Marek Link
Marek Link has worked as the rector of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences since 18 February 2019. In the past 13 years, he has worked at the Academy in the area of internal security education and training. He has initiated and led numerous European projects and participated in the work of various internal security agencies and networks.
Kersti Kaljulaid
Kersti Kaljulaid served as the President of the Republic of Estonia from 2016-2021. Over the years, President Kaljulaid has robustly defended the principles underlying our society: democracy, human rights, equal treatment and freedom of speech. One of the principles of her own time in office has been the one she set out upon her inauguration: “I am never silent when our security is in question, when our freedoms are at stake or when those weaker than us are treated unjustly.” In 2021, UN Secretary-General appointed President Kaljulaid to the position of Global Advocate for the ‘Every Woman Every Child’ strategy on the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents around the world for the next two years. The head of state was also the first Estonian to be selected by the prestigious magazine Forbes as one of the world’s 100 most influential women.
Lieutenant General Martin Herem
Lieutenant General Martin Herem has been the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces since 2018. In 2016-2018, he was the Chief of Staff of the Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces and had earlier held various positions in the Estonian Defence Forces. In 2006, he was deployed to Iraq at the Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has been awarded various decorations and awards of the Estonian Defence Forces.
Jaanika Merilo
She is currently Advisor to the Vice Prime Minister -Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. She has over 20 years of experience in IT combined with experience in investment management. She has worked in Estonian Development fund, investment funds MTVP and US Invest, and since 2015 has been one of the drivers of digital Ukraine. Among other nominations, Jaanika was included in 2015 by Google and Financial Times to list of NE100 of “Innovators whose innovations change the world for better” and by USAID and UAFIC “TOP 50 Most Influential Woman in fintech” and from 2015 in “Most Influential Woman in Ukraine”.
Bill Moschella
Bill Moschella is a former Special Agent of the FBI, serving for 27 years. Stationed overseas as the FBI Legal Attache’ in Tallinn, Estonia and Abu Dhabi, UAE. In 2014-2015 he functioned as the Security Coordinator for the consortium of four of the world’s largest dredging companies that were contracted by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), to dredge the new 34 kilometer parallel Suez Canal. Before that Bill has worked as Chief of Operations and Business Development in ESC Global Security and as Consultant in NarTest LLC. Today he continues to provide consulting services through his privately run company and he is engaged in projects seeking to develop EV solar power for commercial use.
Arnold Sinisalu
Arnold Sinisalu, head of the Internal Security Service since 2013. PhD in law (2012) with the thesis “Restrictions to Subversive Leverage in International Law”.
Jaanika Puusalu
Jaanika Puusalu is a junior researcher at the Internal Security Institute of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences whose research work is focussed on the possibilities and challenges accompanying the implementation of new technology, especially in the area of internal security, and similarly, the resulting changes in social processes and in the society at large. Puusalu is currently leading the joint research group “Possibilities for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for collecting data at the scene of traffic accidents in Estonia” by EASS and the Police and Border Guard Board.
Janar Aleksandrov
Janar Aleksandrov is the head specialist of information and communication at the Estonian Environmental Board. His experience in the various subdivisions of the Ministry of Environment spans over 15 years. He began the development of drone use at the Environmental Board as a pilot in 2019. He now leads the development work and manages around 50 drones.
Lilian Lääts
Lilian Lääts is the head of the Ambulance Centre of North Estonia Medical Centre and the chairman of the Union of Estonian Medical Emergency. She is an emergency doctor who has worked in the field of ambulance and emergency medicine over 15 years. She is specialised in the area of major accident response and in the recent years she has been mainly concerned with the healthcare crisis.
