Brigade General Eng YOUSEF ALAITAN, 28 years experience in industry management, projects management, research and development, lessons learned, technical communication, sales,business development management, water resources management, water systems management, maintainance,repair,rebuild vehicles and systems management. He worked at RJF,KADDB,JORDAN ministry of water.

Former head of infantry modernisation for the Jordanian Defence Forces, Colonel Al-Aitan draws on his extensive military experience to provide security and sustainability to water services across Jordan. As a key resource, water is protected using the latest technologies and capabilities. Colonel Al-Aitan along with senior GIS leaders from the country will be coming to DGI for the first time to explain how these are deployed.

As the GIS expert in Bahrain Mr Al-Hammadi is best positioned to provide updates on how the nation is investing in Geospatial capabilities and how these are being used across the Gulf State. With 25 years’ experience working in complex public projects including overseeing the creation and maintenance of the first Geospatial Database for the Kingdom.

Eric Andreu is in charge of Defence Industry at Airbus Defence and Space Geo Intelligence. He has been involved in different operational GEOINT projects within AIRBUS and the French defence. He was in charge of image and naval intelligence analysis services at various headquarters in France and aboard during operational deployment. From 2001 to 2006, he worked for Fleximage, that last 5 years as Senior Intelligence Analyst, based in Paris. He graduated in Intelligence Analysis, Electronic Intelligence, Imagery Intelligence and Remote Sensing.

As the overall head of the combined Geography, Hydrography, Oceanography and Meterology departments in France called BGHOM, Colonel Arnaudis is responsible for providing information to defense staff on environmental change. His work involves him in the armament procurement process at the highest level sand he is the designated representative for the French MoD in international bodies and national organisations in the domains of geography, oceanography and meterology.

Luana has worked in Digital Delivery of transactional services for 11 years. In her current role she works closely with the UKs Resilience Community this has resulted in the launch of ResilienceDirect Service which went live on 27 March 2014. This is the free service for our community that includes a multi agency mapping application. 

​Luana chairs the UKTEES Emergency Services Innovation Series and is regularly asked to present and participate in panel sessions across the Resilience arena. ​Luana chaired Ambition 2015 and will be doing so again this year, the event for the Emergency Preparedness Planning and Response. In previous roles her specialism was improving government services working on Directgov where all government information and key transactions were place in one place. She has also focused on youth engagement and innovation. 

Other specialist skills include working in a busy media centre, working with Ministers. Working in Government, Luana is a determined and diplomatic person with negotiating experience in the field of stakeholder and account management. ​Luana's reach has encompassed working in a busy media centre, working in Private Office, opening the first Dept of Health Public Enquiry Office to working on the Towards Cleaner Hospitals MRSA task force. 

​Luana encompass' 12+ years of stakeholder and change management, account as well as project management experience across UK government and she also speaks fluent Italian. ​Luana is always ready for a challenge and has worked in many crisis situations where she has handled angry members of the public to media frenzies and supported Ministers with their lines to take and managing press conferences.

Mr. Shawn Stith began his current assignment as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency senior representative to the U.S. Africa Command in July 2015. In this role, he ensures the command has access to the full spectrum of NGA's Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) products and services. He similarly advises the commander and key staff on broader GEOINT issues and partnerships. Throughout his tenure with NGA, Mr. Stith also held leadership roles in the areas of GEOINT community functional management, expeditionary operations, and financial management. During a U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) rotational assignment, he also served as the Deputy Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Resource Management, managing the IC's National Intelligence Program (NIP). 

Mr. Stith was externally assigned in 2011-2014 with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan where he led international coalition efforts to develop, reform. And sustain the Afghan Ministry of Interior and the operational Afghan National Police forces that it supported. He similarly coordinated the efforts of numerous non-ISAF international partners in developing organic, enduring Afghan capabilities. Prior to joining NGA's civilian workforce in 2004, Mr. Stith served as a career Marine Corps intelligence officer. He first enlisted in July, 1978 and held a wide range of staff and command assignments including service with Marine Expeditionary Forces headquartered in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and Okinawa, Japan and with joint commands located in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and Suffolk, Virginia. Mr. Stith earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security Affairs / Intelligence from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Central Florida.

For three years, Ross Bailey has led Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Defence Intelligence and ISR campaign, which seeks to enable a single intelligence enterprise and now encompasses open source, social media and big data analytics. He joined HPE following a Royal Air Force career in which he became recognised as an innovative and influential leader in the fields of intelligence and ISR in the air and joint domains. Starting out as an aircraft engineer, he then spent over 20 years as an imagery analyst and intelligence officer, with much of the 1990s deployed in support of Balkan and Iraq air policing. Notable operational tours included: CENTCOM immediately after 9/11 as MA to the UK commander; Chief Intel Chief to the UK commander for the 2003 Iraq Campaign; UK Chief Intel for the Deputy Commander ISAF in Kabul. In 2005, Ross led the development of the Joint ISTAR Concept, which had the temerity to suggest a pan-DLOD approach to the ISTAR ‘big-data’ challenge and which materialized as Project SOLOMON. His commands included Tactical Imagery-Intelligence Wing, the combined Station Commander RAF Digby and Commander Joint Service Signals Organisation and the Air Warfare Centre, as acting Commandant throughout the 2011 Libyan campaign.

As Head of Operations for the EU Satellite Centre Adriano is best placed to update you on how the Satellite Centre provides a 24/7 IMINT/GEOINT support to EU External Action Services and Member States. 

He will explain how the centre focuses on Cooperation through partnerships in order to improve access to data and services, and innovation to enlarge users’ community with shared solutions in order to meet increasing security needs.

General Richard Barrons was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1977. He was appointed MBE in 1993, OBE in 1999, CBE in 2003, awarded QCVS in 2004 and 2006, and appointed as an Officer of the US Legion of Merit in 2009. He is an ADC to Her Majesty The Queen and was appointed KCB in 2013. He is the Colonel Commandant and President of the Honourable Artillery Company and is Honorary Colonel of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

He has completed a range of regimental duties in UK, Germany and worldwide on training. On operations he has served extensively in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan in UN, UK and NATO appointments. He has commanded units at Battery (B Battery, 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery), Regiment (3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, 1999, including Kosovo and Bosnia) and Brigade (39 Infantry Brigade, in Northern Ireland). As Major General he was Deputy Commanding General of Multinational Corps Iraq (Baghdad, 2008) leading on operations with the Iraqi Armed Forces. He was appointed Chief of Staff of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in April 2009 and, shortly afterwards, moved again to be Director Force Reintegration in HQ ISAF assisting the Afghan Governments efforts on Taliban reintegration and political reconciliation.

He was Assistant Chief of the General Staff (2010) covering the Strategic Defence and Security Review and Defence Reform exercises before promoting to Lieutenant General (2011) and taking post as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy & Operations), the director of operations for UK armed forces. He assumed command of Joint Forces Command on promotion to General, 19 April 2013.

