Image

Senior Advisory Council

Brigadier General (Ret.) Rolf Wagner

Brigadier General (Ret.) Rolf Wagner

Senior Advisory Council Chair
Brigadier General (Ret.) Rolf Wagner

Brigadier General (Ret.) Rolf Wagner

BG (Ret) Rolf Wagner became the German Deputy Director, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, in October 2022 after retiring from the Bundeswehr as a brigadier general, with 44 years of service. From 2018 until his retirement in 2022, Deputy Director Wagner served as the Director of Academic Planning & Policy at the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy-his final assignment, and a fitting end to a distinguished career.


Deputy Director Wagner joined the German Army in 1978 as an Artillery Officer and achieved a Master's of Science after studying geodesy at the Munich Bundeswehr University. Throughout his career, he served in a myriad of staff, advisory and command positions to include: Special Assistant to the Political Advisor of COMSFOR, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Deputy Political Advisor, HQ SFOR; Commander, 405th Armoured Artillery Battalion (Ml09 & PzH 2000); Faculty Adviser and Tactics Instructor at the National General Staff Course, and later as the Director of the Army Operations Department, at the Führungsakademie (Armed Forces Command and Staff College), Hamburg, Germany; and Assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS) "J" Assessments at Joint Force Command Brunssum, Netherlands; Assistant Chief of Staff G3 and later, after promotion to Brigadier General, as the Deputy Chief of Staff (Support), HQ Multinational Corps North East, in Szczecin, Poland. 

 

Deputy Director Wagner attended both the General Staff Officer's course at the Führungsakademie in Hamburg and the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and was subsequently selected as a Fellow at the School for Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth where he attained a second Master's in Military Arts. In 2017 he completed the German Capstone Course at the Führungsakademie, Hamburg, and in 2018, the General's and Flag Officer's Course at the NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy. 

LG Erich Csitkovits

LG Erich Csitkovits

Senior Austrian Representative
LG Erich Csitkovits

LG Erich Csitkovits

Lieutenant General Mag. Erich Csitkovits's military career began with professional officer training at the Theresan Military Academy from 1980 to 1983. Over the years, he held key leadership roles, starting as the Leader of a light tank platoon and advancing to become the Commander of a mechanized infantry company, a light tank company, and a headquarters company. His extensive career encompasses positions such as S3 and XO of the 35 Mechanized Infantry Battalion and later as the Commanding Officer of the 3 Engineer Battalion.

His career took a significant turn toward the realm of defense administration, where he served as the Head of Section in the Ministry of Defence, Deputy Director of the Mobilisation Division, and Director of the Staff Division in the Cabinet of the Federal Minister of Defence. Notably, LG Csitkovits assumed the pivotal role of Commandant of the National Defence Academy in Vienna in 2011, where he continues to contribute to military education and leadership and holding the Senior Austrian Representative position in the PfPC.

LG Csitkovits's international exposure includes training at the Command and Staff College of the German Bundeswehr in Hamburg and the NATO Defence College in Rome. Additionally, he represented Austria in the U.S. International Visitor Program in 1999, showcasing his commitment to international collaboration. Throughout his career, he engaged in various roles, including project officer for multinational initiatives, planning and senior project officer for staff exercises, and a supporting speaker at the NATO School in Oberammergau.

MG Todor Dotchev

MG Todor Dotchev

Senior Bulgarian Representative
MG Todor Dotchev

MG Todor Dotchev

Major General Todor Dotchev attended the National Military Artillery School in Shumen in 1986. His commitment to continuous learning led him to postgraduate studies at Rakovski National Defence College and Sofia Technical University from 1993 to 1995.

MG Dotchev's military service commenced in Batak from 1986 to 1989, followed by roles such as platoon commander at "Panayot Volov" Higher Military School for Artillery and Anti-aircraft Defense in Shumen. His extensive career included leadership positions, such as Commander of a military unit in Trud, near Plovdiv, and senior roles at the Main Operational Management of the Armed Forces HQ. Notably, he served as a contingent commander in Afghanistan and Iraq, demonstrating his operational acumen.

The culmination of MG Dotchev's journey includes key appointments as Commandant of Rakovski National Defence College, Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces Command, and Defence attaché of the Republic of Bulgaria in RF. He assumed the role of Commandant of Rakovski National Defence College for the second time in 2022, which holds the Senior Bulgarian Representative position in the PfPC. His contributions have been recognized with awards like the "For loyal service under the banners" award sign and the "For excellent service" medal. 

