In an era of rapid technological development and organizational change, good governance increasingly requires specialized analysis and knowledge.  To understand change and meet the demands of a fast-moving world, agencies have increasingly turned to the skills and knowledge of specialized consultants.  What role do consultants play in government? How do they influence the structure and operations of government organizations? What role have they played in creating new government organizations, like the Department of Homeland Security; influencing old ones, like the Department of Defense; and shaping the federal response to crises such as Hurricane Katrina?  To discuss these questions and more, please join Matthew Travis, President of Detica, Inc.

To attend, please RSVP by writing to events@ypfp.org [1] with your name and affiliation.

Matthew Travis

Matthew Travis assumed the role of President of Detica's US operation on August 13, 2007, having most recently served as the firm's Senior Vice President.  In his role as President, Mr. Travis is responsible for the strategic direction, business development, and overall management of Detica. 

With nearly a decade of experience at Detica, Mr. Travis has served in numerous capacities throughout the organization, as director of the firm's homeland security, intelligence, and knowledge management programs.  During this time, Mr. Travis has been instrumental in conceiving and directing a range of projects, including analytical and programmatic oversight of various Department of Homeland Security key initiatives and assessments as well as serving as senior advisor to a nation-wide improvised explosive device (IED) task force.  With expertise in counterterrorism, open-source intelligence gathering, and consequence management, Mr. Travis has directed and authored a number of studies while at Detica, including Improving Civilian Policing in Peace Operations; The Future Integrity of the Global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime: Alternative Nuclear Worlds and Implications for US Nuclear Policy; and Establishing a Biological Weapons Defense Information Network.

A former naval officer, Mr. Travis served three years on the personal staff of the Secretary of the Navy as White House Liaison.  Prior to that post, Mr. Travis served as an engineering officer aboard the guided-missile frigate U.S.S Carr.  His military awards include two Navy Commendation Medals and the Navy Achievement Medal.    

Mr. Travis has also worked with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the Balkans and is an occasional lecturer at Georgetown University's graduate School of Foreign Service.   Mr. Travis is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and holds a master's degree in national security studies from Georgetown University.

YPFP Programming Policies

To ensure that we continue to deliver the highest quality events to you, our members, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy has several standing policies.  All of our speaker events require business attire.  Because event space is often limited, we ask members who RSVP to make every effort to attend.  If you RSVP but are unable to come, please notify us as soon as possible at events@ypfp.org [2].  To ensure accurate rosters, we ask members to RSVP by COB the day before the event.   Members may request guests, but as space may be limited, we cannot guarantee them space.   When requesting a guest, please provide a name, affiliation, and email address so that we may confirm with them directly.  Thank you for helping us continue to offer you quality programming and top-notch speakers.