VIDEO: The Athena Series: Women in Strategy Conference- March 11, 2025

On Tuesday 11 March, Security & Defence PLuS will host the second installment of its Athena Series: Women in Strategy Conference at Arizona State University (ASU). This one-day conference will shine a light on the expertise and leadership of women in the fields of strategy, security and defence, drawing from the military, government, industry, diplomatic and academic domains.

Find the London and Canberra conference videos below.

Discussions will cover topics such as global power dynamics, gender perspectives in foreign policy, defence policies, military reform, and the role of emerging technologies and talent in defence innovation.

WHEN: Tuesday March, 11, 2025 from 9 A.M.- 5 P.M.

WHERE: The Lincoln Room, Fulton Center, ASU Tempe Campus, 300 E. University Dr. Tempe, Arizona

Keynote:

Retired US Army General Laura J. Richardson, Former Commander, United States Southern Command

Speakers Include:

• Professor Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America
• Dr Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director, McCain Institute
• Shawn G. Skelly, former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense
• Dr Lily McElwee, President and CEO, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations
• Professor Linda McKie, Executive Dean, Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy, King’s College London
• Professor Lori Poloni-Staudinger, Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Arizona
• Angela Aspito, Managing Director, Southwest Mission Acceleration Center
• Rana Lashgari, Founder and President, Biltmore Strategies
• Col Wanda Wright, Director of Office for Veteran and Military Academic Engagement, ASU
• Professor Magda Hinojosa, Dean, Social Sciences, ASU
• Professor Miki Kittilson, Vice Dean, College of Global Futures, ASU
• Grace O’Sullivan, Vice President, Corporate and Economic Development, ASU
• Dr Alicia Ellis, Program Director, MA in Global Security, ASU

More speakers and full agenda to follow. 

This is a ticketed event and capacity is limited, please follow the link to register or reach out to [email protected] for more information.

You can read about the inaugural event, co-hosted with the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre at King’s College London in October 2024 here: Athena Series launched at King’s to celebrate exceptional women in strategy.

REGISTER HERE.

London:

The Athena Series: Women in Strategy Conference, hosted by Security & Defence PLuS and the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre at King’s College London on 21 October, 2024.

00:00 – Introduction: Professor Wyn Bowen, Head of the School of Security Studies, King’s College London and King’s Lead for Security & Defence PLuS

09:20 – Keynote: Baroness Gisela Stuart Hon Capt RNR, Civil Service Commissioner, Member of the House of Lords

57:58 – Panel 1: Anchoring Success: Calculating Risk and Responding to Threat

1:51:54 – Panel 2: Global Reach, Grand Strategy and Alliance Dynamics

3:01:00 – Fireside Chat: Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Former Minister of State for Indo-Pacific, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

3:47:22 – Panel 3: Leading the Fleet: Resilience, Readiness and Resourcefulness

4:53:54 – Panel 4: Women Shaping Strategy: Then, Now, and The Future

5:59:44 – Closing Remarks: Captain Kevin Rowlands, Head, Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre

Canberra:

On Monday 7 April, Security & Defence PLuS and UNSW Canberra will host the third instalment of the Athena Series: Women in Strategy Conference. This one-day conference, held at UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy, will shine a light on the expertise and leadership of women in the fields of strategy, security and defence, drawing from the military, government, diplomatic and academic domains. Discussions will explore topics such as inclusive leadership and the impact of gender on decision-making, geopolitics and gender perspectives in the Indo-Pacific, inclusive military reform, and women’s leadership in addressing critical challenges of our time, including climate change and cybersecurity.

Conference Agenda:

00:01:51 Introduction

00:14:49 Professor Verity Firth AM, Vice-President Societal Impact, Equity and Engagement, UNSW Sydney

00:23:41 Panel 1 – Pioneering Leadership in Strategy, Security, and Defence

02:00:34 Panel 2 – Geopolitics, Grand Strategy, and Gender Perspectives in the Indo-Pacific

03:48:16 Fireside Chat – Industry and Innovation

04:38:00 Panel 3 – Women’s Pathways into Defence and Inclusive Military Reform

06:00:28 Panel 4 – Women’s Leadership and the Critical Challenges of our Time

06:57:13 Closing Remarks

Learn more here.