Halvard completed his Master of Science in Geomatics in 2011. Since then he has worked at the Norwegian Military Academy with education of engineer officers with specialization in Military Geography. He also has a position in the Norwegian Home Guard as a second lieutenant working with Military Geography.

Stewart Bruce is the GIS Program Coordinator, Assistant Director of the Center for Environment and Society, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Washington College. In addition to teaching, heal so manages numerous funded projects spanning the gamut from crime mapping and analysis to youth technology training in GIS. He is the Project Director for the Maryland Crime Mapping and Analysis Program (CMAP), the Maryland Highway Safety Office Impaired Driving Reduction Program, and the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council leading a team of eleven crime analysts supported by numerous student interns. Projects for CMAP include analysis on demand services to law enforcement throughout Maryland and managing the Maryland Offender Management System and the Maryland Intelligence Analysis Platform. Washington College is also an approved technical assistance provider for the Bureau of Justice Assistance National Training and Technical Assistance Center. Stew is also developing an early stage technology spinoff company called Pandion5D that will focus on use of virtual worlds including active shooter training scenarios in local schools. Previously he worked as Senior Extension Associate at Penn State University in the Cooperative Extension Geospatial Technology Program. Prior to working at PennState, he established a regional GIS Department at Mifflin County, PA. 

Colonel (Retd) Mark Burrows joined the Royal Engineers(RE) in 1980 after completing a degree in Chemical Engineering. There then followed a number of appointments in both Germany and Northern Ireland but then an opportunity arose to serve with the Defense Mapping and Agency and Hydrographic and Topographic Centre in Maryland USA. This eventually led him to undertake further survey training and develop into a Geo Int specialist. He then attended the Royal Naval Staff College and was assigned a number of subsequent appointments in the UK MOD and SHAPE,mainly working in operations and ISR, often working closely with what was NIMA and now the NGA. On his last appointment, as the professional head of RE(Geo), he was instrumental in helping to set up the new Joint Forces Intelligence Group and bringing the Geo community into Joint Forces Wyton. He now works for the Science, Technology and Facilities Council at Harwellin Oxfordshire within business innovation directorate. The main objective is to develop the700 acre Harwell Campus with new buildings and ‘hi-tech’ companies, as well as helping to set up and develop small and medium enterprises – some of which are in the ‘downstream space’ sector, exploiting data derived from space based platforms.

Major Haavik-Nilsen is an officer trained at the Norwegian Military Academy and the Norwegian Defence Command and Staff College, he has a Master of Science and Master of Management. Operations have taken him to north and south of Norway with one year in Afghanistan as Chief Engineer.

Joe Casas is the Missions Formulations Manager for the Science and Space Technology Projects Office at NASA Marshal Space Flight Center. Dr Casas is also currently the NASA Project Manager and Office of Secretary of Defense Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration Project Technical Manager for the Arctic Collaborative Environment (ACE) Project. He provides USA leadership among more than 12 federal agencies as the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) Lead for the Arctic Data Collaboration Team (ADCT) and is supporting major national activities in Arctic data collaboration, situational awareness, and implementation for the Arctic domain in support of both research and operational requirements for the DoD, International Arctic Council and the new Arctic Theme of the Climate Data Initiative projects and activities. He is also currently a NASA subject matter expertise providing support and technical participation to both unclassified and classified DoD science and technology studies and mission activities supporting the DoD S&T programs as well as several S&T activities within the Combatant Commands with particular emphasis on the use of small satellite and platform systems for remote sensing, ISR and communications.

With more than 27 years working at Raytheon, one of the world’s leading system integrators of geospatial information systems, Jane is part of the business’ senior leadership team bringing a wealth of experience in intelligence and information system development. From roles in software engineering and architecture design to managing program execution for major international initiatives Jane is extremely well qualified to contribute to the high-level morning panel discussion on January 19.

From February 2003, he has been managing the European and International Affairs of the French National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information (IGN). He is Acting Coordinator of the UN-GGIM: Europe working group A “Core Data”, and he is coordinating the IGN contribution to the European Location Framework (ELF) CIP ICT PSP European project. He is also coordinating the Copernicus Task Force of EuroGeographics. From September 1999 to January 2003 he was Product Manager of the Road Database of IGN. From December 1995 to August 1999, he was Researcher at the COGIT laboratory of IGN, working on automated cartography. From September 1992 to November 1995, he was member of the Product Team of the Topographic Database of IGN. In July 1992, he got a Geographic Engineer Diploma, delivered by the 'Ecole Nationale des Sciences Géographiques' (ENSG), the French National School for Geographic Sciences, and a Master Diploma in Geographic Information Sciences, delivered by the University of Paris VII and ENSG. In July 1990, he got an Engineer diploma delivered by the Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France.

Mr Chudoba manages the Headquarters Intelligence Divisions, providing professional intelligence management and policy support to assist the Director of Intelligence in the conduct of Marine Corps Intelligence activities within the Marine Corps, Defense and National Intelligence Communities. Having held senior program and command positions throughout his career, Mr Chudoba is one of the top speakers at DGI and one not to miss.

Nigel joined OS in June 2015, bringing extensive experience of international software, mobile telecoms and services including complex joint venture and public sector enterprises.

He has previously been Chief Executive of Procserve Holdings Ltd, Micro Focus International, Symbian Software Ltd, Tertio Telecoms and Glasgow Royal Infirmary University NHS Trust. In addition he has held senior roles within Cable & Wireless and BT Group Plc.

Nigel has a Geography degree from Cambridge and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

In his spare time Nigel enjoys the great outdoors being an enthusiastic traveller, runner and hill walker.

Captain Steven Cooney commissioned into the United States Marine Corps in 2008 and was assigned as an Intelligence Officer. His initial operational tour was with Second Radio Battalion, Camp Lejeune North Carolina, where he served in numerous command and staff positions. The highlight of this tour was an 8 month deployment as a detachment commander to Afghanistan in 2011. In 2012 he was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps where he led a science and technology project before becoming the Assistant to the Director of Intelligence. Since 2014 he has been on a personnel exchange with the British Ministry of Defence. Captain Cooney is a certified Project Manager and a graduate of the University of Virginia where he did a double degree in Economics and History. In addition to his professional commitments he is also a part-time graduate student at Cambridge University.

