Katherine Dixon joined Transparency International’s Defence & Security Programme (DSP) as Programme Director in March 2015. Katherine is a former British diplomat. Her last role in government was as Private Secretary to the British Foreign Secretary. She has a background working on arms control issues and nuclear proliferation. Prior to that, she spent several years posted in China, and has also worked as a political analyst in the Ministry of Defence covering Afghanistan. Katherine has a degree from Cambridge, a Masters in Chinese Studies from SOAS, speaks Mandarin and has been awarded an MBE.

James Lynch joined Transparency International’s Defence & Security Programme (DSP) as Deputy Programme Director in January 2018. James spent the previous seven years at Amnesty International, where his last role was as Deputy Director for Global Thematic Issues and head of arms control and human rights. He was before that Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director and prior to that Head of the Business and Human Rights team. From 2004 to 2011 James was a diplomat in the British Foreign Office, where he held several positions relating to the Middle East and was posted to the British Embassy in Doha. He started his career at the UK Ministry of Defence, where he was a finance manager. James has a degree from Cambridge, a Masters in International Politics from SOAS and speaks Arabic.

Andy joined Transparency International in November 2016 as the Head of Industry Integrity, for the Defence and Security Programme. His team works with industry and policymakers to address corruption risks within the international arms trade. Andy has a law enforcement background, having spent nearly a decade as a Scotland Yard detective. During this time, he specialised in the investigation of bribery, corruption and organised crime. He has worked with a variety of industry partners and international law enforcement agencies; and has advised on the Bribery Act and corruption proofing. Prior to his career in the police, Andy was a producer for a defence conferencing company, working with industry and international militaries. Andy has a degree in War Studies from King’s College London.

Leah Wawro manages the Conflict and Insecurity team within DSP. She first joined DSP in 2011 working on research and liaising with TI national chapters.  During her time here she has led on advocacy and communications, and prior to that was the civil society officer leading on work with the TI chapters and other NGOs worldwide, as well as contributing to the 2013 Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index (GI). Before joining DSP, Leah worked with War Child (UK), Armadillo at Large, and Air America Media. She also worked as a volunteer with UNRWA and the Iraqi Student Project in Damascus, Syria. From 2014-15, Leah was a Network Fellow at Harvard University’s Edmund J. Safra Center for Ethics, where she worked on research into institutional corruption in the defence sectors of states transitioning to democracy. Leah holds an MA in International Relations and Arabic from the University of St Andrews.

Amira is responsible for TI’s campaign for global standards for responsible defence and security governance. Previously, she ran the Africa Programme and before that was a member of the Transparency International Secretariat in Berlin. Prior to joining TI, Amira worked at children’s rights organisations in London and Cairo. She holds an MA in Globalisation and Development Studies from Maastricht University and speaks German, Arabic, French and Spanish.

Mia joined Transparency International’s Defence and Security Programme in August 2017 as Project Manager in the Industry Integrity team. She works on projects related to defence industry influence on policy making as well as the Defence Companies Anti-Corruption Index. Mia joined TI after two years in North Korea at the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office where she worked on humanitarian, development and security matters. Before that she managed research projects on consumer issues for a variety of clients in the private sector. She holds MSc degrees in International Relations and Social Psychology from the University of Amsterdam and speaks Dutch and Croatian.

Najla joined DSP in September 2017 as a Project Manager in the Conflict and Insecurity team. She works on projects related to tackling corruption in the defence and security sectors in fragile and conflict-affected states. Prior to joining TI, Najla managed media development, governance, and humanitarian-related research projects across the Middle East and North Africa region for BBC Media Action, an international development organisation. She holds an MA in Human Rights Law from SOAS, University of London and speaks Arabic.

Gavin joined DSP in August 2014. He is in charge of our training and capacity building work which sees staff and consultants working in the following areas: course development and delivery, hosting secondments, leadership days, seminars and roundtables, and routine engagements. Gavin has experience in stabilisation, security sector reform and human security in conflict and post-conflict environments. Prior to joining DSP, he worked on a variety of humanitarian and security-related programmes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Central African Republic and Liberia. He holds an MA in African Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Bradford with a research focus on population-centric justice & security reform initiatives.

