Ben has over 22 years’ experience working in communications, first as a creative in the UK television industry and then as a Strategic Communications practitioner in international security and defence. He spent nearly five years in Afghanistan working in influence and outreach, both with the British Army and as a NATO civilian, before joining the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, Riga, in 2016. Here he has been involved in several projects, including the use of social media in counter-terrorism operations and countering violent extremism, working with the private sector to develop best practice and understanding Russia’s influence in the Nordic-Baltic region.

His current focus is a long-term project that aims to develop our understanding of hybrid threats and provide guidance to NATO on how Strategic Communications can counter such threats.