MSC14 Speakers (Alphabetical)
Vice-Admiral Ron BUCK (Retired)
Vice-Admiral Ron Buck began his career with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in HMC Ships Fraser, Saskatchewan, Margaree and Preserver, before service as Executive Officer of Athabaskan and Commanding Officer of Restigouche. VAdm. Buck’s shore postings include managing the delivery of 12 Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels and the operational acceptance of the Canadian Patrol Frigates and updated Tribal Destroyers. He was appointed as the first Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific in 1997, and subsequently served as Commander of that formation upon his promotion to rear-admiral in 1998. VAdm. Buck was promoted to his final rank in 2001 when he became head of the RCN, during which he oversaw Canada’s naval contribution to the Global War on Terror, and completed his career by serving as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff from 2004 to 2006. Upon retiring, VAdm. Buck joined the Navy League of Canada and was elected Vice President of the League in 2010 and President in 2012.
Vice-Admiral Peter CAIRNS (Retired)
Vice-Admiral Peter Cairns is the President of the Shipbuilding Association of Canada, as well as Director of Business Development in the Aviation Services Division of SPAR Aerospace. VAdm. Cairns retired from the Canadian Navy in 1994 after 37 years of service, during which he commanded the Navy and the Navy’s Pacific Fleet. He is a qualified submariner and his commands include one submarine, a submarine squadron, two frigates, and a frigate squadron. VAdm. Cairns’ international experience includes serving as Assistant Chief of Staff Operations to the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic in Norfolk, Virginia, and tours with the US Navy, the Royal Navy, and NATO’s maritime staff. VAdm. Cairns is a graduate of the US Naval War College, a member of the Naval Officer’s Association of Canada, and a Senior Research Fellow with the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies.
Dr. Tai Ming CHEUNG
Dr. Tai Ming CHEUNG is the Director of the University of California-wide Institute on Global Conflict & Cooperation (IGCC) and the leader of IGCC’s Minerva project, “The Evolving Relationship Between Technology and National Security in China: Innovation, Defense Transformation, and China’s Place in the Global Technology Order.” He is also an Associate Professor in Residence at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California, San Diego. Dr. Cheung is a long-time analyst of Chinese and East Asian defence and national security affairs, especially defense economic, industrial and science and technological issues. He is the editor of “Forging China’s Military Might: A New Framework for Assessing Science, Technology, and the Role of Innovation” (John Hopkins University Press, 2014).
Dr. Claude COMTOIS
Dr. Claude Comtois is Deputy Director of the Interuniversity Research Centre on Enterprise Networks, Logistics and Transportation and a Professor at Université de Montréal. He has over 10 years’ experience as transport project director for the Canadian International Development Agency in China, and he is scientific advisor for Transport Canada’s Port Working Group. Dr. Comtois’ visiting professorships include more than 15 foreign universities. He is the author or co-author of over 100 scientific publications and 250 communications, and currently supervises projects on the competitiveness of port systems, configurations of ocean shipping networks, adaptation measures of maritime transport to environmental changes and Arctic shipping. Dr. Comtois holds a M.Sc. in geography and a Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong for his research in the field of transportation.
Captain Carleton CRAMER (Retired)
Captain Carleton Cramer joined the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS) in 2004 as a military faculty member. In 2007, Mr. Cramer retired from the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, US Navy and took up a position at APCSS as a civilian faculty member focusing on international law, counterterrorism and maritime security. In August 2013, he assumed his current position as Dean of APCSS. Mr. Cramer’s 27-year career in the US Navy includes numerous postings in the Asia-Pacific, including two command tours, as well as work for the Supreme Court of Hawaii and the U.S. Attorney, District of Hawaii. He has earned a Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, a Masters of Law from the Judge Advocate General’s School in Virginia, and a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Ambassador Dr. Hasjim DJALAL
Ambassador Dr. Hasjim Djalal is currently a member of the Indonesian Maritime Council, and is Senior Advisor to the Indonesian Minister for Maritime Affairs & Fisheries, and to the Indonesian Naval Chief of Staff. He has served as Ambassador-At-Large for the Law of the Sea and Maritime Affairs (1994-2000), Indonesia’s Ambassador to Germany (1990-93), to Canada (1983-85), and the Ambassador/Deputy Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN (1981-83). Amb. Djalal has also been the President of the International Seabed Authority (ISBA) in Jamaica (1995, 1996), and currently serves as Chairman of the Finance Committee of the ISBA. Since 1989, he has been the initiator and convener of the Workshop Process on Managing Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea, and participated fully in the Third UN Law of the Sea Conference (1973-1982) and in its implementation thereafter. Amb. Djalal has written extensively on the Law of the Sea and regional issues, with his books including Seeking Lasting Peace in Aceh (2006), Preventive Diplomacy in South East Asia: Lessons Learned (2003), and Indonesia and the Law of the Sea (1995). He earned a B.A. from the Indonesian Academy for Foreign Service in Jakarta, and an M.A. and Ph.D. both from the University of Virginia.
