Prema Gurunathan -  Executive Director, YPFP London

Formerly a parliamentary researcher to a Labour MP and more recently a lobbyist, Ms Gurunathan is now at King's College London pursuing an MA in Intelligence and International Security. She was Chair of the Young Fabians, the under-31s of the Fabian Society 2005/6, and a member of the executive for 3 years prior, starting off as Editor of their quarterly journal 'Anticipations'. Born in Singapore, she speaks Mandarin and was educated at the LSE and Birkbeck College, where she did a MSc in American Politics.

As a self-confessed Americanophile, she has worked on both a Presidential and Senate race, in Washington and Iowa respectively. However she is better known for her baking skills, and is as passionate about patisserie as she is about politics. She also volunteers as a kitchen help for the Food Chain, a HIV/AIDS charity; is involved in the Westminster Challenge, a cross-party charity; and is a school governor at a local primary school.

Alexandros Petersen -  Vice President, Global Operations

Alexandros Petersen is an Adjunct Fellow with the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program. He is also Policy Adviser with ISS Group in Brussels, Associate Scholar at the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington.  Previously, he served as Program Director of the Caspian Europe Center in Brussels, Senior ACD Researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, Deputy Director of the Henry Jackson Society, as well as founder and Vice President in charge of YPFP's London branch.  In 2006, he was a Visiting Scholar at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies. He has also provided research for the U.S. National Petroleum Council's Geopolitics and Policy Task Group and research support for the Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on Russian-American Relations.

Petersen regularly provides analysis for publications such as The Economist, Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune, Boston Globe, Moscow Times, Kyiv Post, Turkish Daily News, and Georgia Today, among many others. He is also a frequent contributor to journals such as Europe's World, Insight Turkey, and the Journal of International Security Affairs. He received a B.A. in War Studies with first class honors from King's College London and an M.Sc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

Raffaello Pantucci -  Director for Operations

Mr Pantucci is a Research Associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He graduated from the University of Manchester in 2003 where he indulged in a BA in literature. He subsequently went to work in Washington at the Center for Strategic and International Studies where he served first as Research Assistant to the Executive Vice President and then as a Research Associate in the Europe Program, concentrating on transatlantic and European political and military affairs. While at CSIS he worked and contributed to a number of reports including “Test of Will, Tests of Efficacy” (May 2005, CSIS Press: Washington DC) and “Trusted Partners: Technology Transfers in the U.S.-UK Defense Relationship” (May 2006, CSIS Press: Washington DC).

He is an occasional contributor to a number of newspapers and online magazines including the Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, In The National Interest, Washington Times, European Voice, Examiner, and www.campusprogress.org. He is currently also working on an MA in War Studies at King’s College in London.

Jennifer Goldstein -  Managing Director

Ms Goldstein is the Research and Operations Executive in the External Affairs Division of the London School of Economics. She holds an MSc in Human Rights from the LSE, and a BA in American Government and European History from Clark University. She has worked for a member of the US Congress (Melissa Bean, IL-8) , and two British Liberal Democrat MPs, including former party leader Sir Menzies Campbell.

Dr Michael Williams -  Director for Events and Activities

Dr Williams is Head of the Transatlantic Programme at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Prior to graduate work at the LSE he completed an Honors BA with Distinction in International Relations (Delaware) and a MA with Distinction in European Studies (Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin). Previously he was Programme Officer for the Oxford-Leverhulme Programme on the Changing Character of War at the University of Oxford. He worked in the Political Section of the US Embassy in London and in the office of US Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. He was editor of Millennium: Journal of International Studies volume 33 and associate editor of volume 34.

Dr Williams has taught political science and specialist courses on international security issues at the Free University of Berlin, King’s College London and the London School of Economics. He comments regularly in the international press and has appeared on CNN, BBC and Sky News. He publishes regularly in both policy and academic outlets. His latest project forthcoming from Routledge in 2007 is entitled Power in World Politics.

Elizabeth Stephen -  Parliamentary Liaison officer

Elizabeth Stephen currently works as a researcher for a Labour MP. A Middle East enthusiast, Elizabeth holds an MSc in International Politics from SOAS where she specialised in Kurdish politics. She has a basic grasp of Arabic and learned French during a year studying at Sciences Po in Paris. Outside politics, she enjoys arts and crafts and has an interest in the history of polar exploration.

TBC -  Program Officer