Paul Wood
Chief Executive Officer

Paul Wood is an international expert in risk management and founded Pax Mondial with the vision of offering new and more practical approaches to support post-conflict and emerging market reconstruction and development. Paul brings a wealth of experience to clients, having operated more than five years as a Director within the international risk management sector, with particular focus on the Middle East.

Paul was Director and Country Manager for Kroll Security International in Iraq for three years before becoming Managing Director of International Operations. Prior to joining Kroll, Paul was Chief of Staff of a strategic communications and media development team with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in Iraq.

Paul began his career as an officer in the British Army serving in The Parachute Regiment before working for five years as a stockbroker with Collins Stewart. Paul is a Fellow of the Securities Institute and holds an Honors Degree in International Politics from Newcastle University.

Gordon Drennan
Chief Financial Officer

Gordon Drennan brings more than 30 years of financial experience to the Pax Mondial Management Team, having started his career as a chartered accountant with Touche Ross (now Deloitte). Gordon subsequently became the technical director for Touche’s Middle East and Africa division and traveled extensively in this role.

More recently, Gordon was Head of Group Finance for a FTSE 100 Company where he established a global internal audit department. Gordon is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and holds an Honours Degree in Law & Accounting and an Advanced Management Diploma from INSEAD.

Bill McGill
Managing Director, International Operations / Executive Vice President

Bill McGill brings extensive knowledge and experience from his work in high-risk and emerging markets to the Pax Mondial Management Team. Prior to joining Pax Mondial, Bill served as the Operations Director of Stirling Group where he oversaw all contracts and personnel on a number of Oil & Gas related projects, and served as the Senior Management Lead in the successful restructuring of Stirling Group’s facilities management business across North Africa. Leaving the military in 2004 after 33 years of service – 26 of which he served as an operator and officer in the British SAS – Bill became a Director of a leadership development consultancy working with a variety of corporate and public sector organizations to deliver a proposition around personal, team and organizational resilience.

Dan Bridges
Chief Commercial Officer / Executive Vice President

Dan Bridges brings extensive operational risk and landmine action management experience to Pax Mondial. Prior to joining Pax, he managed several large multi-disciplinary development programs for The HALO Trust in Mozambique, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. He also worked as the head of business development and commercial operations for the Geneva-based INGO ‘Swiss Foundation for Mine Action’ (FSD), assessing and developing opportunities and establishing networks in Angola, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. Dan has a strong client-facing commercial risk management background, having designed and introduced integrated risk solutions for SOMIPA S.A.R.L, Petra Diamonds and BHP Billiton in Angola, and for DP Worlds in the UK. Prior to work in this field, Dan was the Operations Director for a UK-based start-up health company and has also managed a group of retail stores for Aldi GmbH Co KG.

Dan’s early career began in the British Army, where he spent seven years as an officer in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, serving on operations in Northern Ireland and Bosnia. He also trained recruit soldiers and has served in both heavy gun and surface-to-air missile Regiments.

Dan holds an LLB Honours degree in Law and Politics from the University of Buckingham. He speaks conversational French and Portuguese.

Alex Woods
General Counsel

Alex Woods serves as general counsel at Pax Mondial. Previously, Alex Woods practiced as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer for six years at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in New York, and at Latham & Watkins LLP in Washington, DC. He is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal and Columbia Law School in New York. Mr. Woods speaks French and Chinese.

Phil Figgins
Director – Risk Management Africa

Phil Figgins is a security professional with more than 30 years’ experience with both the military and international civilian agencies in conflict and post-conflict environments. Prior to joining Pax Mondial, Phil served as the senior international security director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where he carried out several security assessments in high-risk countries, compiled intelligence reports, gave country briefs, and regularly liaised with international organizations, agencies, and security companies worldwide. Prior to his work with the IMF, Phil served as the Project Manager for the Kroll Security Elections team in Afghanistan in 2005, where he was responsible for the overall direction and management of the countrywide project, which included a staff of 87 international and more than 150 local national staff. Most recently, Phil served in Kabul as Pax Mondial’s Country Director – Afghanistan.

Starting in 1994, Phil spent 10 years working in Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Albania, and Georgia for a number of organizations including the United Nations, the European Community Monitor Mission, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Phil began his career with 17 years of service as an Officer in H.M. Royal Marines, which he concluded in 1995 as the Chief UK Liaison Officer in the rank of Major. He was made a Member of the most excellent order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2000.

