Key skills
- Organisational leadership and programme/project management
- Open source intelligence
- Global security
- International relations
- Writing, editing, proofreading and publication production
- Risk assessments
- Fundraising
- Media interviews and public speaking
Key achievements
- Established Open Briefing, a unique think tank and consultancy that is the world’s first civil society intelligence agency.
- Appointed as an honorary visiting research fellow in a world-leading department in the School of Social and International Studies at the University of Bradford.
- Recognised as a leading expert on remote warfare (special forces, mercenaries, armed drones, cyber conflict and mass surveillance), sustainable security (climate change, marginalisation, resource competition and militarisation) and the security implications of climate change.
- Author of two popular books and numerous influential reports and articles.
- Worked as the deputy director of the Oxford Research Group, one of Europe’s leading foreign affairs think tanks.
- Completed contracts for the British Ministry of Defence, the Australian Federal Police, KPMG, IHS Jane’s, the Oak Foundation and Greenpeace International among others.
- Interviewed by the BBC, Channel 4 News, the Guardian, British Forces Radio, the Australian, the Toronto Star, Esquire and ABC Radio among others.
- Briefed MPs in the House of Commons on the security implications of climate change, lectured to members of the armed forces on future security threats, given evidence in front of a parliamentary Home Affairs Committee inquiry into the policing of protests, briefed the prime minster's foreign policy adviser in No. 10, discussed nuclear issues with Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA, and briefed members of the police and armed forces from around the world on the threat of climate change.
Employment
May 2011 – date
Executive director – Open Briefing
Founder and executive director of a new think tank and consultancy. Open Briefing is the world's first civil society intelligence agency. It is a unique not-for-profit social enterprise providing groundbreaking intelligence and security services to aid agencies, human rights groups, peacebuilding organisations and concerned citizens. Responsible for all aspects of establishing and running the organisation, including securing funding and clients, building a brand and online presence, recruiting and managing an international team of analysts, leading innovative projects and writing risk assessments and intelligence briefings.
July 2009 – date
Consultant and freelance writer
Contracted as a freelance researcher, writer, editor or speaker for a range of government, corporate and civil society clients, from the British Ministry of Defence and Australian Federal Police to Greenpeace International. Contracts include advising KPMG on Qatari foreign policy towards Sudan, rewriting and copyediting a report on climate risk management for E3G; writing articles on the policing of protests, the psychology of international relations, and the security implications of climate change for IHS Jane’s; and giving a number of lectures and workshops on global security issues to members of the armed forces for the Ministry of Defence.
September 2008 – June 2009
Deputy director and sustainable security programme director – Oxford Research Group
A demanding dual role in one of Europe’s leading foreign affairs and international security think tanks. Key responsibilities in the deputy director role included taking a lead in the management and strategic development of the organisation as chair of the Business Development Committee and acting as the link between the staff body and the Programme Management Group and the board. Also responsible for managing the organisation’s intern programme – including advertising for, interviewing, inducting and supervising all interns. The programme director role included continued responsibility for leading the organisations Moving Towards Sustainable Security programme as outlined below and establishing sustainablesecurity.org.
September 2006 – August 2008
Programme coordinator and researcher – Oxford Research Group
This senior role focused on directing ORG’s sustainable security programme. This included developing and managing an integrated programme of work over seven countries and producing funding proposals and monitoring project budgets. Also undertook research and analysis of key security and foreign policy issues and produced in-depth reports, briefing papers and articles. In addition, responsible for ethical and environmental oversight; playing a key role in the development of the organisation’s programme of work as a member of the Programme Management Group; and managing the intern programme, office staff and external contractors.
April 2004 – August 2006
Research officer – Oxford Research Group
After an initial period as an intern (October 2003 – March 2004), promoted and given responsibility for developing the new global security programme. This included preparing project proposals, managing the website and producing the monthly newsletter. Also responsible for publication strategy – including proofreading, editing and managing the design and printing of all publications – and writing associated press releases.
October 2003 – January 2004
Research assistant – Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links
Part-time internship with this indigenous peoples’ rights organisation. Responsible for researching abuse of indigenous peoples in the Philippines and preparing in-depth reports on mining companies, as well as writing a Corporate Research Guide for campaigners. Also responsible for the collection and distribution of urgent action bulletins and press clippings to partner organisations.
September 2002 – March 2003
Fundraising coordinator and regional training coordinator – Support Aid Solutions
Responsible for the recruitment, training, coordination and supervision of all fundraising teams across Oxfordshire, to ensure that monthly fundraising targets were met. In December 2002, given the additional role of regional training coordinator with responsibility for training all new fundraisers in the south/southwest region.
September 1999 – August 2002
Director – Ridgefellows Outdoor Training
Co-established and operated an expedition, teambuilding and bushcraft and survival training company. Jointly responsible for the development, organisation and implementation of UK-based training courses and three expeditions to Ecuador and Belize.
