LEADERSHIP

Damien Bruckard
Chief Executive Officer
Based in Paris, Damien had a fifteen year career in international affairs before founding Geopolitical Strategy.
Most recently, he was Head of Global Engagement and principal advisor to the Secretary-General at the International Chamber of Commerce where he also served as Deputy Director of Trade and Investment. In those roles, he led the ICC's engagement with the United Nations system, the World Trade Organisation and governments in over 170 countries. Â
Earlier, he worked as a diplomat in Moscow, trade negotiator and legal counsel. Damien holds degrees in law and liberal arts, and speaks French, Russian and Italian.

Michael Feller
Chief Strategist
Based in Melbourne, Michael leads Geopolitical Strategy’s research, publishing and consulting practices.
Before founding Geopolitical Strategy, Michael held senior roles in Australia’s foreign service and prime minister’s department. Michael led Australia’s bilateral relationship with India, advised the Prime Minister on Asia, and served as a diplomat in Singapore.
Earlier, he was a financial journalist, investment strategist and mining prospector. He has degrees in international relations and history.

Kim Northwood
Partner, Geneva
Based in Geneva, Kim is an expert in international trade, investment and multilateral affairs.
Kim spent a decade as an Australian diplomat with postings to Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea. He has significant experience as a trade negotiator and public international lawyer, advising on complex negotiations and disputes. Kim also served as an advisor to Australia’s Trade Minister.
Kim is an experienced investor, entrepreneur and financial advisor. He holds a degree in law and speaks French and Tok Pisin.

The Hon. Mitch Fifield
Senior Advisor - United Nations, Corporate Diplomacy
Mitch is an Australian diplomat and politician.
Mitch served as a Senator, Cabinet Minister, and Australia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished Ambassadors to the UN, Mitch has particular expertise in international governance, cyber regulation, and reform processes.
At the UN, he held prominent leadership roles, including Vice President of the General Assembly, and co-chaired initiatives that led to major reforms of the General Assembly, updated global HIV/AIDS targets, and advanced international disaster risk reduction goals.
As Australia’s Minister for Telecommunications, Media, Cyber Safety, and Digital Government, he spearheaded pioneering online safety regulations, oversaw the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN), developed a secure framework for the 5G revolution, and reformed media laws to ensure platform neutrality.
With over 16 years in public office—including a decade on the front bench—he served as Deputy Leader of the Government and Manager of Government Business in the Australian Senate.

Tim Yeend
Senior Advisor -Â Trade & Multilateralism
Tim has over 30 years’ experience at the highest levels of government and in the international system.
As Associate Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Tim was at the forefront of Australia’s response to key geo-strategic and economic security challenges in the Indo-Pacific and the energy and climate transition. He has led Australia’s engagement in key regional economic institutions and at the WTO, as well as bilateral trade relations including India, Japan, China and the EU.
Tim served as Principal Adviser and Chief of Staff at the WTO to two successive Directors-General and led the WTO’s engagement with the G20 and other key global institutions including the World Bank, IMF and OECD.
Prior to this he was Australia’s Ambassador to the WTO as well as holding senior positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including assignments in Indonesia and South Africa and as an adviser to two Deputy Prime Ministers.

Heidi Venamore PSM
Senior Advisor - Middle East
Heidi is a distinguished diplomat with over 32 years of service to the Australian Government, serving over half in the Middle East.
Heidi was most recently Australian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (2020-2024) and Ambassador to Jordan (2012-2016). She has also served as Deputy Head of Mission in Baghdad and in the Embassy in Tel Aviv, and worked as consultant for the World Bank in the West Bank and Gaza.
Heidi was Assistant Secretary for Counter Terrorism, leading cross-government policy work on managing counter terrorism and violent extremism in South East Asia and the Middle East. She was also Acting Deputy Head of Mission in London where she headed policy and trade across the Australia-UK relationship from 2008-12.
Heidi was awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding service in furthering Australia’s interests in Iraq, and the Defence Overseas Service Medal for her leadership of Australia’s 2021 evacuation of 4,000 people from Afghanistan to Australia.

