Shoaib Bajwa

Shoaib Bajwa is CEO of a research based bespoke strategic advisory firm ‘CTD Advisors’, they counsel government entities, corporates, non-profit organizations, business and political leaders on geoeconomics strategy. Prior to that, he has worked with global financial institutions such as Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Navigant, IBM Promontory, Mashreq and Credit Agricole on senior positions. Having lived and worked in London, Lahore, Riga, New York, Riyadh, Dallas and Cairo, Shoaib is an avid follower of current affairs, human rights and global politics. Shoaib studied Business Management at the London School of Economics and Royal Holloway University of London. He enjoys reading, tennis, cricket and golf.

The Baroness Berridge

Baroness Berridge has been a Conservative Member of the House of Lords since 2011. She has long-standing relationships and works closely with Britain’s Black and Minority Ethnic communities. Baroness Berridge is a project co-director of the Commonwealth Institute for Freedom of Religion or Belief at the University of Birmingham. She co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief and is a member of the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief. A graduate of the University of Cambridge, she worked as a barrister in Manchester for nine years before directing the Conservative Christian Fellowship.

The Lord Oates

Lord (Jonny) Oates was Deputy Director of Communications to the Prime Minister, David Cameron in 10 Downing Street and then Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister, Sir Nick Clegg. He is a former Director of Policy and Communications at the Liberal Democrats and was Director of General Election Communications for the 2010 General Election. From 1999-2001 he worked in South Africa for the Westminster Foundation for Democracy on a project to support political parties previously excluded from the political process under the apartheid regime. In 1988 he taught in – and helped establish – a new rural secondary school in Zimbabwe. He is a former councillor and Deputy Leader of the Council in the Royal Borough of Kingston and was appointed a life peer in August 2015.

Richard Heller

Richard Heller is an author and journalist, who also worked in frontline politics for many years. He has co-authored several books on cricket with Peter Oborne. He has also written a standard manual on public speaking: High Impact Speeches.

After a successful career in the civil service he became chief of staff to Denis Healey in 1981 and helped him retain the Deputy Leadership of the Labour party against the challenge of Tony Benn, a result which almost certainly saved the party from oblivion. In 1985 he became an adviser to Gerald Kaufman, then Shadow Home Secretary.

He joined the political and feature staff of The Mail On Sunday and became its main non-fiction book reviewer. Later he supplied it with a regular satirical column. Now a freelance, he contributes frequently to a wide range of media, particularly as a commentator for the Yorkshire Post.

Dr. Afzal Ashraf

Dr. Afzal Ashraf retired as Group Captain from the Royal Air Force (RAF) and is currently a Visiting Fellow at Nottingham University’s Centre for Conflict Security and Terrorism. During his time with the RAF, he worked as counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategist for the US commanding general and US ambassador in Iraq, as Head of Political Military section in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and as security advisor to the Ministry of Interior with ISAF in Afghanistan. Dr. Ashraf has a Masters in Defense Studies from Kings College London and a PhD from St Andrews University (CSTPV) in Al Qaeda’s ideology. He was Chairman of the Board of Advisors for CSTPV and also undertook an assignment as a Senior Advisor at a UK Government Counter Terrorism Centre dealing with aspects of terrorist ideology, narratives and strategy as well as on operational issues. He was a consultant fellow at Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for 2 years. He has published on several security and extremism related topics and is frequently invited to comment on current defence and security affairs in the global TV, radio and print media.