The National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) performs a wide range of functions in support of maintaining a seamless, current, nationally consistent coverage of base geospatial data for the United States, including development of digital and graphic products such as U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps. In addition, the Center manages several broadly-scoped contract mechanisms for acquisition of geospatial products and services through the commercial sector.  Ms. Craun is a Past-President of the American Society for Photo grammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) and the Cartography and Geographic Information Society. She received a B.S.degree in Geology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1984 and an M.S. degree in Photo grammetry from Purdue University in 1987. She is currently pursing a Master of Science degree in Geospatial Information Science through an on-line program at Northwest Missouri State University

A former British Army officer with over 30 years of experience in military engineering and geospatial technology including counter-terrorism activities in Northern Ireland, maneuver warfare in West Germany, and geospatial support in the NATO Corps headquarters Mr Day is highly qualified to contribute to some of the most high-level discussions at DGI in 2015.

Since joining Esri he has been advising the US Defense and Intelligence Community on how commercial GIS technologies and solutions translate to defense and intelligence systems. Mr. Day led Esri's activities with the Commercial Joint Mapping Toolkit, to provide geospatial tools for USC2I programs. Now a U.S. citizen, Mr. Day is Esri’s Director for National Security Business Development, managing relationships with Esri’s global defense and intelligence customers.

Ric Diaz is the Director of Sales and Business Development Operations for Textron Systems, Geospatial Solutions; the leading provider of integrated intelligence software solutions, services, and sophisticated, but user-friendly visualization tools for today's geospatial intelligence professionals. Prior to joining Textron Systems in December 2014, Ric has had a long and varied career in geospatial intelligence production and analysis, with 38 years experience working in the US Navy and US federal government.  

With over 10 years’ experience leading major GEOINT initiatives for the US government, Ms Dickerson now serves as the Director of NGA’s senior representative to the United Kingdom, in Europe, and is a member of the US Embassy National Security community. Prior, Ms Dickerson served as Director, NSG Capabilities and Integration Division within the Office of Geospatial Intelligence Management. In this capacity she interfaced with senior members of the National System for Geospatial Intelligence (NSG) community in the execution of Geospatial-Intelligence (GEOINT) Functional Management authorities provided to the Director of NGA via Presidential Executive Order 12333.

Mr Dixson is responsible for overseeing data delivery services and management of the GIS team at the Met Office, specialising in the use of OGC services. In 2016 he will be sharing new information about impact forecasting, how to present uncertainty in changeable information streams and challenging the way we think about the management of bandwidth, probabilistic data and intervisibility.

Jim Dolan is the Vice President, Strategy and Business Development of Illuminate. As the Vice President, Mr. Dolan establishes the vision and strategic direction of Illuminate, a provider of multi-source analytic, visualization and data management technologies and services that accelerate decision-making in dynamic, big-data environments. Previously, Mr. Dolan has held senior leadership positions at Overwatch Geospatial Solutions and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, providing geospatial analytic and workflow management systems to the US Defense and Intelligence and Coalition Partner communities. Mr. Dolan is a former Naval Intelligence Officer, serving in assignments as an ISR collection manager and senior intelligence analyst.

After a successful 27-year career as a geospatial specialist officer in the British Army, Colonel Chris Dorman joined Esri in 2003 as the European National Security Business Co-ordinator. As an Army officer he held a variety of command and staff appointments. His last three military posts were Assistant Director Intelligence for geospatial issues in the UK MOD, commander of all UK’s deployable geospatial assets and Head of the UK’s Defence Imagery and Geospatial Liaison Staff in North America (during 9/11). 

As Esri’s European National Security Business Co-ordinator Chris now leads a team responsible for promoting the use of Geographic Information Systems in national security (including defence, intelligence and national level public safety) in NATO, the EU and nations throughout Europe.

Dr. Drake is  is responsible for planning, execution and management of integrated basic research, applied research and advanced technology development of ONR Science and Technology programs in physical oceanography, marine meteorology, ocean acoustics, arctic and global prediction, littoral geosciences and optics, marine  mammals and biology, and space environment.  In this role, Dr. Drake supports the delivery of advanced, high-resolution environmental observational and prediction capabilities in support of anti-submarine warfare, mine warfare and naval special warfare missions.

Leading a team of 50 specialists fielding a system that provides real-time ground battle management and intelligence information from the world’s largest unmanned aerial vehicle, Mr Edge is responsible for the technical and functional integrity of the programme. He oversees contracts totalling in excess of 1.2 billion euros and a multi-million euro annual operating budget. Before his current role Mr Edge held senior positions in international businesses, leading them to success in improving their business relationships in Europe.

Mr. Guard Weiss is currently the Director of the Office of Geospacial Intelligence Management at the National Geospacial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), a position he has held since October 2015. He is charged with executing Geospacial Intelligence (GEOINT) Functional Manager and DoD GEOINT Manager, and is responsible for leading and overseeing the National System for Geospacial Intelligence (NSG) and the Allied System for Geospacial Intelligence (ASG). 

Previously, Mr. Guard-Weiss served on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) as the Assistant Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence and was duel-hatted as the Assistant Head of the Naval Intelligence Activity (NIA). In these positions, he supported the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for information Dominance/ Director of Naval Intelligence (OPNAV N2/N6) and the Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence / Head, NIA in delivering comprehensive intelligence to Navy leadership, representing the Navy as one of the 17 members of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), and managing and overseeing the Navy's intelligence activities, $4B in resources, and 20,000 personnel. He was appointed Intelligence Senior Executive Service in 2012, initially serving as the Acting Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence.

Major Gelzer will be offering an update on the activities of the Swiss Imagery and Intelligence Centre in 2016 for the first time. With various national investments in enhancing the geospatial capability of the Armed Forces including a programme to deliver greater UAV coverage, Major Gelzer will be sharing the latest developments in national research and acquisition priorities plus a road map for the year ahead. 

Knut is the Deputy General Director of the Norweigan Mapping Authority. He demonstrates corporate leadership with substantial management experience. His focus is on strategic development, organisation and the use of information technology and goals. Knut specialises in strategic leadership, management and organisational development.

Mr Brian Hagan is the National Geospatial-Intelligence Officer for Geography within NGA's Source Operations Management Directorate. As such he represents the Director of NGA on geographic issues including Geographic Names, Boundaries, Topography and Human Geography and has over 30 years of experience in the intelligence field.

Major General Hockenhull was commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in 1986 His early postings were as a platoon commander with KORBR in Northern Ireland and in intelligence appointments in the UK, Cyprus and Berlin.  Between 1991 and 2003 he served for eight years on operations over three tours in Joint Support Group (Northern Ireland) as Detachment and then Company Commander and finally as Commanding Officer.  These tours were separated by attendance at the last Army Command and Staff College course and a tour in the Ministry of Defence as SO2 Long Term Plans in Army Resources and Plans.  He was posted in 2003 as the British Exchange Instructor at the United States Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas; this tour included 6 months teaching at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.  

In December 2005 he deployed to Headquarters Multi-National Force Iraq (HQ MNF-I) as Chief Campaign Plans and wrote the 2006 HQ MNF-I Campaign Plan and Campaign Assessment.  Returning to the Ministry of Defence as Deputy Director Force Development in August 2006 he was responsible for tri-service future force structure planning.  On completion of the Higher Command and Staff Course in early 2008 he was Chief Plans HQ ARRC and subsequently deployed to Afghanistan.  

