Team

 

Lord Sedwill KCMG FGRS  
Chairman, Atlantic Future Forum

Lord Sedwill is Chairman of the Atlantic Future Forum. He is a British diplomat, public policy analyst and senior civil servant who served as Cabinet Secretary to Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson and Head of the Civil Service from 2018 to 2020. He has also served as UK National Security Adviser from 2017 to 2020. He was previously the United Kingdom's Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010 and the NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan in 2010. He was the Permanent Secretary at the Home Office from February 2013 to April 2017.

Stephen Watson

AFF Director

Stephen Watson is Director of The Atlantic Future Forum and serves as an Honorary Commodore in the Royal Navy. Stephen helped conceive the Atlantic Future Forum which was first staged on board HMS Queen Elizabeth in New York Harbour in 2018. Stephen is Chief Executive of the UK based CTN Group, an independent media and communications agency working with global businesses, governments and international organisations. He is a former journalist and BBC News producer and has been a communications advisor to 10 Downing Street. 

Sally Pugmire

AFF Event Director

Sally Pugmire is Event Director of the Atlantic Future Forum, and is a highly experienced event professional working in the industry for over 20 years, directing, organising and delivering exhibitions, conferences and awards. Sally has worked in a wide variety of market sectors including technology, business travel, global mobility, manufacturing and defence. She has extensive experience of international markets and has lived and worked overseas, visiting over 40 countries and launching events in the Netherlands, USA and the Middle East.

Chris Wilkins

AFF Strategy Director

Chris Wilkins helped to conceive the Atlantic Future Forum in 2018 and now serves as Director of Strategy and Content for the event. He is responsible for directing the agenda and speaker programme, working closely with industry and government stakeholders to deliver the AFF’s strategic objectives. Chris has enjoyed a twenty year career in strategic and political communications, and is the former Director of Strategy and Chief Speechwriter in 10 Downing Street. He now runs reputation and strategy consultancy Audley, which works with leaders in business and government to help them achieve their political, professional or personal goals.