Eva is a specialist financial crimes lawyer and investigator, she joined TI Defence & Security from TI Rep. of Georgia where she monitored NATO Defence Reforms, public procurement and government investment funds. Eva served as a member of the Rule of Law Subcommittee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Tbilisi, advising on state asset misappropriation and monitoring court proceedings. Previously Eva worked for Goldman Sachs, advising on AML controls, for the Financial Conduct Authority’s market abuse division and for PwC’s Forensic Investigations Division. A scholar of Middle Temple, she is a qualified Barrister and worked as a lead researcher for ‘Insider Dealing: Law and Practice’, published by Blackstones, Oxford University Press in 2013.

Karolina joined DSP in August 2014. She leads the team’s work with NATO on the political and military levels and is responsible for research and policy recommendations aiming to mitigate the impact of corruption on interventions in fragile states. Prior to joining TI, Karolina worked at the UK House of Commons, managing inquiries for the Environmental Audit Committee and supporting the Committee on Standards. She holds a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London, where she focused on the Canadian deployment in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force.

Eva joined DSP in November 2015. She works to ensure the smooth running of the programme, involved in all aspects of the work from admin to research, advocacy and comms. Eva has a background in human rights and international development. She graduated from the London School of Economics in 2012 with a BSc in International Relations and before joining TI gained experience working with NGOs, UK government and private business.

Cristina Gherasimov joined Transparency International in December 2017 as the Manager of the Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index for the Defence and Security Programme. She is a political scientist by training. Prior to joining TI, Cristina was a Robert Bosch Fellow at Chatham House with the Russia and Eurasia Programme. Her research examined political parties and elite renewal in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. Before joining Chatham House, Cristina Gherasimov was a lecturer in International Relations and European Politics at Rutgers University from 2013 to 2016. From 2012 to 2016 she also worked as research associate at Rutgers University Education and Employment Centre managing qualitative and quantitative statistical analysis of trade adjustment federal assistance projects in the United States. Cristina has experience in consulting and research in democratization, Europeanization, and institutional developments in Central and Eastern Europe and the post-communist states, workforce development, and regional project implementation. Cristina has a PhD degree in Political Science from Rutgers University.

Claire joined TI-UK in April 2014. Claire’s interest in TI stems from several years working in SE Asia in an environmental capacity, having witnessed the impact of corruption in this context. Currently studying MSc Global Environmental Politics & Policy, Claire is particularly interested in environmental governance and climate finance integrity.

From 2015 to 2017, Olena Tregub headed the Department for Coordination of International Programs at the Ukrainian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. She was responsible for programs and development projects funded by international grants and loans totalling about $12 billion. After the Revolution of Merit, Olena developed mechanisms for coordinating international assistance and approving national priorities and areas of reform. She also ensured the effective and transparent use of funds and public access to information on assistance, through the online openaid.gov.ua system. Previously, Olena worked in the field of journalism, education and international development. Olena had experience at UN Headquarters in New York, taught international relations at American universities, and collaborated with The New York Times and KyivPost. In 2008, she founded the Global Education Leadership consulting company in the United States, which has implemented South America’s professional development and training programs for young North Americans in Poland, Ukraine, Costa Rica, as well as providing educational consulting and leadership training. Olena’s professional growth took place in three countries: USA, Poland, and Ukraine. She lived in the United States for more than 10 years. After the events on the Maidan, Olena returned to Ukraine to contribute to the country’s reform. Today, Olena is a Millennium Fellowship scholar at the Atlantic Council of the United States, a leading American think-tank on international issues. She is also a member of the network of young leaders of the World Economic Forum. She graduated from the Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy, Central European University and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Artyom joined the joint project TI Ukraine and TI-DSP-NAKO in December 2016 as an analyst. Before TI Ukraine, he worked for the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, where he led the project on reforming the system of state export control. He received a Master’s Degree in International Relations at the Institute of International Relations. He speaks English, German, and Swedish.

Taras graduated from Kyiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture. He worked as an analyst at a number of government agencies (the National Commission for State Regulation in the Energy and Utilities sector, the Ministry of Regional Development of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine), as well as on projects for non-governmental organisations (the NGO “Make Ukraine Pure”, Peter- Weiss-Stiftung für Kunst und Politik eV and others). He is currently working in the Secretariat of the Independent Anticorruption Defence Committee (NAKO) on projects to increase transparency in the defence and security sector.

Adeolu joined the DSP in July 2017 as the Regional Programme Manager leading engagements around defence and security in Nigeria and West Africa at large. Previously, He worked with Institute for War and Peace Reporting as Nigeria Project Manager; DFID-State Accountability and Voice Initiative as Senior Programme Office, Kaduna State, Nigeria. He has also worked as a Programme Officer with the Centre for Democracy and Development in Nigeria. Adeolu holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Kaduna State University, Nigeria

Charlotte joined DSP in March 2018. She works primarily on the Defence Companies Anti-Corruption Index, while also contributing other aspects of the programme from admin to research. Charlotte has a background in political risk and corporate security services. She graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2017 with a MSci in International Relations and Global Issues, and speaks French and Spanish.

