Our Board of Advisors

As former First VP of the European Parliament, Dr. Othmar Karas is a top EU expert and has led the European Forum Alpbach since Oct 2024. Born in 1957, he was Austria’s longest-serving MEP (1999–2024) and the only Austrian thrice elected to the Parliament's Bureau. For 25 years on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, he shaped current financial regulations and was chief negotiator for bank regulation, EU investment plans, and financial supervision. He has also led Hilfswerk since 1998.

Joshua Burgin is the founder of the Alliance for Global Security and a veteran political strategist operating at the nexus of U.S. politics and international affairs. For seven years, he has served as NSL Programs Director at the Warsaw Security Forum. A Harvard Kennedy School alumnus and former IRI Resident Country Director, Burgin has decades of experience managing domestic campaigns, training international political leaders, and directing democracy-building initiatives across Eurasia.

Halima is an accomplished communications strategist and international relations expert specializing in public advocacy and media engagement. Following a distinguished career in strategic communications, she founded a leading consulting agency focused on social impact and institutional development. Currently, she serves as a Senior Advisor at an international policy think tank and contributes to global strategic networks, where she focuses on public diplomacy, media trends, and regional analysis.

Georg Poensgen is a prominent social entrepreneur, mental health advocate, and former UN Youth Delegate of Luxembourg to the 79th General Assembly. Recognized as a Forbes Under 30 honoree, he co-founded Well-Being Week to tackle youth mental health issues across Europe. Currently, he serves as a co-founding leader of the Global Youth Call to Action on Mental Health (GYCAM), working internationally to amplify youth voices and bridge the gap between young people and global decision-makers.

Vlad Subota is a humanitarian professional and multilingual interpreter specializing in forced displacement, migration policy, and human rights. Having personally experienced displacement as a Ukrainian refugee, he has facilitated over 3,500 critical interpretation sessions and led aid operations with AMAR UCRAЇNA. Currently a Postgraduate Fellow at the European Academy of Diplomacy, he combines first-hand field experience with academic expertise to advance global refugee protection.

Meltem Seker is a prominent political content creator, commentator, and student of political science. Widely known through her platform @politischmeltem, she is a conservative political influencer with a migration background who actively engages in Germany's public discourse. Her commentary focuses extensively on migration, integration, Islamism, and media narratives. Combining academic insights with an active civic presence, she advocates for nuanced perspectives on identity and social policy.

Ferenc Gelencsér is a Hungarian politician and international affairs professional, former party chairman and founding member of a pro-European and reform-oriented movement. He served as a Member of Parliament (2022–2026), focusing on foreign policy, European security, and transatlantic relations. He has field experience in Ukraine, including high-level engagements, and is active in international policy networks on defense, hybrid threats, and democratic resilience.

Yaron Lischinky was a Research Assistant for MENA Affairs at the Political Department of the Israeli Embassy. He specialized in regional trends, diplomatic liaison, and think tank relations. A staunch advocate for the Abraham Accords and regional cooperation, he held a MA from Reichman University and a BA from Hebrew University. Fluent in English, Hebrew, and German, he made Aliyah from Germany at 16 and proudly maintained roots in both Jerusalem and Nuremberg.

Sara Kuechler is pursuing a B.A. in International Relations, focusing on the intersection of policy and economics. Her interests include diplomacy, human rights, the work of the United Nations, and security and geopolitics. She is active in projects with YATA Germany, UNICEF, and the BSH (student organisation for foreign and security policy).

Anneli Jäätteenmäki is a Finnish politician who made history in 2003 as the nation’s first female Prime Minister. A long-time member of the Centre Party, she previously served as Minister of Justice (1994–1995) and party chair. Following her tenure in national government, she transitioned to European politics, serving as a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2019. During this time, she held the role of Vice-President of the European Parliament from 2012 to 2014.

