People

Chief Executive Officer

Manas Chawla is a political risk expert and the Founder of London Politica. He has advised heads of state, UN agencies and a range of Fortune 500 companies on navigating geopolitical volatility. He is also the Director of the Oxbridge Diplomatic Academy.

An accomplished public speaker, Manas has delivered keynotes on geopolitical risk for leading decision makers at conferences across the world. He is also a regular commentator for a range of international news broadcast programmes including CNN, BBC, CNBC and Bloomberg. Manas holds an MSc from St Antony's College Oxford, and his PhD research at the LSE explores how Big Tech actors shape the geopolitical order of the twenty-first century.

Head of Research

Samuel Jardine specialises in geopolitical competition and governance, with particular focus on space, the polar regions, and the seabed, He is a Policy Specialist at the Lunar Policy Platform, Research Fellow for the Open Lunar Foundation, and Research Associate with Oxford University and the British Army’s Climate Change and (In)Security Project. He was previously the Project Manager for Lord Kerslake’s cross-bench Commission on UK Military Accommodation and, among other roles, was a Consultant for RUSI’s Defence, Industries and Society programme.

Consultant

Tom Crofts is a senior foreign affairs and political risk specialist with over 20 years’ experience as a British diplomat. He has shaped UK strategy in high-stakes environments including Ukraine, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Syria, and Somalia. He now advises on geopolitics, conflict sensitivity, and strategic engagement across diplomacy, governance, and international security.

Consultant

Gerhard Wheeler CBE is a strategic defence and security advisor with over 30 years’ experience in UK military and government service. A former Senior Officer in the British Army, he has led multinational operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, directed UK Reserve Forces transformation, and advised on resilience, stabilisation, and polar strategy for the FCDO and MOD. Now Director of Hollow Square, he provides expert guidance on international defence reform, operational resilience, and national security strategy.

Consultant

Dr Lāsma Kokina is a geopolitical consultant and an academic. She has gained substantive experience in British academia, teaching quantitative political science courses, political economy, and research methods, having worked at The University of Glasgow, Heriot-Watt University, the University of Essex, and the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). Lāsma has an MA in Politics, Security and Integration from UCL, an MSc in International Development and an MRes in Politics from the University of Edinburgh, and a PhD in Central and East European Studies from the University of Glasgow. She is fluent in English, Latvian, German, and Russian, and regularly works across all four languages. 

Consultant

Ece Şen is an international consultant with over seven years’ experience driving digital transformation, public sector innovation, and EU-level technology policy. She has delivered multi-million-euro projects and strategic advisory for clients including the German Federal Government, multiple state ministries, and international development organisations. Her work spans e-government solutions, regulatory analysis, and stakeholder engagement with high-profile actors across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Ece holds an MSc in Public Policy and Management from King’s College London, is PRINCE2 and Scrum certified, and speaks seven languages, including German, French, Turkish, and Mandarin.

Consultant

Ash Carr is a strategic intelligence leader with over 19 years’ experience spanning UK national security, AI-driven OSINT, and SaaS innovation. A former RAF and UK government intelligence officer, Ash has advised elite military units and multinational fusion cells. He now leads Astraeus Insights, developing AI-enabled intelligence platforms for risk and geopolitical analysis. Ash has co-founded multiple intelligence consultancies, built analyst teams, and advised on product and data strategy for clients across defence, tech, and government sectors.

Consultant

Romain Le Dily is a geopolitical consultant specializing in European affairs, geoeconomics, and energy policy, with a strong focus on Russian strategic interests, energy mix, and global business governance.

Currently contributing to the B-Ready project at the World Bank, Romain applies his quantitative research and data-driven insights to global business governance. His career also includes roles as a Policy Analyst at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), a Research Assistant at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), and a Legal Adviser at Dassault Group.

Romain holds a Master's in Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe, a double MA/MBA in Business Law from Panthéon Assas University, and a Master's in International Relations from Saint Petersburg State University.

Consultant

Eva is an analyst and a geopolitics graduate with an excellent background in research, risk analysis, and the advisory sector. Her expertise includes conflict and non-traditional warfare, especially in the psychological and digital spaces, and a focus on eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central and East Asia, and the Arctic region.

Eva’s previous experience includes working as an analyst and outreach assistant at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Brussels, where she was involved in the preparation of intelligence for the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. She also worked as an undergraduate researcher on the project ‘Northern Neighbours: Canada and Russia’ led by Dr. Poplyansky of the University of Regina, and had the opportunity to present her own research on frozen conflicts in Ukraine and the Caucasus at the London School of Economics Undergraduate Research Conference.

Consultant

Kateryna Halstead is a national security, technology policy, and geopolitical risk professional who combines practical experience with deep research expertise, developed through her work with prominent D.C. think tanks and strategic advisory teams. She specialises in AI governance, national security strategy, and the geopolitics of emerging technologies, with a focus on how U.S. and Chinese approaches to artificial general intelligence and AI development trajectories shape policy, regulation, and strategic investment. Her career spans policy design, strategic analysis, and advisory for dual-use technology companies navigating complex regulatory and geopolitical environments. Kateryna holds an MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins SAIS and a BA in International Relations from Trinity Washington University.