MG Denis O'Reilly

MG Denis O'Reilly

Senior Canadian Representative
MG Denis O'Reilly

MG Denis O'Reilly

Major-General Denis O’Reilly joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1991. In 1995, he earned his RCAF pilot wings and was subsequently stationed at 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Edmonton, AB. His early flying experience involved piloting the CH135 Twin-Huey and later transitioning to the CH146 Griffon helicopters.

From 2000 to 2003, MG O’Reilly undertook foreign exchange duties with 664 Squadron Army Air Corps in Dishforth, UK. During this period, he flew the Lynx Anti-Tank Helicopter and assumed roles such as Squadron Operations Officer and Squadron Second-in-Command. Following his promotion to Major in 2003, he took on the leadership role as the Officer Commanding (OC) 664 Squadron. Returning to Canada in 2003, he held various Flight Commander and operational positions in Gagetown, Halifax, and Kingston.

Promoted to the rank of Colonel in 2015, MG O’Reilly assumed the role of Director Air Force Training until 2016, at which point he returned to Moose Jaw, his hometown, to command 15 Wing - the hub of RCAF pilot training and home to The Snowbirds aerobatic team. His career trajectory continued with a posting in August 2020 to 2 Canadian Air Division as the Commander. After leading individual training and education for the RCAF for two years, he moved to the Office of the Chief of the Defence Staff in August 2022 as Chief of Staff. In June 2023, coinciding with his promotion to Major-General, he was appointed Commander, Canadian Defence Academy, which holds the Senior Canadian Representative position in the PfPC.

His educational achievements include graduating from the Advanced Aerospace Operations Course, the Joint Command and Staff Program, and the United States Air Force Air War College. Major-General O’Reilly holds a Bachelor of Philosophy degree and a Masters of Defence Studies. Recognizing his exceptional contributions, he was appointed to the Order of Military Merit in November 2019.

COL (GS) Armin Havenith

COL (GS) Armin Havenith

Senior German Representative
COL (GS) Armin Havenith

COL (GS) Armin Havenith

COL (GS) Havenith embarked on his military career in 1987 with the German Navy, transferring to the German Air Force in 1993. As a seasoned command pilot, he amassed over 2,300 flying hours, notably logging 2000+ in the TORNADO aircraft.

Over the years, COL (GS) Havenith navigated through diverse assignments that shaped his expertise, from early roles as Officer-Training Candidate at the German Naval Academy to commanding positions at Fighter Bomber Wing 31 "Boelcke." International contributions have also marked his career, including leadership roles at NATO Allied Joint Force Command HQ in Brunssum, The Netherlands, and deployments to CJ5 Plans & Policy HQ ISAF in Afghanistan.

The culmination of COL (GS) Havenith's journey finds him in his current role as Director of Education and Deputy Commander at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College in Hamburg, Germany, which holds the Senior German Representative position in the PfPC.

Mr. Piers Cazalet

Mr. Piers Cazalet

Senior NATO Represntative
Mr. Piers Cazalet

Mr. Piers Cazalet

Piers Cazalet started his career in the British Diplomatic Service in 1991. His first position in London was covering Angola and Mozambique. Piers later served on secondment to the UN as an elections monitor in Mozambique’s first democratic election in 1994. He then worked in London on the Balkans, UN and EU issues, before a posting to Cyprus in 1995 where he was political officer and spokesperson for the High Commission (Embassy). On return to London in 1999, he headed up the India Section in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.


In December 2002, Piers was posted as Deputy Head of Mission to Jerusalem, covering political work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, where he ran several security sector reform programmes. In 2006, Piers moved to Jakarta in Indonesia, where he headed up the Political and Communications teams. In 2008, Piers moved back to the Middle East, to Beirut as Deputy Head of Mission. Here he was responsible for the Embassy’s political work and security sector reform programmes.


He came to Brussels in August 2012 to start work as Defense Counsellor in the UK Delegation to NATO. Piers oversaw the teams working on capabilities, politics, communications, and resource issues.
In March 2017, Piers joined the International Staff of NATO as Head of Press and Media and Deputy Spokesperson. In July 2022 he transferred to Operations Division as Director, Defence Institution and Capacity Building, which holds the Senior NATO Representative position in the PfPC.

Rear Adm. Tomasz Szubrycht

Rear Adm. Tomasz Szubrycht

Senior Polish Representative
Rear Adm. Tomasz Szubrycht

Rear Adm. Tomasz Szubrycht

Rear Adm. Prof. Tomasz Szubrycht commenced his military journey after graduating first in his class from the Navigation and Naval Weapons faculty in 1987. He started his service in the reconnaissance group of the 3rd Flotilla in Gdynia. Over the years, his career trajectory showcased a series of accomplishments, including his appointment as the executive officer of the reconnaissance ship ORP "Hydrograf" in March 1990 and subsequently being named its commanding officer in November 1996.

