The Foundation grew out, two years ago, from a common intuition of the President Minuto-Rizzo and the NATO Defense College top decision makers who understood the value of a non-profit NGO that could work beyond usual and institutional outreach, training, communication and scientific research activities.
While the tradition of stability and well-being is embodied by the still valid principles of the Washington charter, the triple upheavals of the fall of the Soviet Union, the global economic crisis and of the Arab Revolutions require a more focussed, agile and innovative approach.
Apparently the ingredients are the same of many other sister organizations, but where we will concentrate our efforts is to look at relevant issues not just by describing them or recommending decisions, but by catching the sense of events and the essential vectors of future developments. In a word: charting ahead.
The NDCF strives to get hold of this Ariadne’s thread that often seems missing not only in mundane politics, but also in the realm of grand strategy, precisely when this craft is more needed to shape a future.
The SAB (Senior Advisory Board) has the essential function to assist in the strategic decisions about the future development, funding and operations of the Foundation. Its first meeting has taken place back to back with the Conference "Afghanistan to 2014 and beyond – Ask and Task" and has been constructive.
H.E. Ambassador Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar, Chairman of the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies
H.E. Ambassador Nabeela Al-Mulla, Kuwait Ambassador, Brussels
H.E. Ambassador Ghazi Al Bahar Al Rawas, National Defence College, Oman
H.E. Ambassador Mohammed Ali Al-Naqbi, UAE Ambassador to NATO
H.E. Ambassador Sheikh Ali Bin Jassim Al-Thani, Ambassador of Qatar, Brussels
H.E. Ambassador Anders Bjurner, Stockolm
H.E. Ambassador Gabriele Checchia, Italian MFA, Permrep NATO
Mesut Ciceker, Vice President, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Wesley K. Clark, CEO of Wesley K. Clark & Associates
Staffan de Mistura, former Foreign Affairs vice-Minister, Italy
Ennio Di Nolfo, professor emeritus, History of International Relations, University of Florence
Caroline Kanter, KAS
Amb. Jeremy Kinsman, Resident International Scholar Institute of Governmental Studies University of California, Berkeley
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, ASG Public Diplomacy NATO HQ
Istvan Gyarmati, President, International Centre for Democratic Transition
Kai Eide, Foreign Minister, Norway
Oded Eran, Senior Adviser, Institute for Security Studies, Tel Aviv
Prof. Ahmet O. Evin, Istanbul Policy Center, Sabançi University
Grant Hammond, Professor of International Security at the Air War College Scientific Committee
Raymond R. Henault, President of the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) Institute
H.E. Ambassador Robert Hunter, Director, Center for Transatlantic Security Studies, INSS
H.E. Ambassador Mahmoud Karem, Egyptian Council for Foreign Relations
George Joffé, Global Policy Institute, Deputy Director, London
Ian O. Lesser, Executive Director, Transatlantic Center, German Marshall Fund of the US
Julian Lindley-French, Eisenhower Professor of Defence Strategy at the Netherlands Defence Academy
Joseph Manso, Deputy Permanent Representative, US mission to NATO, Brussels
H.E. Dr. Ahmad Masa'deh, former Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean; former Minister of Public Sector Reform, Jordan
Professor PFiruz Demir Yaşamış, American University, Dubai
General John Rutherford Allen, Washington
Abdulaziz Sager, Chairman of the Gulf Research Center
H.E. Ambassador, Ferdinando Salleo, Trilateral Commission
Giuseppe Scognamiglio, Vicepresident, Unicredit
H.E. Ambassador Dominique Struye de Swielande, Brussels
Fred Tanner, Director, Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)
Sinan Ulgen, Chairman, Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies
General Federico Yaniz Velasco, Madrid
Damon Wilson, Executive Vice President, US Atlantic Council
Emiliano Alessandri, GMFUS
Massimo Ambrosetti, MFA, Italy
Vincenzo Camporini, IAI Vice President, leader of the board
Adriana Cerretelli, Sole 24 Ore, Bruxelles
Alessandro Colombo, University of Milan
Eric Jones, Bologna Institute for Policy Research, Johns Hopkins University
Sir Michael Leigh, Senior Advisor, German Marshall Fund of the US
Karl Heinz Kamp, BAKS
Roberto Menotti, Aspen Institute Italia
Carlo Musso, Finmeccanica
Vincenzo Nigro, La Repubblica
Michele Nones, IAI
Nicolò Russo Perez, Compagna di San Paolo
China
I. Elenoire Laudieri Di Biase
Mediterranean and Gulf
Fabio Nicolucci
Cinzia Bianco
Umberto Profazio
Eleonora Ardemagni
Balkans
Valerio Cartocci
Matteo Tacconi
Eastern Europe and Russia
Angelantonio Rosato
Emerging Challenges
Matteo Bressan
President
Director
Vice President
Treasurer
NATO Defense College Commandant
CEO IBP Group International Ltd.
Finmeccanica, Vice President of Marketing & Commercial Development
Research Division Director