Admiral Harry B. HARRIS, Jr.
Admiral Harry Harris, Jr., was promoted to admiral and assumed command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in October 2013. Prior to his current appointment, Adm. Harris served in every geographic command region, during which he participated in several major operations, including the 1986 Achille Lauro terrorist hijacking incident off Egypt, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Odyssey Dawn in Libya in 2011; during this last-named operation, he served as the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander afloat. Adm. Harris’ commands include VP-46, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 1, Joint Task Force – Guantanamo, the U.S. 6th Fleet, and Striking and Support Forces NATO. His staff assignments include aide to Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan; chief speechwriter for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and three tours on the Navy Staff, including as an action officer in the Strategic Concepts Branch. In October 2011, he was assigned as the Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, where he served as the Chairman’s direct representative to the Secretary of State and as the U.S. roadmap monitor for the Mid-East Peace Process. Harris’ graduate education focused on East Asia security. He attended Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, and Oxford University.
Dr. Jeffrey HORNUNG
Dr. Jeffrey Hornung joined the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in September 2010 after serving as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Ohio State University’s East Asian Studies Center, where he taught courses on Japan’s politics and international relations. As of May 2012, Dr. Hornung won a two-year appointment as an Adjunct Fellow in the Office of the Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS). He has spent considerable time in Japan, including working for a member of the House of Representatives during the 2001 House of Councilors election, and 15 months as a Fulbright Scholar conducting doctoral research at the University of Tokyo. Dr. Hornung has written for numerous publications, including CSIS’ Japan Chair Platform, Pacific Forum CSIS’ PacNet, the East-West Center’s Asia-Pacific Bulletin, the Diplomat, and the Japan Times. Dr. Hornung earned his Ph.D. from the George Washington University, an M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and a B.A. in Political Science & International Affairs from Marquette University.
Dr. Nong HONG
Dr. Nong Hong holds a joint position of Research Fellow with China Institute, University of Alberta, and the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. She was the ITLOS-Nippon Fellow for International Dispute Settlement (2008-09), and a Visiting Fellow at the Center of Oceans Law and Policy, University of Virginia (2009). Her research takes an interdisciplinary approach to international relations and international law, with a focus on ocean governance in East Asia, maritime law, and international dispute settlement and conflict resolution. Her recent publications include “UNCLOS and Ocean Dispute Settlement: Law and Politics in the South China Sea” (Routledge, 2012), “Recent Developments in the South China Sea Dispute”, co-edited with Wu Shicun (Routledge, 2014), and “Maritime Security Issues in the South China Sea and the Arctic: Sharpened Competition or Collaboration?”, co-edited with Gordon Houlden (China Democracy & Legal System Publishing House, 2012). Dr Hong received her Ph.D. of interdisciplinary study of international law and international relations from the University of Alberta, Canada.
Mr. Harry KIM
Mr. Harry Kim is the Director of Performance Improvement at Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards in Vancouver, Canada. He joined Seaspan in 2013 after working at several major Korean shipyards and as a professor of naval architecture at Inha University in Incheon, South Korea. Mr. Kim served as CEO of Daehan Shipbuilding, a start-up shipyard in Korea specializing in building Cape-size bulk carriers, from 2007-10, and was CTO at Daewoo Shipbuilding from 1988-2007. Prior to that, he was a naval architect for Hyundai Heavy Industries from 1980-88, and was a naval architect at Samsung Heavy Industries and Daedong Shipyard from 1974-88. Mr. Kim focused on design engineering in his early career, but he has since shifted to production engineering, with lean shipbuilding being his current interest. Mr. Kim graduated with a B.Sc. from the Department of Naval Architecture at Seoul National University.