He attended postgraduate studies at the Naval War College in Newport (USA) from 1997 to 1998, graduating with honors. His leadership was recognized in 1999 when the ORP "Hydrograf" under his command was named the best ship of the Polish Navy in the "special purpose group," and he was awarded the badge "Exemplary Commander" in 2001.

Transitioning to academia, Rear Adm. Szubrycht defended his dissertation with honors in May 2002 at the Navigation and Naval Weapons faculty of the Naval Academy. Subsequently, he assumed the role of assistant professor at the Naval Academy, engaging in research and teaching. Over the years, he furthered his academic achievements, earning his PhD at the National Defense Academy in 2009. His impactful role as Deputy Dean for Science from 2010 to 2012 was marked by organizing scientific activities and fostering cooperation with national and international universities and research institutions. Notably, he is the creator and main editor of the "Maritime Security Yearbook." He now serves as the Rector-Commandant for the Polish Naval Academy, which holds the Senior Polish Representative position in the PfPC.

BG Marcel Amstutz

BG Marcel Amstutz

Senior Swiss Representative
BG Marcel Amstutz

BG Marcel Amstutz

Throughout his career, Brigadier General Amstutz has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to service. Starting as a Captain in 1994, he progressively climbed the ranks, taking on key roles such as Commander of a medium air defence battery and later Chief of Operations in an air defence territorial brigade staff. Notably, he assumed leadership as Deputy Commander of the Air Defence Recruit School in Payerne in 2001 and later became the Commandant of the integral air defence courses at GBAD Training Unit 33, Emmen, in 2006. His journey culminated in his current role at GCSP.

His multifaceted functions include instructing at the light air defence recruit school, serving as a class teacher for conversion courses, and participating in advanced command and staff courses. BG Amstutz's extensive background encompasses leadership positions, such as Commandant Air Defence Training Unit 33 in 2008 and Military Representative at NATO Headquarters and the EU in 2017. His wealth of experience and strategic insights makes him a valuable asset in his role as Senior Defence Advisor.

BG Amstutz currently holds the position of Senior Defence Advisor at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) in Geneva. In this role, he serves as the representative for GCSP in conferences, seminars, workshops, and podiums, both within Switzerland and internationally. His responsibilities encompass expanding GCSP's networks, particularly in policy, the private sector, and civil and military security partnerships, to include holding the Senior Swiss Representative position in the PfPC.

MG Anders Callert

MG Anders Callert

Senior Swedish Representative
MG Anders Callert

MG Anders Callert

Major General Callert attended the Field Artillery Officers Course at the Swedish Artillery Officer School, where he was commissioned as an officer with the rank of second lieutenant. His initial assignment led him to the Norrland Artillery Regiment, where he served for approximately ten years. His international experience includes serving as Deputy Section Chief of S3 in the Swedish battalion headquarters as part of the Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) from August 1996 to April 1997.

He served in Kosovo as a staff officer J7 in the Swedish contingent KS03 and later as a staff officer at the Army Tactical Command, responsible for indirect fire. His leadership roles included serving as the commander of Norrland Artillery Battalion and commanding officer of the Artillery Combat School.

MG Callert's responsibilities expanded to leadership positions, including heading the Analysis and Follow-up Section in the Joint Forces Command and serving as Assistant Chief of Armed Forces Training & Procurement and Swedish delegation to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Korea from June 2021. He currently serves as the Deputy Vice Chancellor at the Swedish Defence University, which holds the Senior Swedish Representative position in the PfPC.

Major General (Ret.) Barre Seguin

Major General (Ret.) Barre Seguin

Senior United States Representative
Major General (Ret.) Barre Seguin

Major General (Ret.) Barre Seguin

MG (Ret) Seguin entered active duty in 1989 as a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps after graduating from the State University of New York at Potsdam.  He went on to hold flying assignments to include duties as flight examiner, instructor pilot, wing chief of safety, and operations officer, with commands at the squadron, group, wing and Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force levels.

General Seguin held a variety of command and staff positions:  Commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan and the NATO Air Command-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan; Director, Strategy, Engagement, and Programs, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany; Commander, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy; Inspector General, Headquarters Air Combat Command; Office of the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force as senior executive officer; Commander, 14th Flying Training Wing, Air Education and Training Command; and senior Special Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.

General Seguin retired from the U.S. Air Force in October 2020 as a major general after more than 31 years of active service.  His last assignment while on active duty was as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Employment, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium. He became the Director, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in June 2021, which holds the Senior USA Representative position in the PfPC.