In 2009 he promoted to Brigadier and assumed the appointment of Director ISTAR at Headquarters Land Forces, which later developed into Head Information Superiority. In September 2011 he returned to the Ministry of Defence as Head Military Strategic Planning and in June 2012 he promoted to Major General and deployed to Kabul as Director of the Ministry of Defence Advisory Group. After a 3-month spell in late-2014 as Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence (covering this gaped civilian 2 Star billet as incumbents changed over) he took up post as Director Cyber, Intelligence and Information Integration (DCI3) in March 2015.  Honours and awards from his operational tours include the MBE, QCVS, OBE and the Bronze Star.

As the head of a group of senior geospatial policy makers from NATO member nations Brigadier Hurmuz has a unique perspective on national evolution of geospatial capability as well as international plans to forge alliances and cooperate. This is the second year General Hurmuz is briefing at DGI, make sure you attend his sessions morning of January 20.

In post since 2011, Mr Jackson leads the Canadian Ice Service (CIS), a division of the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), the leading authority for information about ice in Canada's navigable waters. With ice being so central to life in Canada in a variety of different ways, Mr Jackson’s role influences commercial, security and defence aspects of national policy.

Professor of Geospatial Science and Director of the Centre for Geospatial Science at Nottingham University, Mike has 30 Years commercial, government and academic experience in spatial data infrastructures (SDI), location-based services (LBS), geospatial intelligence, geographic information systems (GIS), computer-based mapping, and remote sensing. Appointed to Chair of Geospatial Science in 2005 he was previously Director of the Space Division at QinetiQ.

Brad Janocha, a Journeyman Leader at Washington College GIS, has managed a variety of projects.  As an International Studies Major, Brad studied and worked abroad in Morocco.  His international experience and interest allows him to work closely with a defense agency on projects related to megacities.  Brad will be graduating from Washington College in Spring 2016 after completing his thesis on development solutions for water stress in northern Morocco.

KeithJohnson, Technical Director for Analytics & Mission Solutions withinLockheed Martin’s Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS)business, is responsible for identifying, developing, and driving newtechnologies into customer-focused mission applications.   Mr.Johnson leads IS&GS’s investments in big data technologies as well asadvanced analytics capabilities in multi-INT fusion, activity-basedintelligence, and open source intelligence.  Prior to joining LockheedMartin, Mr. Johnson was part of a venture capital group focused on technologystartups in the telecommunications industry. Earlier in his career, he wasa nuclear engineer for the U.S. Navy.  Mr. Johnson has a Bachelor ofScience degree in chemical engineering from Rice University and masters in engineeringadministration from Virginia Tech.

Captain Jones has conducted military hydrographic surveys throughout many regions of the globe as an IHO Cat A and Charge qualified military hydrographer and has commanded 3 ships. In his current role he is the policy lead, the Defence Authority and Joint User for Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Capabilities additionally responsible for managing the pan defence requirement for defence Foundation Data from UKHO, UKMetO and the Defence Geographic & Aeronautical Information Centre. He also directs the UK GEOINT International Collaboration programme to enable interoperability and burden share via a range of bilateral and multilateral agreements.  As Director of the multinational Defence Geospatial Information Working Group (DGIWG) he drives coherence across international military geospatial standards - most notably managing the building blocks for the NATO Geospatial Information Framework, but also focused on defence Imagery and Gridded Data, Portrayal and Symbology, Metadata and Web Service standards design.  He is the UK Governance lead within the Allied System for GEOINT - a Five Nation Commonwealth union and UK lead for the UK/US airbreathing imagery exploitation collaboration, responsible for delivery of the UK node of the Distributed Ground System. He chairs the NATO/PfP Geospatial Maritime group delivering a burden sharing co-production programme across member nations.

Major General Kalogeropoulos Dimitrios entered the Hellenic Military Academy in 1979 and graduated in 1983 as Second Lieutenant Artillery Officer. 

He was promoted to Brigadier General in 2011 and to Major General on March 17, 2014. His career after being graduated from the Artillery School in 1983-84 and specialized training as Tactical Control Officer in 181 Guided Missiles HAWK Battalion (181 G/M HAWK BN) in 1984, began as Launcher and after Radar Platoon Leader in Battery and Assault Fire Units of HAWK missiles. 

He fulfilled a number of Battery level Command positions in Field and Air Defence Artillery Units and staff appointments as G1,G2,G3,G4 Staff Officer or Office Director of Artillery Command in Corps and Army level formations of Hellenic Land Forces from 1985 to 2000. In between he was appointed as Deputy Commander of 158 Self Propelled 155mm Field Artillery Battalion (158 S/P 155mm FA BN) in 1993-95 and 181 G/M HAWK BN in 1997-98. He was selected to Command twice a Battalion level Unit appointed as Commander of 181 G/M HAWK BN (2000-2002) and of 80 5Atype Air Defence Artillery BN (2005-2006). 

His international carrier commenced in 1992 when he was appointed as United Nations Observer in UN Iraq Kuwait Observation Mission – UNIKOM after the Operation “Desert Storm”. M.Gen Kalogeropoulos has been decorated with all the Greek medals and decorations according to his rank and carrier and in addition with: 

• US medal for distinguished graduation from HAWK Tactical Control Officers Course in Fort Bliss TX, USA. 
• UN medal for the Service with UNIKOM in Iraq – Kuwait Observation Mission. 
• Golden Air Defence Artillery decoration for the more than 10 years ADA assignments.

Currently working as the Strategic Business Development Director for Ordnance Survey International, John works extensively on strategic level advices, programme delivery and strategic business development in Middle East. Formerly a key leader in the ever-developing MOD geospatial and information superiority fields with a network of international contacts John is well placed to steer discussion at DGI once again in 2015.

Harry Kemsley OBE is a Vice President of Aerospace, Defence & Security for IHS. Kemsley is responsible for business growth across the Aerospace, Defence & Security portfolio. Kemsley previously served in key senior executive positions with Hewlett Packard. Under his leadership, a pan-HP Practice for the EMEA Region was created delivering sales in excess of $60m. With over twenty years of service in the Royal Air Force distinguished by increased responsibility, awards, and record of success, Kemsley achieved the rank of Middle-East deputy commander for deployed forces. 

Gil Klinger is a Vice President and Senior Executive Account Manager for National Security Future Architectures at the Harris Corporation. He recently retired from the United States Government after a career of almost 31 years, during which he served as a Senior Executive in leadership positions across the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Intelligence Community (IC), and on the National Security Council (NSC) Staff. As Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategic, Space and Intelligence, he was responsible for acquisition oversight of all space and intelligence programs executed by the Department of Defense (DoD). He was also responsible for oversight and coordination with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) for the majority of acquisition programs executed within the National Intelligence Program. During his tenure, Mr. Klinger’s portfolio expanded to include strategic nuclear delivery platforms, various Unmanned Air Vehicles, Long Range Conventional Strike capabilities, several Missile Defense systems, and management of DoD’s arms control treaty compliance office.

