Contributors

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GRI is proud to empower up-and-coming, young and mainly millennial analysts around the world, providing them with a platform to become thought leaders. We have over 700 analysts located around the world.

Find a full list of authors here.

Here are some of the biographies of our analysts:

James Tunningley is a GRI Associate Analyst. He currently works for the British Government and is the Director of the Young China Watchers in London. He previously held positions at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) and the China-Britain Business Council. He is on the Young Leaders Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Pacific Forum, a Fellow at the Royal Asiatic Society and a Junior Member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs. He is a graduate of the University of Oxford.


Leo Kabouche is a Toronto-based analyst who has worked for several consulting firms in Canada & Europe. His areas of expertise include the intersection of energy and geopolitics in oil and gas markets, in climate policy as well as in national security. His research also delves into the relationship between political risk and extraterritorial regulations tackling corruption and money-laundering practices on the international stage. He holds a MSc in International Affairs from the University of Montreal.


Håvard Bergo is a GRI Editor and Senior Analyst and a foreign policy expert who works in Kampala for LPC Consult International, a consulting company that specializes on developing projects in East Africa and Mozambique. He has previously worked with the United Nations in Bangkok and as a project manager for a research project in Montreal. Håvard graduated with an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics (LSE).


Qingzhen Chen is a GRI Senior Analyst and a research analyst for an international information company. Her research focuses on China and the Asia Pacific. Previously she was a market researcher for PwC. She has gained regional knowledge from internships with the UNDP, China Policy, and the Royal United Services Institute. She holds a BA in Politics and East European Studies and an MSc in Security Studies from University College London.


Jose Luengo-Cabrera currently works at the EU Institute for Security Studies. He has previously worked for the European External Action Service, International Crisis Group and the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The views expressed on this site are Mr. Luengo-Cabrera’s and do not reflect those of the EUISS or any previous institutional affiliations.


James Trigg holds an MSc in International Conflict from Kingston University London, where he focused on the dynamics of genocide and other crimes against humanity. His postgraduate thesis argued for a greater understanding of the strategic underpinnings of sexual violence during conflict, for which he was awarded the Kingston University International Conflict Prize. He previously read International Politics and Strategic Studies at Aberystwyth University.


Brian Daigle is a GRI Senior Analyst and an energy and Latin America researcher at a political consulting firm in Washington, D.C. He is a London School of Economics (LSE) graduate in political science and political economy, where he focused on trade and transatlantic relations. Brian received his dual BA in political science and history at the University of California-San Diego.


Hugo Blewett-Mundy covers Southeastern European affairs. His research interests are EU foreign policy and the post-communist transition in Central and Eastern Europe. Hugo received an MA in Russian and Post-Soviet Politics from UCL after graduating with a degree in Politics and Central and East European Studies at the University of Glasgow. Follow him on Twitter here @hugobm96


Christian Hellwig works as a strategic communications, policy analysis and public affairs expert and has been a longstanding contributor with Global Risk Insights on a wide range of issues since early 2015. Most recently, he has worked for CNC Communications & Network Consulting and Schneider Minar Jenewein Consulting, two companies with a strong European footprint in the fields of strategic communications, reputation, crisis & (cyber) risk management, public affairs and government relations. Christian holds a MSc in International Relations from London School of Economics & Political Science and a first class honours BA from a leading German university in Governance & Public Policy.


Nicolas Jenny specialises in European and Asian political risk analysis. He has lived extensively throughout the region and speaks English, French and Mandarin. He holds a double master’s from Sciences Po Paris and Fudan University and a BSc in politics from the University of Bristol.


Jofi Joseph is an experienced national security professional who has served in senior level positions on Capitol Hill and in the Executive Branch, with a particular focus on WMD proliferation and homeland security issues. He worked on U.S. policy toward Iran’s nuclear program and participated in P5+1 negotiations with Iran as a White House National Security Council staffer from 2011 to 2013.


Alicia Chavy is currently pursuing a Master’s in Security Studies at Georgetown University. Previously, she worked at Kroll and the Asia Group, conducting due diligence and compliance research, political and business risk analysis, and strategic support for Fortune 500 companies. Prior to her consulting experience, Alicia worked at non-profit organizations where she conducted detailed assessments on foreign policy, security, and economic issues in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Alicia Chavy graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, earning a Bachelor of Science in International Politics.