Merlin Benner
Merlin Benner is a Certified Wildlife Biologist by training, and spent 17 years working as a biologist in state government. He also founded and is now the CEO of two companies, Wildlife Specialists and Remote Intelligence. His main interest is in developing creative solutions to solve problems and increase efficiencies for real-world problems. A majority of his projects have been in the natural gas and energy sectors, with particular focus on environmental monitoring, integrity monitoring, and security. Recently, the two companies became subsidiaries of Dark Pulse, which is expanding their reach across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
Brian Leventhal
Brian Leventhal has spent over 20 years in public service as a law enforcement officer in North Carolina. In 2013, he received his FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot license and helped create the Unmanned Aerial Systems program for the Highway Patrol to use unmanned aerial vehicles to map crash scenes and provide disaster response. He frequently participates in the UAS community as a remote pilot, conference presenter, panellist, and a subject matter expert in program implementation and development of UAS in government and public safety agencies. Recently, his passion for aviation led to his assignment as a helicopter pilot within the Highway Patrol’s Aircraft Operations Unit. Brian looks forward to his aviation future as he continues to blend his manned and unmanned aviation careers.
Ave Lauren
Ave Lauren is a migration expert at the European Migration Network (EMN) whose main research interests include labour migration and mobility, migration policy and international cooperation in migration. Her doctoral thesis defended at Cambridge University explored highly-skilled migration to Silicon Valley and the Bay Area and its impact on the development of the region and communities. As part of her research, she held a fellowship at the Library of Congress. Ave also regularly contributes to Estonian media publications, applied research studies on migration and adaptation and consults various states and cities on developing their talent policies in Estonia and abroad.
Eero Janson
Eero Janson is the head of the Estonian Refugee Council. He manages and designs the Refugee Council´s humanitarian aid interventions in Ukraine, Georgia, Jordan, Lebanon and Kenya, he also advocates for the protection of interests of refugees. He has previously worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and is currently a member of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) Board. Eero has a master's degree in political sciences (University of Tartu) and a master's degree in international humanitarian aid (University of Groningen).
Toomas Malva
Toomas Malva is a police colonel with more than 30 years of experience in the civil service (police and prison services). He has been involved in various police and prison operations (August coup, prison riots, April 2007, Covid19, etc.) and has participated in a number of foreign missions (including mass immigration at the Croatian / Slovenian and Turkish / Greek borders). He is currently working at the Ministry of the Interior as an advisor in the Department of Internal Security and Crisis Preparedness.
Līga Neidere
Līga Neidere is a Policy Advisor to the Minister of the Interior of Latvia. She has previously worked as Justice and Home Affairs Counsellor at the Permanent Representation to the European Union of the Republic of Latvia. She has extensive experience in policy development related to migration and security issues both at the EU and national level. During the Latvian Presidency of the EU Council in 2015 which coincided with the peak of the migration crisis, Ms Neidere chaired working groups related to migration (also external aspects) and Schengen. Ms Neidere has contributed to Latvia's accession to Schengen area.
Saulius Nekrasevicius
Saulius Nekrasevicius is the representative of the State Border Guard Service of the Republic of Lithuania. He is currently the head of the Border Control organization Board of the Service. He has the experience of Border control activities for more than 20 years in different levels and positions.
Milena Petkova
Milena Petkova has worked as a Head of Unit at the Directorate General JAI of the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU (GSC) since 1 June 2020 and has coordinated the work of the team since 2018. She ensures the overall coordination and support to the Presidency of the Council of the EU in relation to the activities of the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) and its support group. She started her career as an official in the Directorate for European Affairs of the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice (2005-2009). She has also been responsible for a broad range of criminal justice files in the Justice directorate of DG JAI (2011 -2017), e.g. Directive on counter-terrorism, Directive on attacks against information systems, data retention, e- evidence, etc.
Luukas Kristjan Ilves
Luukas Ilves is Head of Strategy at Guardtime, a leading enterprise blockchain company, where he applies cutting edge technology to building a prosperous, secure and open world. Previously, Luukas has served in various positions for the Government of Estonia and the European Commission, including leading digital policy during Estonia’s 2017 Presidency of the EU Council. Luukas is a graduate of Stanford University.