Dr. James KRASKA
Dr. James Kraska is Mary Derrickson McCurdy Visiting Scholar at Duke University Marine Laboratory in the Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment. His interdisciplinary work focuses on international law and governance in the global commons, and particularly in the oceans. Prior to assuming his position at Duke, Dr. Kraska served 20 years as an international law attorney in the U.S. Navy, eventually attaining the rank of commander. He completed four Pentagon assignments, including Oceans Law and Policy Adviser and Arctic Law and Policy Adviser for the U.S. armed forces, and served five years on the faculty of the U.S. Naval War College, where he was Howard S. Levie Chair in International Law. He is author of numerous scholarly articles, and has been cited and interviewed by major media, such as the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and National Public Radio. Dr. Kraska earned an S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) from the University of Virginia and a J.D. (Doctor of Jurisprudence) from Indiana University.
Mr. A. Lyston LEA, II
Mr. Lyston Lea joined the National Maritime Intelligence – Integration Office (NMIO) in March 2014 as the principal advisor to the Director NMIO on Maritime Domain Awareness and intelligence issues. As the senior civilian in the NMIO, Mr. Lea provides continuity to the organization as it improves interagency and international information and intelligence collaboration. Prior to joining NMIO, Mr. Lea worked for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in the Analytic Integrity and Standards Office, working on comprehensive tradecraft evaluation programs to improve the accuracy of information, in support of reforms following the 9/11 attack and the Iraq WMD Commission report. Mr. Lea also served on rotation to the State Department’s Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, where he led coordinated analytical support of reconstruction and stabilization missions. Before joining the ODNI, Mr. Lea worked in the Defense Intelligence Agency as Senior Briefer for the J2’s Daily Intelligence Briefing to the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served Chief of the Futures Division, where he directed the Department of Defense Futures Intelligence Program and implemented the Disruptive Technology Innovations Partnership, which focused innovative science and technology analysis against disruptive threats. Mr. Lea served in the United States Army Reserve as an Assistant Army Attaché, physical security and intelligence officer. He holds an M.Sc in National Security Studies from the National War College, an MPA from Fordham University and a BA in History from Washington & Jefferson College.
Vice Admiral Bernard “Barry” MCCULLOUGH (Retired)
Vice Admiral Barry McCullough was appointed vice president of International Business Development for Mission Systems and Training (MST) for Lockheed Martin in October 2013. In this capacity, Mr. McCullough is responsible for MST’s international growth, including new business identification and acquisition, as well as managing relationships with international customers and partners. Most recently, Mr. McCullough served as vice president of Business Strategy for Lockheed Martin MST, where he was responsible for growing MST’s business strategy in core and adjacent markets. Mr. McCullough joined Lockheed Martin in 2011 after serving more than 36 years in the U.S. Navy, where he rose to the rank of Vice Admiral before retiring in October 2011. His final billet saw him serving as Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/Commander, U.S. 10th Fleet, where he oversaw the creation of the command and the development of Navy cyber capability from a supporting role to a supported operational domain. Prior to this appointment, he had numerous commands at sea, including an Aegis cruiser and two carrier strike groups.
Mr. McCullough received an M.Sc. in Strategic Resource Management from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at National Defense University, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.Sc. in Naval Architecture.
Rear Admiral Rowan MOFFITT (Retired)
Born and schooled in Sydney, Rear Admiral Rowan Moffitt graduated from the Royal Australian Naval College, Jervis Bay, at the end of 1975. A surface warfare officer and specialist navigator, he has had diverse appointments ashore and at sea, including command of the frigate HMAS Newcastle, the destroyer Brisbane, and the Australian Defence Force Warfare Centre at RAAF Base Williamtown near Sydney, before his promotion to Rear Admiral in 2002. As a flag officer, RAdm. Moffitt served as the Deputy Chief of Navy, Commander of HM Australian Fleet and Deputy Chief of Joint Operations before heading the new submarine program for five years. RAdm. Moffitt recently retired from the Royal Australian Navy after a 40-year career and has joined global professional services firm Ernst & Young to become partner in charge of EY’s services to Defence in Australia, and a member of the firm’s global Defence executive.
Dr. Justin D. NANKIVELL
Dr. Justin Nankivell came to the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in July 2008 from the University of Victoria, Canada, where he lectured in the areas of international organizations, international security. He also taught international relations, civil-military relations, Canadian foreign policy, and Canadian politics at the University of Vancouver Island and Canada’s Royal Military College. Dr. Nankivell is currently writing on the Law of the Sea, with a focus on the South China Sea and the Arctic regions, and the field of security sector development, where his research primarily focuses on Southeast and South Asia. He lectures in the areas of international law, rule of law, Law of the Sea, security sector governance, and international organizations. Dr. Nankivell holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of British Columbia, and a Masters of International Law from the University of Nottingham.