One of DGI’s longest supporters from the global community of expert geographers John Knight is highly qualified to lead discussions onsite having spent more than 17 years lecturing at the Royal School of Military Survey in the UK. Under his tutelage many current leaders of national mapping agencies and military mapping branches have learnt their trade and continue to shape the future of mapping making John’s work part of the evolution of mapping around the world. Advisor and contributor in 2015 John is one of the key people to meet and learn from onsite.

General Kostarakos was admitted to the Hellenic Military Academy (Evelpidon) in 1974, graduated in 1978 and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Artillery.  Serving in increasingly senior roles for the Greek Armed Forces he rose to become Chief, Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS) in November, 2011. The EU Foreign Affairs Council, based on the proposal of the EU Military Committee at the CHODs level, appointed him as the next Chairman of the Military Committee. He will take over his duties from 6th November 2015.

Mr. Larson is a co-founder of UrtheCast and has extensive, global experience in space-related business development, strategy development, government relations, international relations, and policy formulation. Prior to starting UrtheCast, Mr. Larson was with the Canadian Space Agency and MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA). He earned a bachelor degree in history, a master’s degree in history and international relations from the University of British Columbia, an MBA in Strategic Management from McGill University. He has also completed the Space Study Program of the International Space University. Mr. Larson developed the original vision for the UrtheCast venture.

Experienced in geography, imagery, international relations and space and security issues Brigadier General Legai has been an intelligence officer in the French Air Force since 1988. Formerly head of the French Imagery Intelligence Centre (2004-2006), since January 2015 he leads Europe’s foremost imagery analysis centre, the EU Sat Centre, in Madrid.

LtCol W. Ligtenberg BA EMSD is the Branch Chief Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) & Space for the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), located at its Headquarters in Breda. 

After graduating at the Royal Military Academy in 1998 he was commissioned as an intelligence officer for the RNLAF and filled many positions on the operational and strategic level. He worked for RNLAF units and its headquarters, as well as for the Defence Intelligence & Security Service (DISS) as an analyst, briefer and senior advisor plans & policy. In 1999 – 2000 he was head of the multinational intelligence section at Amendola, Italy, supporting missions of the Deployable Air Task Force operating above former Yugoslavia. In 2006-2007 he was head of the National Intelligence Cell (NIC) in Kandahar, Afghanistan. 

He is a graduate of the Advanced Commander’s and Staff Course at the Netherlands Defense Academy, has an executive master degree on security and defense (EMSD)

Former GEOINT project leader in the Chief of Intelligence Support Division for the Dutch MoD, Colonel Loukes now acts as a senior advisor on GEOINT issues. His current role positions him at the centre of the Dutch geospatial intelligence community making him not only highly knowledgeable about current national projects to boost geospatial capability but also one of the best networked figures in the group of senior European geospatial intelligence experts.

Director Service Development, David Lynam, is responsible for the development and procurement of MoD’s communication and information systems and services. 

David last served in the MOD in 2002. He left having established the post of Director Equipment Capability for Command Control and Information Infrastructure and was responsible for the early capability packages around NEC and projects such as Bowman, Skynet V, DII and Falcon. During his 30-year military career he served in Northern Ireland, Germany and UK, Commanded 21 (AS) Sig Reg in Colerne and was the Joint Force J6 in Riyadh during the first Gulf War. His staff career was almost exclusively in Defence Acquisition, ranging from Concepts to Operational Requirements to procurement and he was the Project manager for Pilot JOCS and JOCS.  

Since the MOD, David has held appointments in Lockheed Martin, was the IT Director for a branch of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and, until recently, has been the Chief Information Officer for the Atomic Weapons Establishment. 

He enjoys hill walking, photography, the occasional run and a good book.

Iain MacInnes is the Senior Regional Sales Manager for DigitalGlobe in Europe, a leading provider of Very High Resolution Satellite Imagery sourced from it’s own advanced satellite constellation. Joining the company in 2011 he brings over 15 years of international experience within geospatial industries to a role which is focused on key accounts in European Institutions,UN and strategic partnerships. He holds and MSc in Environmental Remote Sensing from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland).

Reporting into Major General James Hockenhull, Director, Cyber Intelligence and Information Integration (DCI3), Brigadier Magowan is a highly regarded military leader with recent operational experience in Afghanistan where he personally oversaw missions whose success was down to effective use of geospatial intelligence. Now heading up the lead agency for the UK MoD on development of intelligence for UK forces, Brigadier Magowan has generously agreed to share his experience and views on the state of geospatial intelligence in operations today.

Never far from a leadership role in key strategic divisions within the US Office of Naval Research, Mr. McBride has held positions as Associate Director of Research for Meteorology/Oceanography and Arctic Technology, which involved promoting collaboration with international scientists. Before this he was an Embassy Science Fellow working with the Icelandic policy and academic community to identify shared environmental policy priorities between the United States and Iceland with regard to the Arctic. At DGI in 2016, Mr McBride will be adding value to the discussions on the Arctic on the North America Day, January 18th.

Denise is the Executive Director, Communications and Outreach for the international open standards organisation the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). In this role she is responsible for the planning and execution of marketing, communications and education programs to raise awareness and increase application of open geospatial and location standards by technology providers and users worldwide. Her other international roles include representation for the OGC at the United Nations Global Geographic Information Management (UNGGIM) committee and Chair of the Marketing and Outreach committee for the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) association. Prior to her role with OGC, Denise worked for over 12 years with the Victorian Government (Australia) in areas of strategic policy, collaboration and innovation.

Mr Moore has extensive experience working in many areas of policing including uniformed patrol operations, Criminal Investigations, Drug Enforcement, Financial Crimes, Information Technology, Human Resources and Criminal Intelligence/Organized Crime as well as heading up the Metro Integrated Intelligence Unit.  Now currently a senior figure in international policing, he is well placed to share lessons learnt marrying IT, geospatial capabilities and intelligence in law enforcement missions.

Robert B. Murrett is a Professor of Practice on the faculty of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and serves as the Deputy Director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSCT) at the University. He is also on the adjunct staff of the RAND Corporation, the Institute for Defense Analyses, and chairs the MITRE Intelligence Advisory Board. He is a member of the Advisory Board for the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at SU, and is responsible for a series of ongoing research projects between the University and the Syracuse Veterans Administration Medical Center.
Previously, Murrett was a career intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy, serving in assignments throughout the Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East through his thirty-four years of duty, retiring in the grade of Vice Admiral. His duty stations included service as Operational Intelligence Officer for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Assistant Naval Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway, and Director for Intelligence, U.S. Joint Forces Command. For the last ten years, he served as Vice Director for Intelligence, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Director of Naval Intelligence, and Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).