Alexander Griffiths
Managing Director for ERW Services

Alexander Griffiths is a highly capable leader with a wealth of project management experience in difficult, remote conditions, as well as in highly challenging political and security environments. Mr. Griffiths’ professional career has seen him in many senior roles including financial and operational management, logistics, negotiation, and project design and development. Alexander began his career as a British Army Officer, serving in the cavalry regiment in a reconnaissance role. While in service, Mr. Griffiths commanded reconnaissance troops in Bosnia during the civil war.

In the past, Mr. Griffiths has worked for The HALO Trust, overseeing projects focused on the removal and clearance of explosive remnants of war. He also held the position of Co-Manager of International Projects in conflict and post-conflict environments for the Swiss Government. More recently, Mr. Griffiths was the Director of Operations for FSD and Crosstech SA – both Swiss based organizations specializing in de-pollution caused by
military matériel in conflict and post-conflict areas and assisting governments in the conduct of security-related operations.

Alexander Griffiths completed his education at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He speaks English, Russian, German and basic Dari/Tajik.

Ged Healy
Managing Director for Medical Services (Exmed)

Ged Healy is the Managing Director of Exmed, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pax Mondial. He directs all business strategies and has developed Exmed from conception to becoming a global leader of medical services. Ged oversees all medical staff recruitment and operational medical deployments. A founding member of Exmed, Ged served 14 years with Defense Medical Services, including 5 years in a medical capacity with the UK Special Forces. He has provided medical care and expedition expertise on almost every continent.

Ged’s qualifications include a Diploma in Immediate Care Royal College Surgeons Edinburgh; a Diploma in Emergency & Primary Health Care; State Registered Paramedic, Health Professions Council; Director of Medicine In Remote Areas (MIRA); and Major Incident Medical Management Faculty Instructor (MIMMS).

Dai Jones
Chief Operating Officer for Medical Services (Exmed)

Dai Jones is a founding member and the Training Director of Exmed, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pax Mondial. He leads Exmed’s extensive training courses in emergency care in critical and acute situations. Before joining Exmed, Dai had 18 years of service in the UK military, including eight years with UK Special Forces in a medical capacity. He has worked throughout the world, including two years in the jungles of Borneo and Malaysia.

Dai’s qualifications include State Registered Paramedic (HPC); a Diploma in Primary & Emergency Health Care; Major Incident Medical Management Faculty Instructor; Tropical Medicine course (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine); and a Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching (FE).

Ben Remfrey, MBE
Managing Director for Mine Action Services

Ben Remfrey, an international expert in Mine Action & Explosive Ordnance Disposal operations, is the Managing Director of MAT Mondial, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pax Mondial. Ben has provided oversight and program management in many areas of the world dealing with unexploded ordnance, including the Falkland Islands, Northern Ireland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Eritrea, the DRC, Sudan, Angola, Rwanda and Sri Lanka, to name just a few. Most recently, Ben was pivotal in helping Rwanda reach Landmine Free Status. Ben’s past experience stems from service in the British Army (1979-1989) as an Engineer, serving with 3 Commando Brigade. Ben was made a Member of the most excellent order of the British Empire (MBE) by HM QE2 in 2007 and is also a Paul Harris Fellow.

Stirling Edward Moore
Managing Director for Light Construction

Stirling Edward Moore is an architect, building technology researcher, and product designer. Mr. Moore has worked professionally as a Project Architect, Manager and Designer since 2005 engaging in various architecture and security planning projects in New York, Washington, D.C., and a number of international locations. Mr. Moore
earned a professional BArch degree from Florida Atlantic University and his MS degree from the University of Florida, where he specialized in sustainable design, heliotectonics, and building integrated technologies; graduating with honors from both universities.

Mr. Moore is licensed in the states of Florida and New York as a professional architect. He is also a member of the American Institute of Architects. Mr. Moore’s other professional certifications include NCARB, LEED-AP, and CPTED. Mr. Moore is a veteran of the United States Army and served as a Paratrooper & Combat Medic in the 82nd Airborne Division from 1999 to 2003. While in service he parachuted into Ukraine as part of Operation Peace Shield and deployed to Kosovo as part of Operation Joint Guardian.

