Gordon Niven is a Chief Systems Thinking Specialist at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Porton Down, UK. He has over 15 years' experience applying systems approaches to complex challenges across all areas of defence and security. He teaches systems thinking, is an honorary fellow at Exeter University, and works as a consultant specialising in addressing complex challenges.

David Capewell served for 37 years in the UK military, with his last appointment as Chief of Joint Operations, where he was responsible to the government for UK global operations. He is currently the Chairman of a forensic intelligence business and a director of a large digital systems company. He also sits on the boards of a range of prestigious capital investment houses and chaired a panel for the recent strategic defence review. He is a distinguished fellow at Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and was the Hudson fellow at the University of Oxford.