Alexey Kobylyanskiy currently works for a leading Russian mining company. He previously worked for the political risk insurance arm of the World Bank. He also has experience working for Russian regional government bodies and as an international election observer during the 2010 presidential elections in Ukraine. Alexey holds an MA in International Political Economy from Fordham University and an MA in International Relations from St. Petersburg State University, Russia.


Dr. Panos Koliastasis holds a PhD in Political Science from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). His thesis analyses the communication strategies applied by recent Greek prime ministers to preserve or even increase their popularity throughout their tenure. During the past years, coinciding with the eruption of the financial crisis in Greece, he served as a communication advisor to consecutive Greek governments until the elections of January 2015, employed for the analysis of opinion polls and formulation of communication strategy.


Dr. Robert Ledger is an analyst specializing in European politics. He has a PhD from Queen Mary University London in political science, and an MA in International Relations from Brunel University. He has worked in Brussels and Berlin for the European Stability Initiative – a think tank – on EU enlargement and human rights issues.


Daniel Lemaitre is a GRI Senior Analyst. He currently works for the Carter Center’s Americas Program. Previously, he has worked in policy research centered on Latin American markets in both the public and private sector. Daniel also has experience working in political communications at the British Parliament and the District Office of U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. He holds an MSc in Comparative Political Economy from the London School of Economics.


Iain MacGillivray is a GRI Commissioning Editor and an Independent Political Risk Analyst who focuses on Australian, European, and Middle Eastern Politics. He has worked as a Senior Academic Tutor in Middle Eastern Politics at the University of Melbourne and has been a freelance journalist for many years. Iain currently holds a Masters of International Relations from the Melbourne School of Government, University of Melbourne and is currently undertaking a Masters of Middle East Studies at Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) in Ankara, Turkey.


Kira Munk works as a Senior Analyst at a company in the Washington, DC area. She writes about topics related to terrorism and counterterrorism, human rights, and the impacts of social and political developments in the MENA. She holds a Master’s degree in Terrorism, Security & Society from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, and previously lived in the MENA region for several years.


Priscila Quaini has worked for the Ministry of External Relations and Ministry of Finance in Brazil as well as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Brasilia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Brasilia and a master’s degree in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics.


Luke Rodeheffer is a GRI Senior Analyst and a cyberthreat researcher at Flashpoint in New York City. He holds an MA from Stanford University, where he was a FLAS Fellow for Turkish. Luke was previously a Fulbright Fellow in Ukraine and a research assistant at Koç University in Istanbul.


Sam Schofield works as a strategy and operations consultant for Deloitte in its federal services practice in Washington D.C. As a contributing analyst for GRI, Sam writes on international trade topics and political and security risks in Latin America. Sam has an MBA from American University’s Kogod School of Business and a BA in International Affairs from the University of New Hampshire. He previously worked at the US Department of State and a Central America-focused NGO. He has also has led a consulting engagement supporting a Colombian aquaculture company with expanding to US markets.


Margaux Schreurs is a GRI Senior Analyst and lives in Beijing, where she works as an editor at a Beijing-based magazine and website, and writes on a freelance basis for a wide range of publications throughout the world, mainly focusing on East and Southeast Asian current affairs. She is a London School of Economics and Political Science MSc graduate.


Dr. Maria Shagina specializes in European and post-Soviet politics with a particular focus on Eastern Partnership and Russia. She was previously a visiting fellow at the Centre for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies, University of Birmingham and is currently affiliated with the Geneva International Sanctions Network. She holds a double PhD degree from the University of Lucerne and University of Zurich and a M.A. from the University of Dusseldorf.


Chris Solomon is the GRI Guest Post Editor and a Senior Analyst. He has supported several US government-funded international development programs in the Middle East and Africa throughout his professional career.  Christopher holds a master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Pittsburgh.


Ahmed Abou Taleb is a Business Intelligence Analyst for a multinational financial advisory services company. He received his graduate education in Business & International Commerce in Egypt and France. He obtained a master’s degree in Comparative Politics from the Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po Aix) in France.


Ian Armstrong is a GRI Senior Analyst and Researcher at Wikistrat. He previously assisted in research at Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, the Scottish Parliament, and Hudson Institute. His work has focused on international security issues. Ian’s research has been presented at multiple conferences, and his analysis has been published at International Policy Digest and Second Line of Defense.