Rob de Wijk is the founder of The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) and Professor of International Relations and Security at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs at Leiden University. He studied Contemporary History and International Relations at Groningen University, and wrote his PhD dissertation on NATO’s ‘Flexibility in Response’ strategy at the Political Science Department of Leiden University. Prof. De Wijk started his career in 1977 as a freelance journalist and later became head of the Defense Concepts Department of the Dutch Ministry of Defense, head of the Security Studies at the Clingendael Institute, and Professor of International Relations at the Royal Netherlands Military Academy. 

Paul Sinning is the Executive Director of HCSS. After graduating from the Dutch police academy in 1985, he started his career in the police force in Amsterdam. As a police officer he was responsible for several criminal investigation units. He later studied management and organization (University of Tilburg, 1995) and became a management consultant (1997) and managing partner (2002) at Twynstra Gudde, a Dutch management and consultancy firm. As managing partner he was responsible for building and developing the Security Group, specialized in organizational, business and change management within the field of security. He focused mainly on strategy, organizational development and complex collaboration issues between organizations responsible for security. He later studied public management at the University of Tilburg (2005) and has written several books about security. He has been closely involved in The Hague Security Delta from the start.

Michel Rademaker is one of the co-founders of HCSS and the deputy Director. He has fifteen years of hands-on experience as an officer in The Royal Netherlands Army, where he held various military operational and staff posts and also served a term in former Yugoslavia. He has a masters degree obtained at the University of Tilburg. After leaving the armed forces, Mr. Rademaker went on to work at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) as a project and program manager and senior policy advisor on security topics for ten years. Eg. as NATO RTO project leader, he and his team developed serious gaming assessment methods.

At HCSS he is responsible for product and project development. He is particularly interested in setting up (inter)national multi-stakeholder projects, both with a combined qualitative as well as quantitative focus, on new and upcoming strategic security and geo-economic themes like cyber and raw materials etc. His fields of expertise include security strategy, policy, concepts and doctrines, technology assessments, geopolitical and economic security implications of climate change, raw materials and energy supply and serious gaming techniques. He implemented with his teams big data analytics in projects building interactive monitors and dashboards. He organizes Cyber Security Summerschools with international partners like NATO and Europol.  

Michel Rademaker was an initiator of The Hague Security Delta and recently supported the establishment of the Hyderabad Security Cluster in India. He is on the board of the Institute for Accountability in the Digital Age and the Executive Committee of the International Military Council on Climate and Security.

Michel has written several book chapters, and numerous research reports and articles. He frequently acts as moderator in workshops, as a trainer, as guest lecturer at various universities and speaker at conferences, and as a commentator in news media.

Frank Bekkers (1960) holds a Master in Mathematics from the University of Amsterdam. He has spent most of his career as a security and defence strategy analyst, often in combination with managerial responsibilities. His field of expertise include all aspects of the comprehensive security domain. He has substantial experience in innovation strategy and management, both hands-on and in terms of policy advice. In addition, he has done research and consultancy in other domains, such as industry policy and health care. His present position is programme director at HCSS. Mr Bekkers is one of the founding fathers.

Frank Bekkers is the author and co-author of over 50 reports and publications since 2010.

Dr. Tim Sweijs is the Director of Research at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. He is the initiator, creator and author of numerous studies, methodologies, and tools for horizon scanning, early warning, conflict analysis, national security risk assessment, and strategy and capability development. Tim has lectured at universities and military academies around the world. His main research interest concerns the changing character of contemporary conflict. Tim is a Senior Research Fellow at the Netherlands Defence Academy and an Affiliate at the Center for International Strategy, Technology and Policy in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also serves as an Adviser Technology, Conflict and National Interest to the UK Government’s Stabilisation Unit. Previously, he was a researcher at TNO Defence and Security in The Hague and at the research staff of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels. Tim holds degrees in War Studies (PhD, MA), International Relations (Msc) and Philosophy (BA) from King's College, London and the University of Amsterdam. He is currently working on two book projects titled: 'The Conduct of War' and 'Deterrence Revisited: Insights from Theory and Practice for the 2020s'.  Tim is married and has three children.

Having served a fourth term as a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the leading conservative liberal VVD political party, Han ten Broeke held post as the senior member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and acted as Chair of the Armed Services Committee. Furthermore, he led the Dutch delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Prior to which, he was the VVD’s ranking member on Defence and EU affairs.

