Dr John Coyne is the Director of the National Security Program at ASPI. John is the inaugural Director of ASPI’s National Security Program (NSP), overseeing ASPI’s Counter-Terrorism Policy Centre; Statecraft and Intelligence Policy Centre; Climate and Security Policy Centre, and Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement Policy Centre. John is also the inaugural Head of the Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre. John is an award-winning author who has published widely on policing, national security, northern Australia and organised crime. He is the author of the ‘The Role of Strategic Intelligence in law Enforcement’. Since commencing at ASPI, John has conducted field research on Mexican organised crime, biosecurity, regional coastguards, border security, people smuggling, illicit drugs, corruption and foreign bribery, regional intelligence sharing and ASEAN economic integration. He has authored numerous research publications and provided expert commentary to media and news outlets. John came to ASPI from the Australian Federal Police, where he worked on transnational serious organised crime, national security, and counter-terrorism. John has worked in intelligence and national security for over 25 years. He has been an intelligence professional at tactical, operational, and strategic levels across military, regulatory, national security and law enforcement organisations. He has been a Winston Churchill Fellow and a Vincent Fairfax Fellow. John is a member of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and the ANU Criminology Industry Advisory Group.

Helen Degeling is a geologist and recognised, influential advocate for minerals development that delivers positive ESG outcomes and meets the demands of a just transition towards decarbonisation. She has previously held roles as a researcher, exploration and mine geologist, and exploration manager for junior precious, base and critical metal explorers, as well as leadership positions in critical minerals and sustainable mining across government and industry. Helen is now Director of Geoscience and Sustainability at Mining3, where she combines her traditional geological expertise and passion for circularity, sustainability and traceability to drive innovation and deliver practical solutions for the resources industry’s ‘next generation’ challenges.