Rakesh Narasimhan is the Executive Vice President of BlackSky, a wholly owned subsidiary of Spaceflight Industries. Narasimhan is responsible for delivering the 'Imagery as a Service" data platform powered by BlackSky's powerful satellite constellation to key commercial-, civilian- and defense-related customers. He brings more than 20 years of executive experience in high-growth technology industry with past experience including a range of senior executive roles at Oracle Corporation, Microsoft Corporation and Citrix Systems.

Senior leader in the UK MoD circle of geospatial intelligence experts Mr Parish reports to Captain Martin Jones, Head of Geo Policy, UK MoD. Mr Parish is deeply involved in the development of UK Geospatial Intelligence capability through the Spatial Data Infrastructure programme which among other areas of focus is currently examining the practical benefits offered through web-based geo services. Mr Parish is also a key member of the UK team looking at the testing, certification, implementation and governance of application of standards for geospatial data.

Major General Odd Egil Pedersen assumed command of the Norwegian Armed Forces Cyber Defence on December 9th 2013. He came to his present post from the Norwegian Intelligence Service. Previous roles include head of landpower and operations section of the Norwegian Army Transformation and Doctrine Command, branch head, J2, Operations Division, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Director of Intelligence, Allied Command Operations, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), J2, Operations Division, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and director, Plans and Support, Norwegian Intelligence Service.

Mr Prain is a senior expert working at the UK’s leading defence research agency on geospatial capability development. He works closely with the GEOCORE consortium of leading academic and industry partners, led by Envitia, which was awarded a contract by DSTL to deliver applied research to the UK MoD for the rapid development and insertion of geospatial technology. Mr Prain is also very much involved in the Advanced Geospatial Information and Intelligence Services (AGIS) programme.

Captain(N) Ron Pumphrey grew up in Newfoundland and enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces as an ROTP candidate in 1989. He enjoyed three years at CMR in St-Jean, PQ, before completing his BA in History at RMC in Kingston in 1994. He later received his MA from Athabasca with a focus on adult education, and he completed his staff college at the United States Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Captain(N) Pumphrey's sea-going time included many different types of missions and operations around the globe. He held positions as the Navigation Officer with HMCS HALIFAX, the Weapons and Combat Officer onboard HMCS Toronto, and the Executive Officer for HMCS OTTAWA. The pinnacle of his sea-going career was his appointment as Commanding Officer of HMCS CALGARY where he was an active participant for OP PODIUM (security for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics), and for the Rim of the Pacific 2010 exercise. His early shore postings included time as a Navigation Instructor at the Naval Operations Training Centre, Assistant Project Director with the Directorate of Maritime Requirements, Executive Officer of Sea Training Pacific, Special Advisor to Director of Maritime Strategy and culminated with an incredibly rewarding tour as the Senior Military Advisor for the Deputy Minister of National Defence in Ottawa. Captain(N) Pumphrey was promoted to his current rank in March of 2013 and appointed as the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Commander Police, Afghanistan. In June of that year, he became the Deputy Commander for the Ministerial Advisory Group in Kabul which supported the Ministry of the Interior in continuing to professionalize and develop unified and effective police forces for Afghanistan. Captain(N) Pumphrey worked as a Special Advisor to the Deputy Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy prior to proceeding to the National Securities Programme in Toronto in August of 2014. On 29 July 2015 Capt(N) Pumphrey was appointed as the Commander of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Group (CF INT GP).

Steve Pyatt is both a New Zealand and UK citizen who has been with NZDF since April 1997. He is a former member of British Military Survey. 

Steve graduated from Portsmouth Polytechnic with an honours degree in Geographical Science and was commissioned into the Corps of Royal Engineers in 1979. After mainstream tours in UK (including Northern Ireland), Germany, Cyprus and Canada he attended the Army Survey Course in 1987/8. On promotion to Major in 1990, he commanded the Air Survey Liaison Section at RAF Wyton and then 19 Topographic Squadron. During his time with Military Survey he undertook GPS and conventional survey operations in Oman and the Falkland Islands. His final job in Military Survey was as Chief of Staff 42 Survey Engineer Group during the transition from base plant activity to the mobile role. On immigrating to New Zealand he worked as General Manager in a commercial engineering company in Taupo for a year until joining the civil staff of NZDF. His appointment was within the Intelligence and Strategic Plans Branch of HQ NZDF but it then merged with the Navy Hydrographic Branch in the formation of the Joint Geospatial Support Facility, which became GIO and is now GNZ. His main responsibilities include managing GEOINT governance and issues for the NZDF and other NZ Government agencies, setting GEOINT strategic direction, policy and standards, future projects and international GEOINT relationships. In short, he manages the longer-term ‘what and why’ aspects of GEOINT in NZ but occasionally still dabbles in the current ‘how’ things are done. 

Steve was awarded the Chief of Defence Force’s Commendation in 2001 for his leading role in the determination of a new mapping projection and grid system for New Zealand.

Steven is Director of Strategy at what3words, a British company that has created a new location reference and address system. He's a Visiting Professor at the Institute for Future Cities at the University of Strathclyde and sits on the Advisory Board for the Urban Big Data Centre at the University of Glasgow. Steven is also a longstanding supporter of open standards and a member of the OGC Global Advisory Council, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Paul Rogers is Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University. He worked originally in the biological and environmental sciences, including lecturing at Imperial College, London, but has worked for the past 35 years on international security. He is a consultant to Oxford Research Group, an independent UK think tank, and also writes a weekly analysis of international security issues for www.opendemocracy.net/. He lectures regularly at the Royal College of Defence Studies and has been an External Examiner for postgraduate programmes at RCDS and the Joint Service Command and Staff College. The most recent of his 26 books is the third edition of Losing Control: Global Security in the 21st Century (Pluto Press 2010) and his new book, Irregular War: Islamic State, Elites and Revolts from the Margins, will be published by I B Tauris in the New Year

Barbara J. Ryan is Secretariat Director of the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) located in Geneva, Switzerland. In this capacity, she leads the Secretariat in coordinating the activities of 100 Member States and 89 Participating Organizations who are striving to integrate Earth observations so that informed decisions can be made across nine Societal Benefit Areas including agriculture, biodiversity, climate, ecosystems, energy, disasters, health, water and weather. Before assuming this position in July 2012, she was the Director of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Space Programme where she had responsibility for coordinating space-based observations to meet the needs of WMO Members in the topical areas of weather, water, climate and related natural disasters. She also served as the technical focal point for WMO’s activities with GEO. Before joining WMO in October 2008, she was the Associate Director for Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Reston, Virginia where she had responsibility for the Landsat, remote sensing, geography and civilian mapping programs of the agency. It was under her leadership that implementation of the Landsat data policy was reformed to release all data over the internet at no additional cost to the user -- an action that has resulted in the release of more than 25 million Landsat scenes to date