Peter Tesch
Senior Advisor -Â Defence, Russia, Europe
Peter had a 35-year career in the Australian federal public service.
As Deputy Secretary for Strategy, Policy and Industry at the Department of Defence, Peter led a group of more than 500 people with a budget of over $700 million. He was centrally involved in the development and implementation of strategy and policy governing the Australian Defence Force’s activities and the launch of the AUKUS partnership, leading on Advanced Capabilities (“Pillar Two”) to develop hypersonics, underseas warfare, artificial intelligence, and quantum sensing.
Peter had a long and distinguished career in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Peter served abroad as Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Ambassador to Germany and Ambassador to Kazakhstan as well as Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
In Canberra, Peter also served as head of the International Security Division and an Advisor to the Minister for Trade. Peter speaks fluent German and Russian.

Dr Lesley Seebeck
Senior Advisor - Cybersecurity, Defence, Advanced Technologies
Lesley is a leading expert on the intersection of complex systems, strategic policy, and technology, focusing on cybersecurity, quantum technology, and defense.
As a co-founder of Geomastery Advisory and a founding member of Strategic Analysis Australia, she has held senior roles in the Australian Government, private industry, and academia, including the Departments of Finance, Defence, and the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Office of National Intelligence.
Lesley has also served as CEO of the Cyber Institute at ANU and as an IT and management consultant. Her work has been critical in delivering large-scale technology projects and shaping national security and defense policy. She serves on several government audit committees and recently on Australia’s Naval Shipbuilding Advisory Board.
Lesley holds a PhD in Information Technology and Complex Systems, an MBA, a Master’s in Defence Studies, and a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science (Physics). She is an alumna of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Philipp Ivanov
Senior Advisor - China, Russia, Asia
Philipp is a public policy leader and a China specialist.
Philipp advises governments, corporations and universities on geopolitical risks and strategy. Philipp is a non-resident Senior Fellow with Asia Society Policy Institute, where he founded the China-Russia Program. Concurrently, he served as the global Chief Programming Officer at Asia Society New York, leading global programming strategy across its 16 centres in Asia, Europe and the US.
Prior, Philipp was the CEO of the Asia Society Australia Centre. During his 8-year term, Philipp consolidated its position as Australia’s leading business and policy think-tank on Asia.
Previously, Philipp worked on China policy at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Philipp’s analysis has appeared in Foreign Policy, Financial Times, New York Times, The Australian, Bloomberg, and the Australian Financial Review. He was a Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown University, and the Endeavour Executive Fellow at the China National Academy of Education Administration. He holds a Bachelor’s degree (Honours) in Chinese history and is a fluent Chinese and Russian speaker.

Michelle Price
Senior Advisor - Cybersecurity, Defence, Economics
Michelle is an economist, technologist, and investor with expertise in corporate law.
As a co-founder of Geomastery Advisory, she advises organizations such as Humanico, Cynch Security, and Boston Global. She also serves as an independent member of the Board of Essential Energy’s Risk and Cyber Committee and Global Cybersecurity Risk Lead for the Smart Cities Council.
Previously, Michelle was a Partner at EY Australia, Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council on Cybersecurity, and CEO of AustCyber. She played a key role in delivering Australia’s first national Cyber Security Strategy at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, where she also led national security Budgets.
Michelle holds Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Corporate Law, and Design (Visual Communications). She is an alumna of the Harvard Kennedy School and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Justin Brown PSM
Senior Advisor - NATO, EU, Canada
Justin is a former senior Australian diplomat and trade negotiator.
Justin served for three years as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with overall responsibility for trade and economic issues. In that role, he was Australia's chief negotiator in the CPTPP negotiations.
Justin has held several senior ambassadorial roles. Most recently, he was Australia's Ambassador to the European Union, NATO, Belgium and Luxembourg based in Brussels. He also served as High Commissioner to Canada and Ambassador for the Environment and Chief Negotiator on Climate Change.
Justin also led the Office of Trade Negotiations and Consular and Crisis Management in the Australian foreign service. Earlier in his career, he was involved in a number of trade negotiations at the multilateral (WTO) and bilateral levels. He has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of New England.