PfPC Secretariat

Dr. Sae Schatz

Dr. Sae Schatz

Executive Director
Dr. Sae Schatz

Dr. Sae Schatz

Dr. Schatz works at the intersection of cognition, technology, and data. 

From 2015 to 2022, Sae was the Director of the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative, a government program for research, development, and policy stewardship of learning technologies. Before joining the civil service in 2015, Sae worked as an applied human–systems scientist, with an emphasis on human cognition and learning, instructional technologies, adaptive systems, human performance assessment, and modeling and simulation. During that time, she led the authorship and execution of the Marine Corps’ "Making Good Instructor Great course" and was also the chief scientist for the award-winning Border Hunter research effort and the Joint Staff J7’s Blended Learning–Training project. Sae also worked at her alma mater, the University of Central Florida, where she formerly held an assistant professorship in the Institute for Simulation and Training. 

Dr. Schatz also pursues various independent projects, such as providing scholarly keynotes and authoring publications on topics ranging from learning science to emerging technologies. Most recently, she’s released a book called "Engines of Engagement: A Curious Book About Generative AI," and last year, she helped to produce the "Learning Engineering Toolkit."

In addition to her scholarly work, Sae is a professional graphic designer, who often uses her visual design skills to enhance professional publications, presentations, and infographics—in order to help scientific concepts better overcome the research–practice gap.

Olaf Garlich

Olaf Garlich

Deputy Executive Director
Olaf Garlich

Olaf Garlich

Lt Col Olaf Garlich serves as the PfPC Deputy Director and the PfPC International Programs Manager. He manages day-to-day operations of the PfPC Staff. Additionally, he coordinates the activity of the PfPC regional Study Groups and works closely with representatives from the South Caucasus and South East Europe. He has a good command of English.

Lt Col Garlich is a true sport and nature lover and is into bicycling, skiing and jogging.

Brian Gonzalez

Brian Gonzalez

International Program Manager
Brian Gonzalez

Brian Gonzalez

Lt Col Gonzalez is a United States Air Force Foreign Area Officer and serves as an International Program Manager.  As Program Manager he provides content and logistical coordination for the Advanced Distributed Learning Working Group. He has a background in Air Mobility Operations, received his Masters Degree in International Relations and is a graduate of the Spanish Staff College (CESEDEN).

His recent assignments include tours as an Air Base Squadron Commander in Ankara, Turkey, as Branch Chief for Eastern Europe under the International Affairs Directorate for U.S. Air Forces Europe and as an Air Advisor in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Lt Col Gonzalez is married to his wife of 17 years, Tanja Gonzalez, and enjoys traveling through Europe and cycling, hiking and skiing in Garmisch and the surrounding area.

Martin Schuster

Martin Schuster

Program Manager
Martin Schuster

Martin Schuster

Maj Martin Schuster is a German Air Force Officer and serves as an International Program Manager. He coordinates the activities of the PfPC Emerging Security Challenges Working Group (ESCWG), the Irregular Warfare and Hybrid Threats Working Group (IWHTWG) and the Conflict Studies Working Group (CSWG) Groups and manages the PfPC’s publications such as the quarterly academic journal "Connections" as Managing Editor.

Bernd Speckhardt

Bernd Speckhardt

International Program Manager Assistant
Bernd Speckhardt

Bernd Speckhardt

Bernd joined the Culmen Team in September 2021 to support the mission of the Partnership for Peace Consortium.

As Assistant Program Manager, Bernd provides management, planning and execution support for all PfP-C programs, including study and working groups as well as the Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP).

Bernd retired as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer from the German Army in 2011. During his career, Bernd served in many multi-national environments including assignments at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium and the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) which was based in Mönchengladbach, Germany. After his time as office manager for the German Defense Attaché in Seoul, Republic of Korea, he served as operations officer of the East European Outreach Team, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

After his retirement, Bernd joined the German Attaché Reserve with deployments in Seoul, Sarajevo and several times in Singapore.

Brandon Blackford

Brandon Blackford

Operations Specialist
Brandon Blackford

Brandon Blackford

Brandon joined the Culmen International Team in June 2022 to support the mission of the Partnership for Peace Consortium.

In his role as a PfPC Operations Specialist, Brandon works closely with the program managers, providing operations and administrative support to the whole Consortium team.

Brandon served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy from 2010 to 2017. His tours include five years in the Asia Pacific region in the operations department of an amphibious assault ship and frigate, and two years in the tactical defense division of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the Pacific Northwest.

When not in the office, Brandon can be found traveling around Europe or somewhere in the Alps, either rock climbing, mountaineering, hiking, or snowboarding. He has a good command of the Spanish language and is quickly learning German.