Brussels Forum Session: Fresh Off the Campaign Trail: Stories From the 2024 US Primary

Sarah Wheaton is the Brussels-based chief policy correspondent for POLITICO Europe, the author of the weekly EU Influence newsletter, and host of the EU Confidential podcast. She focuses on top policy news, in-depth reporting, and special projects. She was previously a senior policy reporter on POLITICO Europe’s health team.

Before moving to Belgium, Wheaton was a White House correspondent for POLITICO, covering the final two years of the Obama administration, and a health care reporter for POLITICO Pro. She spent the first part of her career at The New York Times, where she covered breaking news, the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, and the White House.

Wheaton holds a bachelor’s degree in political communication from The George Washington University. 

Brussels Forum Session: Euro-Atlantic Security Outside the Box: High Ambitions, Different Formats

Imants Lieģis is diplomatic adviser to Latvia’s defense minister, a position he held in 2009-2010.

Lieģis’ career with the Latvian government began in 1992 and has focused on security, defense, and foreign affairs. As a diplomat, he served as ambassador to NATO, the EU Political and Security Committee, Spain, Hungary, and France. He was a member of Latvia’s parliament (Saeima) between 2010 and 2011.

Lieģis has worked with the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, where he remains an associate researcher. He is a member of the senior network of the European Leadership Network and of the Alphen Group.

Lieģis holds a law degree from Newcastle University. 

Brussels Forum Session: The Economic Counteroffensive: Rebuilding Ukraine

Stuart Smith leads the structural design team at Arup in Germany. He is an expert in innovation and sustainability in structural design, and he established a series of research projects—including prototype development—on open-source design, digital fabrication, and material cycles.

Smith contributed to the design of the Tate Modern in London, the CCTV Tower in Beijing, and the Reforma 509, a 240-meter-tall building in the highly seismic Mexico City. He has worked with prominent artists such as Doris Salcedo for the installation "Shibboleth" at the Tate Modern and Ai Wei Wei for the Serpentine Pavilion 2012.

Smith studied civil engineering at City University and Imperial College in London and went on to work for Arup London for almost 20 years before moving to the company’s Berlin office.

Brussels Forum Session: NATO at 75: Past, Present, Future – Part II

Lord (George) Robertson of Port Ellen was NATO's tenth secretary general from 1999 to 2003 and UK secretary of state for defence from 1997 to 1999. During his time at NATO, he announced the invoking of Article 5, the self-defense guarantee, for the first time in the alliance’s history.

Robertson was a member of the British House of Commons for 21 years and a member of the UK shadow cabinet from 1993 to 1997. He was named joint parliamentarian of the year in 1992 and appointed to the House of Lords in 1999. He was chief opposition spokesman on Europe for nine years.

Robertson is now chancellor of the University of Dundee; a senior counsellor with the Washington, DC-based consultancy, The Cohen Group; vice patron of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo; and a senior adviser with BP and 5654 & Company, a consultancy. He is also a special adviser to Chatham House and is on the boards of the Centre for European Reform, Trinity House, and the British Forces Foundation. He serves on the Atlantic Council’s international advisory board and is co-chair of the Responsible Energy Forum.

Robertson’s previous positions include deputy chairman of Cable and Wireless and, in Russia, TNK-BP. He was also chairman of Western Ferries and the FIA Foundation. He has held non-executive directorships with the Weir Group, Smiths Group, and Monaco Telecom.  

 Robertson’s international honors include being one of the 16 Knights of the Order of the Thistle and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. He is among the few non-Americans to have received the highest US civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.