Tanel Kapper
Tanel Kapper is currently the chief of S3 staff of the Northern Territorial Defence District. He started his career in the border guard service in March 1991. He participated in the first Estonian mission in Croatia in 1995. He has been on altogether six missions, four times in former Yugoslavia, twice in Afghanistan. He holds a degree in history from Tartu University.
Kerly Randlane
Kerly Randlane has been the director of the Financial College of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences since 2018. Earlier, she has worked at the Estonian Tax and Customs Board leading the area of tax arrears recovery and on various other positions. She has also led a public claim consolidation project as an advisor at the Ministry of Finance. She has been involved with the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences since 2004 and contributed to the activities of the college both as a lecturer and head of the Department of Taxation and Customs. She has a Master’s degree in Public Administration at Tallinn University of Technology and a doctoral degree in Government and Politics at Tallinn University.
Rait Roosve
Rait Roosve is the head of Cash and Infrastructure Department of the Bank of Estonia. He graduated from Tartu University in 1981. He has also worked at Tallinn University of Technology, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Government Office, Ministry of the Interior as well as in private companies. He has worked in the Bank of Estonia since 1995 as the head of Cash Department, Cash and Security Department and now Cash and Infrastructure Department. He is also a member of the ESCB Banknote Committee.
Siim Lindmaa
Siim Lindmaa works in Estonian Police and Border Guard Board. His work is related to development and implementation of unmanned aircraft systems into law enforcement activities. He is a subject matter expert who believes in possibilities to enhance our situational awareness and decision-making processes through the usage of unmanned aircraft systems. His professional background in the field started with the position of planning and using the tactical unmanned aircraft systems for the support of military grade operations. He has acquired knowledge of design and development of systems while working as the product manager in defence industry. Lindmaa has also had long-term experience with unmanned aircrafts both in Estonian Defence Forces and in a private company Threod Systems Ltd. He likes to think of himself as an innovation-driven person who makes decisions with future in mind.
Anna Celine Kasig
Anna Celine is an ERASMUS student in Estonian Academy of Security Sciences. Currently she lives in Hamburg and studies Rescue Engineering (Bachelor of Engineering) in the final phase. She is a co-founder of a security company which covers all aspects of security (security service, event protection, property protection and personal protection), including fire prevention and medical service established in 2020. Besides her studies she is a technician for medical emergencies and a volunteer at palliative care.
Qëndresë Ramadani
Qendrese Ramadani is an ERASMUS student in Estonian Academy of Security Sciences.She is in her last year of public safety studies at the Faculty of Public Safety in Kosovo and she is the fifth generation of this recently established institution. Qëndresë works in her dream job as a police officer. The period she is spending at the Academy of Security Sciences in Estonia will help her to see the differences and similarities, advantages and disadvantages between the two faculties and hopefully help her in the future. She has always wanted to help people and she is happy that her profession is also her hobby allowing her to work with people all the time. She is more interested in the field of community policing as this allows her to connect more with the younger generations and make people see that the police are there to help.
Zsolt Leon Adamik
Zsolt Leon Adamik is an ERASMUS student in Estonian Academy of Security Sciences. He studies Criminal Policing at the University of Public Service (Hungary) Faculty of Law Enforcement. His personal interests are connected to cyber- and white-collar crimes. He always enjoys taking part in conferences and workshops. In his opinion this field of education and research work is really exciting.
Mihkel Nikolai
Mihkel Nikolai is the second-year student of the speciality of corrections at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences. He chose this speciality in order to acquire knowledge that would allow him to contribute to the development of the prison system and the rehabilitation of offenders. Before starting his studies in the current speciality, Mihkel worked for a few months as a prison guard in Tallinn Prison and also studied in the vocational speciality for prison guards. He is interested in various areas, however, in terms with education he has focused on educating his acquaintances on the topic “Prison as an institution of social rehabilitation”.