Before embarking on a career in politics and following his employment as Director of Public Affairs at KPN telecommunications, he ventured to a subsidiary of KPN in Brussels. Ten Broeke then became owner and director of Quinten Consulting BVBA (Ltd). Involved in rebranding KPN-orange to BASE mobile phone operator, he also carried profit and loss responsibility for a small segment of its market. Having previously set up his own company served as a prerequisite enabling the following move at Director’s level to Weber Shandwick in Brussels. This global company with offices in 81 countries promoting a collaborative culture suited Ten Broeke’s novel, divergent style of creative thinking and his entrepreneurial approach. Rather than public relations, his focus was directed towards public affairs where extra emphasis was afforded by the Brussels office. During this period he gained significant experience at international level.

A staunch advocate of public ideals, he believes in the power of ever-present potential as an indispensible instrument towards a better, more sustainable future. Clear, unambiguous use of language in both his native Dutch and fluent English has furnished him with persuasive, emotive deliveries before both the media and audiences of varying cultures, and from all walks of life. Han ten Broeke holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Leiden University, the Netherlands. Ten Broeke is Chairman of the Board of BOVAG. 

Stephan De Spiegeleire is Principal Scientist at HCSS. He has Master’s degrees from the Graduate Institute in Geneva and Columbia University in New York, as well as a C.Phil. degree in Political Science from UCLA. He worked for the RAND Corporation for nearly ten years, interrupted by stints at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik and the WEU’s Institute for Security Studies. Mr. De Spiegeleire started out as a Soviet specialist, but has since branched out into several fields of international security and defense policy. His current work at HCSS focuses on strategic defense management, security resilience, network-centrism, capabilities-based planning, and the transformation of defense planning. He is particularly active in HCSS’s security foresight efforts to inform national and European security policy planning in the broader sense. He also teaches at Webster University in Leiden. Stephan keeps a personal blog, where he records his reflections on his fields of expertise. Please visit: gettingdefenseright.blogspot.com

Dr. Ninoslav Malekovic is the Chief Data Scientist at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. Providing hands-on experience and leadership to the Centre’s Data Lab, Ninoslav brings formal and data sciences to bear on the quantification of the Centre’s research. His key responsibility includes formulating and implementing the Centre’s conflict, security, and political risk research in data science and engineering terms.

Before joining HCSS, Ninoslav spearheaded Quantifiable, a data research hub, specializing in the privacy, economics, and science of data. Under his lead, Quantifiable provided clients in the biotechnology, IoT, metals, and telecommunications industries with top-notch solutions to decision problems. Prior to Quantifiable, as a researcher at The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Ninoslav applied his knowledge of statistics, computing, microeconomics, and decision theory to information systems research. His scientific publications subsequently appeared in Decision Support Systems and Electronic Markets. Early in his career, Ninoslav held several positions in the Croatian Foreign Service, including in the analytics and information department, where he helped digitally transform the country’s diplomatic and consular network. Academically, Ninoslav draws on information systems (PhD, ETH Zurich, 2016), advanced quantitative research methods (MPA, Harvard University, 2011), and cognitive and decision sciences (BSc, MSc, University of Zagreb, 2000).

Laura Birkman is a Senior Strategic Analyst at HCSS where she focuses on non-traditional security issues related to climate change, sustainable development, and defense. She currently leads HCSS work for Water, Peace and Security (WPS),  an award winning partnership that looks to pioneer the development of innovative tools and services that help identify and address water-related security risks. She is also a member of the International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS) dedicated to anticipating, analyzing, and addressing the security risks of a changing climate.

Before joining HCSS, Laura worked as Principal and Senior Consultant at Ecorys, an international research and consulting firm, where she helped establish the Security and Justice unit and focused on topics related to civil protection, crisis management, and disaster risk reduction. During this time, Laura led advisory services related to the building of a Community of Users in Secure, Safe and Resilient Societies (CoU), a European Commission initiative focused on reducing fragmentation and increasing impact of EU funded security research. She also initiated the Crisis Management Innovation Network Europe (CMINE) and supported DG HOME during its chairmanship of the International Forum to Advance First Responder Innovation (IFAFRI). Prior to Ecorys, Laura worked for the Dutch government as a senior expert on international biodiversity policy and agricultural trade. She was a key negotiator during the Dutch and Luxembourg Presidencies of the EU at the UN CBD and the FAO. She also served as Agricultural Attaché (First Secretary) at the Netherlands Embassy in Moscow. 

Laura holds a Master in Public Administration (Harvard University, 2012), an Exec. MA International European Relations and Management (University of Amsterdam, 2001), and a Joint MA (Honours) International Relations, Philosophy (University of St. Andrews, 2000). She is a former Fulbright and Netherland-America Foundation Fellow and HSP Huygens Scholar (Harvard). 