Neil Segall is Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for MapLarge.  Neil leads the company’s worldwide operations for sales, marketing, business development, and product management. Neil brings a passion for customer and partner care and guides the MapLarge culture by emphasizing values of respect, integrity, innovation and fun. Neil brings deep industry knowledge in standards-based data, networking, and cyber security, as well as a strong track record of success in start ups and mature software companies. Neil holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Harvard University. He most recently served as CEO of Vigilance Networks, a provider of security intelligence solutions.  Previously, Neil served as Vice President of Enterprise and Government Solutions at Acme Packet (now Oracle). Neil has over 15 years in executive roles in systems integration, enhanced services, cyber security, and consulting, resulting in successful acquisitions by Oracle, Nortel, SEMA, and Schlumberger.  Neil is based in Denver, CO, USA.

Mr. Simmons leads the OGC Standards Program. In this role, he coordinates member-driven standards development activities and ensures that all OGC standards progress through the organization’s consensus process to approval and publication. Preceding his time as a member of the OGC staff, Mr. Simmons was an active member of OGC, promoting best practices in 3D Information Management (3DIM) as chair of the OGC 3DIM Domain Working Group and chairing or participating in numerous OGC infrastructure, mobility, and web services working groups. His OGC-related research has focused on data lifecycle management, integration, and dissemination. 

Mr. Simmons was formerly an Executive Director for CACI International, Inc. (CACI). At CACI, Mr. Simmons responsibilities included alignment of new business opportunities with fielded or researched capabilities in the geospatial domain. CACI acquired TechniGraphics, Inc. in 2010 where Mr. Simmons was the Chief Technology Officer. From 1993 to 2000, Mr. Simmons worked as a consulting geologist in the areas of structural geology, seismic risk, and geochemistry for GeoSyntec Consultants, where he also founded and managed the firm’s geospatial operations.

William ‘Billy’ Sokol is the Chief Technology Officer, Global Public Sector for MarkLogic Corporation. He is responsible for Vertical Strategy and Go-To-Market with particular focus on Defense, Intelligence, and Public Safety. In this role, Mr. Sokol regularly meets and supports National Security, Public Safety, and Civilian leadership from dozens of agencies in over ten countries, including CIO, operations, and senior acquisition executives. Previously at MarkLogic, Mr. Sokol was the ISR Programs Lead where he was responsible for strategy across the Department of Defense Intelligence Information Systems (DoDIIS) and service-specific intelligence organizations including the Distributed Common Ground Systems (DCGS) and Defense Intelligence Information Environment (DI2E) communities, and USSOCOM. Mr. Sokol has 20 years experience as a technical leader and management consultant in the areas of, IT solution outsourcing, project leadership, solutions architecture, and business process analysis & reengineering.

As the Deputy Science Advisor at the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM), Steve Spehn supports the development and execution of technology-focused, Joint Rapid Acquisition Programs, to include Joint Capability Technology Demonstrations (JCTDs), Emerging Technology Initiatives (ETIs), Coalition Warfare Program (CWP) projects, and Rapid Reaction Technology (RRT) projects. Prior to his current role in DoD Science & Technology, Mr. Spehn served over 22 years as a Marine Corps helicopter pilot, with his final tour as the Deputy Chief of Current Operations at USEUCOM. Mr. Spehn is “forward-deployed” to the National Space Science & Technology Center (NSSTC) and serves as the USEUCOM Liaison to the technology development community in Huntsville, AL, to include the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), and the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC). During a recent sabbatical from his government duties, he served as the Chief Technology Officer for the Von Braun Center for Science & Innovation (VCSI). Mr. Spehn has a B.S. in Physics from the United States Naval Academy, where he was a Trident Scholar and Burke (Equivalent) Scholar, and he has an M.S. in Electrical Engineering and the Degree of Electrical Engineer with Distinction from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Ian Spencer has been a Geospatial Analyst with the UK Ministry of Defence for 25 years. He has worked in product and standards development, and has represented the Ministry of Defence in the DGIWG (Defence Geographic Information Working Group), NATO, British Standards Institute, and ISO TC/211 standards organisations. Since promotion onto the DGC Management Team in 2004 Ian has held a variety of roles which include leading DGC’s capability planning, delivery and integration; business and resource management and corporate planning; learning & development; information management; and geographic research. Ian currently leads the development of Human Geography concepts and capability, and champions the role of geospatial analysis in the development of wider Defence and Intelligence Community (IC) doctrine and procedures.  He chairs a UK Defence Human Domain Community of Interest and co-chairs an international Defence Human Geography working group.  He also leads the development of, and then chairs, an annual Defence Academy conference structured around the theme of spatial socio-cultural knowledge.

Commander Taylor has served at the highest levels for the US Navy in various roles. Prior to her current position she was Strike Group Oceanography Team Department Head from 2012 and served as Operations Officer during her last tour. Current responsibilities include coordinating partnerships between the Centre and the Coast Guard and NOAA to produce rich ice analyses and forecasts for the benefit of traders and security forces around the world.

Dr Friedrich Teichmann is the Director of the Geo-Spatial Institute of the Austrian Armed Forces, responsible for providing geo-data, geo-info-products and geo-services for the Land- and Air-Forces, national and international missions as well as to platforms and weapon/mission/simulation-systems. He is also in charge of the IT-Innovation Department of the Austrian Armed Forces, focusing on interoperability in the area of C4ISR, Electronic Warfare, ICT-Security and Information Management. Till 2011 he worked in the Austrian Ministry of Defence, serving as deputy director of the Information and Communication Technology planning directorate. Before working for the MoD planning directorate coordinating the overall planning and management of the ICT services of the Austrian Military, he was the Department Head for Communications and Information Systems of the Austrian Air Force, focusing on modern Communications, Avionic and Command and Control Systems. Prior to working for the Austrian Air Force he was in charge of the geo-spatial section of the army command, providing national and international mission geo-data. He has over 20 years of professional experience in ICT systems, earth sciences, space applications and complex program management. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in New York as well as Master Degrees from the University of Salzburg (Austria), the University of Maine (USA) and the University of Krems (Austria). He was able to maintain his academic involvement throughout his professional career at the Austrian Military by serving as external lecturer for Space applications, Information Technology and Geo-Informatic/Telematic at three Applied Technical Universities in Austria. Dr. Teichmann is also an international recognized expert for Information Management, IT-Security and Space Technologies and had acted has as national technical expert for the EU GNSS Galileo since 2006. He is a veteran of several international peace support as well as humanitarian catastrophe relief missions and holds a current rank of Brigadier-General.