Dr. Ingo Friedrich is a prominent German politician (CSU) who served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1979 to 2009, including a tenure as Vice-President (1999–2007). An economist by training, he currently leads the European Economic Senate and the Union of Medium-Sized Companies. A staunch advocate for the "European Way of Life," Friedrich has been honored with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his significant contributions to the EU.

Klaus Welle was Secretary-General of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2022, after earlier serving as Secretary-General of the European People’s Party (1994–1999) and of the EPP-ED Group in the Parliament (1999–2003). Since May 2025, he has been Special Advisor to the European Commission for Defence and Space, while also teaching at LSE and KU Leuven. Moreover, he has chaired the Martens Centre’s Academic Council since April 2023.

Charlie Stuart is the Chief Peace & Security Advisor on Africa for the EU External Action Service. A career diplomat, he has served as EU Deputy Ambassador to Iraq and Head of Delegation in Tanzania. He provides strategic advice on defence, international security, and multilateral policy, drawing on extensive leadership experience and senior postings across Europe and Africa.

Nicholas Dungan is founder and CEO of CogitoPraxis, advising leaders on net assessment, foresight, and resilience. Formerly director at Chatham House and president and CEO of the French-American Foundation, he also held senior investment banking roles at Merrill Lynch and Société Générale. An adjunct professor at SciencesPo Paris specializing in strategic leadership and international relations, he is a frequent commentator on international affairs.

Pau Gutiérrez Balle is a graduate student in Psychology and Criminology and Prevention Policies currently pursuing a MD in Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies at the University of Glasgow, with a strong interest in threat analysis, digital environment and strategic risk. Through internships like at the Guardia Urbana of Barcelona, his research has focused on cybercrime, security policies and criminal profiling.

Christina Riess is Director Aerospace & Defence at Atreus, the leading provider of interim management services. She is President of the German Association of Sales Managers (Bundesverband der Vertriebsmanager e.V.) and serves as Chapter Lead Munich of the PULSE Women Economic Network of the Handelsblatt Media Group. In addition, she leads the Defence Task Force Europe at group level at Heidrick and is also a Member of the Tender Evaluation Board of the European Space Agency’s Business Incubation Centre. With senior executive experience at Airbus and advisory roles at Roland Berger, she brings deep expertise in aerospace, defence, UAVs, and strategic management.

Viola von Cramon-Taubadel is a German politician from Alliance 90/The Greens. She served in the Bundestag (2009–2013) and the European Parliament (2019–2024), working on foreign affairs, EU-Russia relations, and as Vice-Chair of the EU-Ukraine committee. She previously engaged in projects across Eastern Europe and China.

Brooks is Chairman of Trypillian Ltd, a UK-Ukraine defence tech business, and Chairman of Anglo REM Ltd, a critical minerals mining business. Brooks is a former Senior Partner, Apollo Global Management and UK Member Parliament & Minister Civil Society. Brooks is graduate of both Harvard and Oxford Universities. Brooks is the founder of A Partner in Education, a Rwanda based education charity and Angels for Ukraine, a Kharkiv based humanitarian charity.

Paul Jones has extensive leadership experience from a distinguished diplomatic and private sector career. He served as US Ambassador to Poland and Malaysia, Chief of Mission in Pakistan, and held senior postings across Europe and Asia. In Washington, he was principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia and deputy special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. After government service, he led international engagements at Raytheon Technologies and now serves as International Affairs Advisor at Squire Patton Boggs in Washington, DC.

Mika Aaltola is a Finnish political scientist, MEP, and former Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. A leading expert on NATO and Russia, he has taught at Johns Hopkins and the University of Tampere. Elected to the European Parliament in 2024, he serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE), and is a substitute for International Trade (INTA). He is a key voice in Finnish and European security policy.

Bob Walter is President of Eurodefense – UK and the European Security and Defence Association. After 25 years as a stockbroker and investment banker, he served 18 years in the British Parliament. He held key roles in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Western European Union, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Post-politics, he advised European governments on integration and chairs several defense organizations. He holds a BSc and doctorate from Aston University.