Executive director – Open Briefing
Founder and executive director of a new think tank and consultancy. Open Briefing is the world's first civil society intelligence agency. It is a unique not-for-profit social enterprise providing groundbreaking intelligence and security services to aid agencies, human rights groups, peacebuilding organisations and concerned citizens. Responsible for all aspects of establishing and running the organisation, including securing funding and clients, building a brand and online presence, recruiting and managing an international team of analysts, leading innovative projects and writing risk assessments and intelligence briefings.
July 2009 – date
Consultant and freelance writer
Contracted as a freelance researcher, writer, editor or speaker for a range of government, corporate and civil society clients, from the British Ministry of Defence and Australian Federal Police to Greenpeace International. Contracts include advising KPMG on Qatari foreign policy towards Sudan, rewriting and copyediting a report on climate risk management for E3G; writing articles on the policing of protests, the psychology of international relations, and the security implications of climate change for IHS Jane’s; and giving a number of lectures and workshops on global security issues to members of the armed forces for the Ministry of Defence.
September 2008 – June 2009
Deputy director and sustainable security programme director – Oxford Research Group
A demanding dual role in one of Europe’s leading foreign affairs and international security think tanks. Key responsibilities in the deputy director role included taking a lead in the management and strategic development of the organisation as chair of the Business Development Committee and acting as the link between the staff body and the Programme Management Group and the board. Also responsible for managing the organisation’s intern programme – including advertising for, interviewing, inducting and supervising all interns. The programme director role included continued responsibility for leading the organisations Moving Towards Sustainable Security programme as outlined below and establishing sustainablesecurity.org.
September 2006 – August 2008
Programme coordinator and researcher – Oxford Research Group
This senior role focused on directing ORG’s sustainable security programme. This included developing and managing an integrated programme of work over seven countries and producing funding proposals and monitoring project budgets. Also undertook research and analysis of key security and foreign policy issues and produced in-depth reports, briefing papers and articles. In addition, responsible for ethical and environmental oversight; playing a key role in the development of the organisation’s programme of work as a member of the Programme Management Group; and managing the intern programme, office staff and external contractors.
April 2004 – August 2006
Research officer – Oxford Research Group
After an initial period as an intern (October 2003 – March 2004), promoted and given responsibility for developing the new global security programme. This included preparing project proposals, managing the website and producing the monthly newsletter. Also responsible for publication strategy – including proofreading, editing and managing the design and printing of all publications – and writing associated press releases.
October 2003 – January 2004
Research assistant – Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links
Part-time internship with this indigenous peoples’ rights organisation. Responsible for researching abuse of indigenous peoples in the Philippines and preparing in-depth reports on mining companies, as well as writing a Corporate Research Guide for campaigners. Also responsible for the collection and distribution of urgent action bulletins and press clippings to partner organisations.
September 2002 – March 2003
Fundraising coordinator and regional training coordinator – Support Aid Solutions
Responsible for the recruitment, training, coordination and supervision of all fundraising teams across Oxfordshire, to ensure that monthly fundraising targets were met. In December 2002, given the additional role of regional training coordinator with responsibility for training all new fundraisers in the south/southwest region.
September 1999 – August 2002
Director – Ridgefellows Outdoor Training
Co-established and operated an expedition, teambuilding and bushcraft and survival training company. Jointly responsible for the development, organisation and implementation of UK-based training courses and three expeditions to Ecuador and Belize.
Education
September 2000 – September 2001
M.Litt Social Anthropology – University of St Andrews
Awarded a distinction for the dissertation, The authentic indian: Rethinking colonialism, indigenous identity and social change in contemporary Amazonia.
September 1996 – August 1999
BSc. (Hons.) Psychology – Royal Holloway, University of London
Final year included a dissertation and research project. Received the Laurels Award in June 1999 for services to the Students’ Union as expedition leader of the university’s Yasuni National Park Expedition, which entailed three months in the Amazonian jungle in Ecuador.
M.Litt Social Anthropology – University of St Andrews
Awarded a distinction for the dissertation, The authentic indian: Rethinking colonialism, indigenous identity and social change in contemporary Amazonia.
September 1996 – August 1999
BSc. (Hons.) Psychology – Royal Holloway, University of London
Final year included a dissertation and research project. Received the Laurels Award in June 1999 for services to the Students’ Union as expedition leader of the university’s Yasuni National Park Expedition, which entailed three months in the Amazonian jungle in Ecuador.
Professional affiliations
- Honorary visiting research fellow in the School of Social and International Studies at the University of Bradford.
- Senior Analyst at Wikistrat.
- Member of the British Security Association.
- Honorary research fellow in the Centre for Governance and International Affairs at the University of Bristol (2008).