Captain Erich M. Telfer is the commanding officer of the Coast Guard Maritime Intelligence Fusion Center Atlantic (MIFC LANT) in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Operationally, Captain Telfer has served as a group duty officer at Group Miami, as a deck watch officer on USCGC RELIANCE, as the executive officer of Group Upper Mississippi River, and as the commanding officer of the Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team (PACTACLET) in San Diego, California. Under his command, PACTACLET seized and disrupted 199,921 kilograms of cocaine and seized eight self-propelled semi-submersibles all of which led to 214 man-years of prison for convicted smugglers. Additionally, he led the unit’s integration into the Deployable Operations Group and standardized tactics, techniques, and procedures across the TACLET community. Captain Telfer’s intelligence assignments include as a watch officer at Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence East in Miami, Florida; senior watch officer at the Coast Guard Intelligence Coordination Center; and three years as the Assistant Coast Guard Attaché in the U.S. Embassy, Mexico City, Mexico. 

While assigned to the ICC, Captain Telfer also served as the senior Coast Guard White House Social Aide coordinating the protocol of official functions for the President and Mrs. Clinton. More recently, Captain Telfer served as the Deputy Director for Coast Guard Counterintelligence and then as the Executive Assistant to the Assistant Commandant for Intelligence and Criminal Investigations (CG-2) in Washington, DC. A Spanish linguist, Captain Telfer holds a Master of Military Studies from the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College where he earned the CIA’s Excellence in Intelligence Writing Award. He also holds a Master of Intelligence Studies, with Honors, from American Military University. 

For his Senior Service School, Captain Telfer attended the National Intelligence University (NIU) where he was a Fellow at the Center for Strategic Intelligence Research. His book, titled Unlimited Impossibilities: Intelligence Support to Deep Water Horizon, was published in April 2015 and is available via the NIU Press, http://ni-u.edu/wp/national-intelligence-press/integration/ .

Dr. (LtCol) Michael L. Thomas is currently assigned to Naval Space and Warfare Center (SPAWAR) Charleston as a C4ISR Systems Engineer in the Communications and Networks Division stationed at HQUSEUCOM in Stuttgart,Germany. In this capacity he is responsible for the design; implementation and fielding of major network projects initiated by the Navy, sister services and other US government customers. His prior assignment with SPAWAR was in the Heidelberg Office supporting HQ USAREUR in Geospatial Engineering. He has been on detached special duty since being activated in March 2007, and has served a short tour at the Pentagon, served as a Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) LNO to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), along with an assignment to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) as an instructor teaching Cyber war courses.

Neil Thompson is the Managing Partner of WC Group before that he had a long and distinguished career in the Canadian Forces with more than 30years in various command and staff positions in the defence, civilian and international intelligence communities. These included a secondment to the Government of Canada Privy Council Office and a Branch Chief on the International Military Staff at NATO Headquarters.  He was the first Commanding Officer of the Canadian Forces Joint Imagery Centre. He was also a Defence Intelligence Attaché in the United Kingdom. Upon returning to Canada, he became Director Intelligence Operations within the Chief of Defence Intelligence Staff. He completed his career as the Director of Geospatial Intelligence. He was responsible for all aspects of Geospatial Intelligence in the Canadian Forces. Neil has kept active in the Intelligence and Geospatial Intelligence fields by accepting the position of Managing Director of the WCGroup. Neil has maintained his contacts in the Canada, the United States and Europe brings a unique perspective to this focus day.

Commander Francesco Tocci was born in Livorno (ITALY) in 1969, and he attended the Naval Academy from 1989 to 1993. At the end of course, he followed the course in weapons and artillery system in the Naval Training Centre. He was embarked on the Italian Cruiser Vittorio Veneto from 1994 to 1997 as Weapons Official. He attend the Hydro-oceanographic course in Genova from 1998 to 1999, and he obtained the “A” class in Hydrography from the International Hydrographic Office (Monaco). he was embarked from 1999 to 2003 on board the main Hydrographic vessel ITS Magnaghi as chief of hydrographic branch. During the southern summer of 2001-2002 he participate to Italian program of research in Antarctica as Chief of the hydrographic team. From October 2003 until October 2004 he was the Commanding officer of the Hydro oceanographic catamaran “Aretusa”. From November 2004 until May 2009 he was in charge of head of instrument and distribution division of the Hydrographic Institute of the Navy. From May 2009 until August 2010 he was head of Geophysical office, still in the Hydrographic Institute of the Navy. From September 2010 until September 2011 he was the Executive Officer of the Italian Destroyer Francesco Mimbelli. Later, he was the Commanding Officer of the Italian Corvette Urania (Minerva Class) since October 2012. From October 2012 until July 2013 he was teacher of Oceanography and Electronic Navigation in the Italian Naval Academy. Since September 2013 he is the Head of the Geospatial and meteo oceanographic section of the Maritme Command of the NATO, based in Northwood. CDR Tocci is married with MRS Mariachiara Chiantore, Professor at the University of Genova, and has three daughters : Alice, Giulia and Giorgia.

With broad experience assessing and managing major procurement programmes for the UK MoD previously at the Cabinet Office and now at the Defence, Equipment and Support organisation, Colonel Tomes is responsible for the delivery of all key UK geospatial and imagery programmes including Picasso and the Image Exploitation Programme. His role provides him with an open view on developments in requirements and acquisition across the full spectrum of geospatial capabilities for UK forces. 

Expert on sea ice dynamics, thermodynamics and mechanics, ocean wave propagation through sea ice and deep convection and water mass modification, Dr Wilkinson represents the UK on Arctic Ocean Science Board (AOSB) and the International Arctic Science Committee’s Marine Science Working Group. He is regarded as one of the world experts on the use of AUVs in the polar oceans.

Joining DGI for the first time in 2016, Charlotte will be explaining how Danish forces receive consistent Hydro Metoc support at home or abroad. Her responsibilities include developing science-based tailored decision aides and coordinating the Arctic test and experimentation program for the Danish forces. She will be exploring how to increase cooperation in data sharing between different agencies and forces, especially in the Arctic.

Leader of multiple centers of geospatial excellence in Greece and around Europe Professor Zalidis is a recognized leader in the global geospatial information community. Director of the Laboratory of Applied Soil Science and the Laboratory of Remote Sensing and G.I.S., at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki at the Faculty of Agriculture. Professor Zalidis also acts as Scientific Coordinator for the Interbalkan Environment Center (i-BEC). i-BEC, a member of the Group on Earth Observation (GEO), engages in the integrated management and protection of both transboundary watersheds and natural resources by developing and managing integrated environmental data information systems to support development initiatives, entrepreneurship and competitiveness in multiple sectors of the regional economy and society. These applications are designed to serve the needs of territorially focused policy makers, businesses and the public at regional, national and international levels.