Colonel Ramli H. NIK (Retired)
Colonel Ramli Nik is a Senior Research Fellow at the National Defence University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. Prior to teaching at the university, Col. Nik was a Research Fellow at the Maritime Institute of Malaysia, where he researched and wrote on maritime diplomacy and South China Sea issues, and has previously served as a defence advisor to Malaysia’s mission to the UN in New York. He has also written on numerous security topics, including peacekeeping management and terrorism in Southeast Asia. Col. Nik received his commission at the UK Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst in 1970, has earned an M.A. and Post-Graduate Diploma in International Relations from the University of Lancaster in the UK, and is an alumnus of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies’ Senior Executive Course.
Vice-Admiral Mark NORMAN
Vice-Admiral Mark Norman was promoted to his current rank to become Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in June 2013. Prior to becoming Canada’s top sailor, he served as Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic, Commanding Officer of the frigate St. John’s, and Executive Officer of the destroyer Iroquois. VAdm. Norman’s staff experiences reflect a mix of both naval and joint appointments in fields such as analysis & tactical development, capability requirements, training and education, operational and strategic planning, and change management. He has held key senior appointments on the Naval Staff, Strategic Joint Staff, in the Vice Chief of Defence Staff organization, and most recently, as Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff/Deputy Commander of the RCN. VAdm. Norman is a graduate of Queen’s University with a degree in Economics, the Canadian Forces Command & Staff Course, the National Security Studies Program at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, and the US Capstone and Pinnacle Programs.
Dr. Geoffrey TILL
Dr. Geoffrey Till is Professor of Maritime Studies in the Defence Studies Department and Director of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies at King’s College London. Before that he was the Dean of Academic Studies at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, and Professor of History at The Royal Naval College Greenwich. Dr. Till has taught at numerous universities and military colleges, including the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, the US Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, and the US Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia. In 2007, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, and in 2008, the inaugural Sir Howard Kippenberger Visiting Chair in Strategic Studies at the Victoria University of Wellington. His works, including Seapower: A Guide for the 21st Century and The Rise of Naval Power in Asia-Pacific, have been translated into nine languages, and he regularly speaks at staff colleges and academic conferences around the world. Dr. Till earned both his Ph.D. and M.A. from King’s College London.
Rear Admiral Arturo UNDURRAGA
Rear Admiral Arturo Undurraga was promoted to his current rank in January 2012, shortly after taking up his current position as Commander of Naval Aviation. Prior to this job, he was the Director of the Chilean Naval Academy, and served as the military attaché to Canada. RAdm. Undurraga was the Commanding Officer of the patrol vessel Micalvi, the missile boat Angamos, the icebreaker Almirante Viel, and the Fast Missile Boat Group. He is a specialist in naval aviation, with over 2,000 hours of flight time, mainly in maritime patrol aircraft, and he also served as a PC-7 pilot instructor for three years.
Dr. Mark VALENCIA
Dr. Mark J. Valencia is an international maritime policy analyst, political commentator and consultant focused on Asia. He has been a speaker at such high-level meetings as The World Knowledge Forum in Seoul and the Bo’ao Forum for Asia hosted by China. He was a Senior Fellow with the East-West Center for 26 years where he originated, developed and managed international, interdisciplinary projects on maritime policy and international relations in Asia. Most recently he was a Visiting Senior Scholar at China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies. Dr. Valencia has also been a visiting fellow and scholar at numerous institutions across the world, including the US State Department and the International Maritime Organization, and has worked with private companies such as Shell and Conoco. Dr. Valencia has published 15 books and 100 journal articles, and is a regular contributor to prominent Asia-based media such as the South China Morning Post and the Japan Times. He earned his Ph.D. in Oceanography and his Diploma in the Asian Overseas Career Program from the University of Hawaii, and his M.A. in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island.