Jack Thompson is a Senior Strategic Analyst at HCSS, where he leads a range of projects in the fields of security and defense. His main research interests are US foreign policy, European security, transatlantic relations, and great power competition.

Before joining the HCSS, he was Head of the Global Security Team at the Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich and Lecturer at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, an MA from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a BA from the University of St. Thomas. He is author of Great Power Rising: Theodore Roosevelt and the Politics of US Foreign Policy (Oxford University Press, 2019).

Paul van Hooft is a Senior Strategic Analyst at HCSS and the Co-Chair of The Initiative on the Future of Transatlantic Relations. He was a postdoctoral fellow from 2018 to 2020 at the Security Studies Program (SSP) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), including as a 2018-2019 Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow. His work focuses on: the origins and logic of American grand strategy; European grand strategy and security; nuclear strategy; Indo-Pacific security, transatlantic relations; alliances; and extended deterrence. Paul attained his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Amsterdam (UVA) and was a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute (EUI) from 2016 to 2018. Paul received the 2016 prize from the Dutch and Flemish political science associations for his dissertation on the impact of experiences with war on postwar grand strategy.

Paul Verhagen is a data scientist at HCSS, and holds a Master’s degree in Environment and Resource Management from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree at Amsterdam University College majoring in theoretical physics and philosophy. Paul has attended exchange programs in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Prior to joining HCSS, Paul interned at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he worked on global cyber capacity.

At HCSS, Paul focuses on bridging the qualitative-quantitative divide between data scientists and policy makers. Some of his previous data work is oriented around tech mining, (social) flow networks, and geo-political risk assessment.

On the content side Paul focuses his attention on the nexus of data, technology and (geo)political power, including 5G and AI. In addition, he has worked on trade related issues including the China-US trade war and Iranian sanctions.

Finally, Paul is a domain expert on US presidential politics and author of Het Amerikaanse Presidentschap, which looks at the institution of the American presidency. He is a frequent media commentator on US politics.

Louk Faesen is Strategic Analyst at the Cyber Policy and Resilience Program of the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. He mainly focuses on international peace and security in cyberspace, norms of responsible state and non-state behavior, and confidence-building measures (CBMs) in cyberspace. Louk functions as the Project Manager of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC), a multi-stakeholder initiative launched at the 2017 Munich Security Conference by the Foreign minister of the Netherlands that brings together leading experts from all major cyber powers and regions to help develop norm and policy initiatives related to international peace and security in cyberspace.

Louk worked previously as a Policy Officer at the Task Force International Cyber Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, where he assisted in the substantive preparations of the Global Conference on CyberSpace 2015 (GCCS) and the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) in The Hague and subsequent projects related to international peace and security, such as the application of international law to cyberspace, confidence building mechanisms (CBMs), and norms of responsible state behavior.

Louk holds a Master’s degree in Law and Politics of International Security (LLM) from the VU University of Amsterdam. During his studies, he conducted research on the Chinese claims in the South China Sea, and worked at a Dutch maritime security company that provides security solutions in the High Risk Area of the Indian Ocean.

Hugo van Manen holds a Master’s degree (MSc) in International Public Management and Policy from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam and a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Leiden University. Prior to joining HCSS, Hugo worked as a consultant at Ecorys, where he was involved in several EU-commissioned projects within the field of civil protection, including the International Forum to Advance First Responder Innovation, DRIVER+, and DG ECHO’s peer review program.

Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Bolder started his military career after graduating from the Royal Military Academy in Breda. As a meteorological officer he headed the meteorological departments at Deelen and Volkel Airbase. After graduating at Wageningen University as World Class Meteorologist he served with the staff of the 1st German/Netherlands Corps in Münster, Germany.

After graduating Staff College in 2001 he was stationed at policy departments at the Airstaff and Defencestaff. He joined the Presidency Taskforce for the Netherlands EU Presidency in 2004 with responsibilities for the Headline Goal Task Force and EU Military Committee. Subsequently he was the European Defence Agency - Netherlands Capabilities PoC for the Defence Staff, The Hague. From 2008 to 2010 he was CHOD representative in the interdepartmental Future Policy Survey team (Verkenningen).

After a six month deployment in 2012 in the West Bank he was stationed at the Airstaff in Breda, responsible for the IMC-policy, Triple-helix policy and Space policy of the RNLAF.

In 2014 he joined the 6 month Senior Course of NATO Defence College, Rome. After graduating he returned to the Airstaff. In 2017 another 6-month deployment to the West Bank followed, again working for and developing the leadercourse program of the Palestinian Security Services. After returning he was stationed again at the Airstaff in the Strategy and Advice branch. He joined the HCSS in January 2019.