mali from 1994 to 2003 as well.
Col Milton Katarinyeba
Chief Operations Officer
 ATMIS - African Union Transition Mission in Somalia

Col Milton N. Katarinyeba is the current Chief Military Operations Officer of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), formally AMISOM, based in Mogadishu, Somalia since September 2022. He joined the Military in Uganda in 1997 as a basic infantry soldier and later got commissioned to 2LT in 2000. Col Katarinyeba underwent several military career development courses at Junior and Senior levels in Uganda and abroad including the US Army Comd and General Staff college, Fort Leavenworth Kansas, USA in 2009 and Nasser Military Academy in Egypt in 2011 and several executive seminars. He has held appointments in both command and staff positions including Sector Comd in Central African Republic during Operation Lighting Thunder against Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) terrorists and Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in DRC, Military Assistant to the Minister for Defence of Uganda. He was one of the first troops to deploy in Somalia in 2007 and worked with the United Nations Mission in Sudan from 2005 to 2007 as Military Observer. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Peter Wood
Chief Regional Security Officer
 African Development Bank (AFDB)

Peter Wood is the Chief Regional Security Officer for the African Development Bank and is currently living here in Nairobi with a thematic oversight of East Africa. He was previously Director of Safety and Security at Open Briefing, working with high-impact nonprofits and foundations and vulnerable individuals in rights advocacy. Additionally, he was also previously the Head of Global Security for Oxfam, where he led a renewed focus on duty of care and managed the organisation’s response to several crisis incidents. Having previously lived and worked in DR Congo and Jordan, he has an in-depth knowledge of both East Africa and the Middle East with regards to current and ongoing security operations. As a former Captain in the British Army, Peter has over 22 years’ experience in the security sector both from a military and humanitarian view-point and has completed operational tours of Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan in roles ranging from peace support, close protection to providing support to the USMC and Estonian Army in Helmand province.
Lt Col Simon de Labilliere
Lead Southern Africa
 British Peace Support Team (Africa)

Lt Col Simon de Labillière was commissioned into the Army Air Corps in 1990. After a detachment to the Queen’s Own Hussars in Hohne and Cyprus he completed the Army Pilots’ Course in 1992. He deployed to Soest, Germany with 3 Regt AAC as a Gazelle pilot and returned to the UK with the Regiment in 1995 as part of 24 Airmobile Bde. Progressing as an aviator and officer he served with 653, 662, 669, 663 Sqns. He commanded City Flight in support of Op BANNER, Belfast in 1996 with 665 Sqn. Returning to 654 Sqn in 1996 he deployed as Sqn 2IC to Bosnia as a Lynx Aircraft Commander. He subsequently served as Ops Offr with 4 Regt AAC during its support to operations in Kosovo. In 1998 he qualified as a Helicopter instructor and trained students on 670 Sqn’s advanced rotary and tactics phase of the Army Pilots’ Course. In 2006 he was selected to serve as 2IC, 3 Regt AAC. In 2008 he became Chief of Staff to Wattisham Flying Station Headquarters. In 2010 he deployed to Afghanistan. From 2015 to 2018 he spent 3 years in India as the Military Advisor within the British High Commission in Delhi and has just completed 3 years running AAC aviation and ground training policy at Middle Wallop, UK. In 2020 he became the UK adviser to the International Peace Support Training centre at Addis Ababa, and in 2022 he assumed the role as lead Southern Africa as part of the British Peace Support Team - Africa delivering UN and AU training in support of Peace Support Operations across the region.