Michele joined TI-DS in March 2018. He works within the Industry Integrity team on projects related to defence industry influence on policy making, arms exports and procurement. Michele became part of TI after two years at Jane’s, where he worked as an Analyst and was mainly responsible for examining naval markets for military ships and sonar systems, including upgrades and procurements of worldwide navies. Before that, he worked as a consultant within Deloitte’s Global Export Controls and Sanctions (GECS) practice, providing strategic and operational trade compliance solutions to clients across the globe. Michele holds MA degrees in International Peace and Security and Chinese Studies, awarded by King’s College London and Ca’ Foscari University, respectively.

Sir Ian Andrews has pursued a wide range of security interests since retiring as Second Permanent Secretary of the UK Ministry of Defence in 2009. From 2009-2013, he was Non-Executive Chairman of the UK Serious Organised Crime Agency – now part of the National Crime Agency – and is the Senior Independent Director of NHS Digital where he chairs the Information Assurance and Cyber Security Committee. He has been closely involved in leading transformational change in large and complex public sector organisations. As senior adviser to the TI Defence and Security programme, Sir Ian is a senior advisor to the board committee of TI-DS and also contributes to various public sector and academic leadership initiatives.

Stewart Eldon retired from the UK Diplomatic Service in 2010 where he held Ambassadorial appointments at the UN in New York and Ireland. In 2006 he was appointed UK Permanent Representative to NATO at the introduction of the Building Integrity initiative. Sir Stewart is also now a senior advisor to the board committee of TI-DS. In addition to his work with the TI-DS, he is Senior Civil Advisor to the Higher Command & Staff Course at the UK Joint Services Command & Staff College and sits on the Advisory Boards of the Staff College and of the Strategy & Security Institute at the University of Exeter. He holds a number of quasi-judicial appointments and is a member of The Ambassador Partnership LLP providing training & consultancy services to a wide range of international organisations, governments and private sector clients.

Patrick Nopens retired as a Cavalry officer from the Belgian Army in 2008. He served in the Army and Joint Staffs as well as in the Belgian Delegation to NATO and in SHAPE. He was head of the Strategic Studies Department at the Belgian War College. He served twice as Defence Attaché to Moscow, also accredited in the CIS. He holds an MA in Military and Social Studies, an Advanced MA in American Studies, a Postgraduate degree in Eastern European Studies and an MA in Military Art and Science. He attended the Belgian and U.S. Army Staff Course and the Belgian War College. He speaks fluent Dutch, English, French and conversational German and Russian.

Alan Waldron was a member of the original TI team which introduced anticorruption mechanisms and advocacy into the defence sector and has led the development and implementation of corruption risk reduction engagement and tools with a wide range of Governments including Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Colombia, Serbia and Ukraine; and originated the very successful Building Integrity training programme which has been delivered at a range of venues globally and has formed the basis of many NATO, UK and National programmes. A former RAF Director of Training he was also the Director of Air Operations in the UK Ministry of Defence.

Matthew Page was until recently the U.S. intelligence community’s top expert on Nigeria. For more than a decade, senior policymakers at the White House, State Department, Defense Department, and in Congress have sought out his analysis on Africa’s most populous country and largest economy. Matthew is the co-author of Nigeria: What Everyone Needs to Know, forthcoming from Oxford University Press. He is also a former International Affairs Fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously with the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Matthew also served as Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Africa with the U.S. National Intelligence Council. He also served as senior analyst for West Africa at the Defense Intelligence Agency and as an Africa analyst with the U.S. Marine Corps.

After a career with the British Army, which included operational tours in Northern Ireland, Kuwait / Iraq and the Former Yugoslavia, Nick Seymour worked in the UK Mission to the UN as Military Advisor. Subsequently he moved to the UN itself as Chief of Military Planning in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and then as Chief of the Department’s African Union Peace Support Team. In both appointments the challenges posed by corruption, particularly in fragile states, were all too clear and on leaving the UN in 2011 he joined Transparency International Defence and Security. His background as a planner and trainer, combined with his UN peacekeeping experience, provide him with a broad perspective and he is actively engaged in supporting the programme’s objectives to raise awareness of corruption risk and develop training.