Michael Berk

With over 28 years of field and policy development experience internationally, Michael specializes in the integration of physical, information and human security concepts and operations. Having worked in corporate, government and think-tank environments on international security issues, he possesses a unique cross-sector understanding of the modern security challenges and existing approaches to addressing them. Since 2012, he has been engaged in numerous projects consulting government and non-government stakeholders on enhancing their readiness and capabilities to address emerging threats and risks in the digital/information environment. Between 2021 and 2024, he acted as Coordinator of the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism's secretariat out of Global Affairs Canada.
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Currently, he leads Alton's consulting services related to monitoring, analysis and policy development for clients concerned about developing robust approaches to influence/information operations, countering disinformation and enhancing societal resilience. In addition, he pursues the development of 'information integrity' as a strategic policy concept to inform a more systemic approach to information environment challenges in democracies. 

Alicia Wanless

Dr. Alicia Wanless researches how we shape — and are shaped — by a changing information space. Through Alton Corporation, Alicia works as the Director of the Information Environment Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, which aims to foster evidence-based policymaking for the information environment. The initiative builds on the work of the Partnership for Countering Influence Operations, which she also led. Alicia has also created a multi-stakeholder network in partnership with the G7 Rapid Response Network to support information integrity efforts in Ukraine. Alicia was a technical advisor to Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder and is a founding member of its Global Cybersecurity Group. She is also an expert advisor to the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition for Digital Safety. At King’s College London in War Studies, she completed her PhD, combining strategic theory and ecology in a new approach to understanding conflict within the information environment.