Dr. Milan VEGO
Dr. Milan Vego has been a Professor of Operations in the Joint Military Operations department of the U.S. Naval War College since 1991. Prior to teaching at the Naval War College, he worked in the War Gaming & Simulation Center at the National Defense University, was an Adjunct Professor at the Defense Intelligence College at the Defense Intelligence Agency, and worked as an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University. Dr. Vego has written extensively on naval warfare and strategy, with his books including Operational Warfare at Sea: Theory and Practice (2009), Operational Warfare (2000), Naval Strategy and Operations in Narrow Seas (1999), and Soviet Naval Tactics (1992). Dr. Vego served as a line officer in the former Yugoslav Navy, and as Third and Second Mate on board West German ships. He earned a Ph.D. in European History from the George Washington University, and both an M.A. and B.A. in Modern History from the University of Belgrade.
Admiral Nirmal VERMA (Retired)
Admiral Nirmal Verma is currently the High Commissioner of India to Canada in Ottawa. Before retiring from the Indian Navy in August 2012 after a distinguished four-decade career, Adm. Verma served as the Chief of the Naval Staff from August 2009. Prior to the top naval post, he led the Navy’s Eastern Naval Command, the Naval Academy in Goa, and commanded three warships, including the destroyer Ranvir and the aircraft carrier Viraat. Early in his naval career, Adm. Verma was part of the crew of India’s first Kashin-class destroyer from the former Soviet Union. He has completed a post-graduate degree in Defence Studies from Chennai University, as well as mid- and senior-level professional courses at the UK’s Royal Naval Staff College and the US Naval War College.
Mr. Alexander WALKER
Mr. Alexander Walker represents the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) on issues involving maritime security. He is currently working with the U.S. Fifth Fleet and Coalition Maritime Forces (CMF) in Bahrain to develop the upcoming International Mine Counter Measures Exercise (IMCMEX 14). Mr. Walker previously held the position of Vice President, Operations for Chevron Shipping Company, during which he managed fleet operations for Chevron’s owned and chartered vessels, which transport crude oil, gas and petroleum products. He was also responsible for marine assurance, safety, security, emergency response, environmental compliance and external affairs activities for the fleet. Previous to this position, Mr. Walker held assignments in Chevron’s refinery operations and their international supply and distribution business.
Dr. Dong WANG
Dr. Dong Wang is an Associate Professor at the School of International Studies, Director of the Center for Northeast Asian Strategic Studies, and Deputy Secretary General of the Center for American Studies, all at Peking University. Dr. Wang has provided foreign policy consultation to China’s State Council and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has been a Chinese delegate at key international fora such as the Shangri-La Dialogue. He has written extensively on China’s foreign policy and international relations, and is regularly featured in media such as Reuters, BBC, The Economist, and the Washington Post. Dr. Wang has won many awards, including an inaugural “China’s Rising Leader” by the National Bureau of Asian Research in 2011. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his Bachelor in Law from Peking University.
Commodore Kelly WILLIAMS (Retired)
Commodore Kelly Williams joined General Dynamics Canada as Senior Director Strategy and Government Relations in September 2012 after over 36 years of service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), including two extended Arabian Gulf deployments. During his term with the RCN, Mr. Williams served with the U.S. Navy, and as the Canadian Defence Advisor to the Canadian High Commissioner in the United Kingdom. He has served as Assistant Chief of Maritime Staff, as well as the Director of Maritime Strategy, where he was responsible for future maritime force development and was a principle contributor to the development of maritime security elements of Canada’s National Security Policy. In 2005, Kelly was seconded to the Chief of the Defence Staff to assist in the development of the new Defence Policy Statement. As a result of his work there, Mr. Williams was appointed Director of General Strategy and charged with the strategic guidance and coordination for the Canadian Forces and the development of the Canada First Defence Strategy. Mr. Williams is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Staff College and has completed an MBA.
The Honorable Robert WORK
Mr. Robert Work was confirmed as the 32nd Deputy Secretary of Defense on April 30th 2014. Immediately prior to his confirmation, he served as CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) think tank. Before his tenure at CNAS, Mr. Work served as the Undersecretary of the Navy, and in 2008, he was part of President-elect Obama’s transition team, working on naval, defence policy and defence acquisition issues. Mr. Work served for 27 years in the US Marine Corps, eventually attaining the rank of colonel, during which he was base commander at Camp Fuji, Japan, and was the Military Assistant and Senior Aide to the then-Secretary of the Navy, Richard Danzig. Mr. Work holds an M.Sc. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California, an M.Sc. in Space System Operations from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Master in International Public Policy from the John Hopkins School of International Studies. His military and civilian awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award.
