LON AUGUSTENBORG - CHAIRMAN

Lon Augustenborg served in the CIA’s Clandestine Service and Directorate of Operations for 35 years, where he reached the highest ranks of the Senior Intelligence Service.  His last position was Chief of CIA’s largest domestic station, where he worked closely with the US private sector and US law enforcement.  He served as Chief of Station in CIA’s flag ship locations in East Asia and Latin America.   While posted in Washington DC, he held positions as Chief of Operations for CIA’s Counter Intelligence Center and Chief of Operations for Latin America.  Mr Augustenborg’s eight foreign diplomatic postings included locations in the former Soviet Union, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
 
Prior to entering the CIA, Mr Augustenborg was a Los Angeles Police Officer where he worked undercover in LAPD’s Public Disorder Intelligence Division, and served in multiple uniform divisions (e.g., Public Affairs, Juvenile Division, etc.).
 
Mr Augustenborg holds a BA in International Relations and Social Studies from the University of Southern California (USC) and a MA  in Public Communication from Pepperdine University, California. He completed a year of study at University College London (UCL) in England at the Center for International Conflict Resolution.  Mr Augustenborg speaks Spanish and has a working knowledge of Russian, Italian, and Hungarian.
 
A recipient of the CIA Career Intelligence Medal, Mr Augustenborg chaired the CIA’s leadership and teamwork training program for high performance officers and served on numerous strategic planning and promotion boards for the Intelligence Community.  He  worked closely with many foreign intelligence and security services covering four continents, where he provided training, operational assistance, logistical support, and leadership for joint intelligence programs.

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DAVID SUMNER - CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
David Sumner brings over 30 years of global leadership experience across the defence, healthcare, mining, and cleantech sectors, with a strong focus on corporate finance and strategic development. He has served in both executive and non-executive roles on the boards of numerous private and publicly listed companies.

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Throughout his career, Mr Sumner has consistently demonstrated his expertise in capital markets, successfully raising both debt and equity funding internationally. He has led six companies through IPO, establishing a proven track record in building and scaling businesses for public markets.

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Having spent the majority of his professional life in the Middle East and Asia, Mr Sumner has developed extensive networks within government agencies and the corporate sector worldwide. He is particularly known for his ability to navigate complex geopolitical landscapes and drive outcomes that deliver broad-based value.

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In addition to his business achievements, Mr Sumner is the founding trustee of The Sumner Foundation, established in 2019, which reflects his long-standing commitment to philanthropy and social impact.

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DR MELINDA FOUTS - CHIEF OF STAFF

Dr Melinda Fouts is a worldwide recognized and highly decorated psychotherapy coach focusing on individuals, corporate executives and government agencies. Her sector agnostic approach has seen Dr Fouts guide and advise some of the world’s most influential people and entities to ensure that their goals are reached in an effective and ethical manner by allowing leaders to focus on critical and strategic thinking, performance optimization, and leadership skills development.
 
Dr Fouts holds an MA in Psychology from the Pacifica Graduate Institute; she achieved her PhD in Psychology from Saybrook University in 2013. She is a member of The International Coach Federation, the Leadership Investment, International Association of Top Professionals (IATOP) and sits on the Forbes Coaches Council. She received recognition from the IAOTP as the Top International Coach of the Year in 2020 and received the award for Most Empowered Woman of the Year in 2021. Dr Fouts has been extensively interviewed for her expertise in executive coaching and also her book, Cognitive Enlightenment.

 

MICHAEL R. CLARKE (CCEP, NACD.DC) - CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER

Michael R. Clarke is Founder and Principal of Jaeger-Plymouth Advisors, LLC, a risk management advisory firm focused on assisting companies with ethics & compliance program assessments, expert witness and litigation support services, risk assessments and support for investigations and corrective actions.  Previously, he served for over six years as Deputy General Counsel & Global Chief Compliance Officer of Convatec, Inc., a FTSE 100 global medical technology company.  For nearly 23 years, Michael implemented third-party business risk management programs and mitigated internal human capital and commercial risks through his creation and management of global ethics and compliance programs for life sciences and healthcare entities.  

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Before his in-house career, Michael practised law for 14 years; is director-certified by the National Association of Corporate Directors; and is a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional. He received his Juris Doctorate from Cornell Law School and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University.

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RAPHAEL THAM - CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Raphael Tham has worked in the corporate finance sector for the last 25 years with transactions spanning Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Korea, United Kingdom, and the United States.  Besides capital markets and M&As, Mr Tham has taken senior management and advisory positions in many companies in various sectors (i.e., the food industry, renewable energy, engineering, finance, IT, etc.).  His expertise includes general management, financial controls and regulatory compliance, corporate restructuring, and fund raising. Mr Tham has extensive IT experience having managed the implementation and deployment of multiple enterprise projects in Singapore, to include the national transport company, sovereign fund, health and homeland government ministries.
 
Mr Tham holds a BA Honors degree from the National University of Singapore; he started his career with the Singapore Economics Development Board.

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JAMES WIGGINS - ADVISOR

James Wiggins is a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service (SIS) Executive and Operations Officer with 30 years of successful global operations leadership and management experience in demanding environments. He is a proponent of increasing collaboration between the private sector and intelligence, defense, and national security communities.

James served as a CIA Chief of Station/Base and Director of National Intelligence Representative in South America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East where he successfully built and led cross functional teams to accomplish U.S. National Security and NATO partner goals. He is known for his critical thinking and talent recruiting skills, and a demonstrated ability to mentor and develop employees.

James has deep experience in strategy development and execution, crisis management, risk mitigation, and negotiations. In recognition of his high impact accomplishments in forging new diplomatic relationships and successfully negotiating the release of foreign political prisoners, the DCIA awarded James the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.

James obtained his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in 2004 and earned a BA in Political Economies of Industrialized Societies from the University of California, Berkeley in 1990.

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ANGUS MCCAFFERY - ADVISOR

Angus started his career in the telecom sector, having co-founded Maintel in 1991. He went on to then take it public on the London Stock Exchange where it remains listed today. He remains a shareholder and Non-Executive Director of Maintel which continues to achieve annual revenues in excess of £100m. 

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In 2019, Angus became the cornerstone investor in 4GD a high-tech Defence business leading the way in immersive close quarter combat training, with facilities in UK and US for Elite Special Forces. Angus has a strong pedigree in the Telecoms and Defence sectors with an intrinsic understanding of capital markets.

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