Laurence Marzell, CEO, Whole System Approach Consultancy, UK

Laurence Marzell leads Whole System Approach, an operationally focused research and innovation practice he founded in 2022.

Drawing upon his practical experience of leading research and innovation projects for Serco’s UK & Europe division over the last decade, he has deep experience of the practical translation and exploitation of research and innovation outputs into day-to-day operational needs on the ground.

At Serco, Laurence led the participation in a number of EU Horizon 2020 projects in: Community policing; virtual and augmented reality training of crisis and first responders; the governance, integration and application of Earth Observation data with the wider information and intelligence mix; and resource and energy efficient renovation under the EU’s Green Deal.

Laurence speaks regularly at conferences and events and is a contributor into specialist and subject matter journals and books. He sits on the Centric External Advisory Board and is an Associate Partner of Intensive Engagement, a not-for-profit organisation building stronger and more resilient communities from the grass roots up, with communities, for public safety. Laurence was a contributor and advisory board member of an EU funded consortium of an International Security Management degree course now offered by Erasmus University, Rotterdam to in excess of 15,000 students worldwide.

LTC. (Res.) Dr. Uri Ben Yaakov, Chief Operations Officer & Senior Researcher, The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) Reichman University, Israel

Lt. Col. (Res.) Dr. Uri Ben Yaakov is COO and Senior Researcher at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) and a lecturer at Reichman University, Israel, and Rakovski Military Academy, Bulgaria, specializing in Laws and Terrorism, Open-Source Intelligence, and Simulation Exercises.

He began his military career in the IDF Paratroopers and later served in various intelligence roles. He holds a BA in General Studies, a law degree, an MA in Government with a specialization in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security, and a PhD from the Rakovski Military Academy, where he developed a methodology to address the independent actor terrorism phenomenon.

Lt. Col. (Res.) Ben Yaakov represents ICT in the Israeli Parliament on the Counter-Terrorism Bill and is an expert on Cyber-Terrorism, Terrorism Financing, and International Cooperation.

Amb. Dr. Ronen Hoffman, President, EIS Council

Dr. Ronen Hoffman is an Accomplished academic, public figure, manager, diplomat, and entrepreneur with extensive expertise in organizational leadership, think-tanks management, community relations, leadership and resilience development, education, international relations, and public policy.

Notable positions include serving as Ambassador of Israel to Canada, Member of Knesset and the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Co-Founder and Founding General Director of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Director of the Herzliya Conference, Personal Aide to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Advisor to the Minister of Defense, and Coordinator of the Israeli delegation to peace negotiations with Syria.

Founder of Kimama Educational Programs (Kimama Camps) and developer of the ELI (Exploration, Leadership & Innovation) program at Tel Aviv University.

Dr. Chris Beck, Chief Scientist and Vice President for Policy, EIS Council, USA

Dr. Beck has led critical infrastructure resilience strategy at EIS Council since 2011, focusing on mitigating long-duration, Black Sky power outages. A nationally recognized expert in critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, emerging threats, and homeland security policy, he previously served as Subcommittee Staff Director and Senior Advisor for Science & Technology at the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security (2005–2011).

Before his government roles, he worked in the office of Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and held academic positions as a postdoctoral fellow and adjunct professor at Northeastern University. Dr. Beck holds a PhD in Physics from Tufts University and a B.S. in Physics from Montana State University, and he served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Lihi Rotem Ganani, CMO, Ginom, Spain

Lihi Rotem Ganani is leading global initiatives that strengthen resilience through digital engagement, innovation, and community-building. She oversees marketing, branding, and driving collaboration across sectors. Based in Madrid, Lihi previously worked at IE Business School, where she developed innovation programs connecting corporates, startups, and students. Earlier in her career, she practiced law in Israel and served as a judicial clerk in the District Court. She holds degrees in Business, Law, and Digital Transformation and Innovation Leadership.