Landon Shroder
Managing Director for Information Operations

Landon Shroder, is a specialist in threat / risk assessment for complex and high risk security environments and has spent the past eight years providing consultancy services between Africa and the Middle East. He has worked in a variety of capacities developing survey and assessment packages that have facilitated the growth of projects
in the extraction, security, commercial, and humanitarian sectors. Most recently, before joining Pax Mondial, Landon was the Head of Assessment for Shell EP International in Iraq, establishing and managing the Intelligence and Assessment team, which profiled threat and risk for two of the largest oil and gas projects in the Middle East.

Landon also has a Masters Degree in Conflict Resolution from the School of International Service at American University in Washington DC and has been published in Chatham House, World Policy, Fair Observer, Small Wars Journal, and the International Affairs Forum.

Cory Mills
Senior Vice President for Operational Support

Cory Mills brings extensive operational support and security management experience to the risk management, information operations, conflict mitigation, and specialty training & capacity building divisions of Pax Mondial. Prior to working at Pax, Cory designed and implemented hostile environment awareness trainings, security plans, policies, and standard operating procedures for organizations operating in high-risk environments. He has experience managing security risks for several USAID implementing partners including at Chemonics International, where he was security manager for the Afghanistan/Pakistan regions, and at Management Systems International (MSI), as business risk manager and advisor on security strategies and planning.

Cory also has significant experience planning and carrying out security operations overseas through the US Army, multiple US government agencies, and the private sector. After serving in the US Army with the 75th Ranger Regiment and 82nd Airborne Division, Cory worked as a maritime security specialist on the Somalia and Persian Gulf coasts, and with the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Bureau as a security specialist, team leader, designated defensive marksman, and combat medical technician for nearly five years overseas, including in Afghanistan and Iraq. During the 2005 Afghanistan Parliamentary and Provincial council elections and the 2009 Iraq Provincial elections, Cory assisted with the planning and provision of security for electoral polling sites.

He holds a B.S. and Certificate in Conflict Analysis (USIP) and is currently completing a Master’s degree in International Relations and Conflict Resolution.

Per Baerentsen
Managing Director of African Construction

Per Baerentsen brings 20 years of international, operational, business development and construction experience to Pax Mondial. Before joining Pax, Per was the Managing Director for DCS Group Africa, a Danish firm delivering operations in construction, life support, election services and expeditionary deployments. For the last 7 years Per has operated in Africa, mainly Southern Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and Ghana. Prior to that, Per worked in Thailand, Brunei, Hong Kong, Denmark, Ireland, the Cayman Islands and Norway.

Per holds a Masters degree in Civil Engineering and has extensive experience in developing and operating large construction operations for governments as well as commercial and non-governmental institutions.

Andrew Bassett, CPO, CPP
Director, Risk Management

Andrew Bassett brings 20 years of extensive operational and management experience to Pax Mondial as a risk management consultant and operator in high-risk environments. Before joining Pax, Andrew was an International Security Manager for Chemonics where he handled security issues for projects in 18 countries and advised on security-related topics. Andrew is also a Board Certified Protection Professional in Security Management (CPP) with the American Society for Industrial Security International (ASIS). He is registered and licensed with the Security Industry Authority (SIA) in the United Kingdom as a Close Protection Officer, and is trained in Medicine in Remote Areas (MIRA).

Andrew previously worked as a risk management consultant with the British Security Group in Central and South Asia and the Middle East, where he performed detailed business risk assessments and audits and wrote policy regarding emergency response procedures and recommendations for risk mitigation.

Andrew also worked as a media safety consultant in Iraq for more than five years with Centurion Risk Assessment Services, where he was responsible for the countrywide management of operations as well as business risk analysis and contingency planning. Before becoming a risk management consultant, Andrew served in the British Armed Forces for more than 12 years.

Naveed Bandali
Business Development Manager

As Manager of Business Development for the Pax Mondial Group, Naveed Bandali manages all aspects of the business development process, which includes capture management, proposal/bid management, opportunity/contract tracking, and client relationship management. He previously served as Senior Analyst of Pax Mondial’s Information Operations Division, supporting the management and development of the Division’s information & analysis, training, risk & threat consultancy, and embedded analyst services. He started his career with Pax Mondial in the London office, where he provided risk reporting and threat analysis services for clients operating in Central & South Asia, Africa, and parts of the Middle East.

From 2009-2012, Naveed served as Contributing Editor of the Journal of International Peace Operations (JIPO). Prior to joining the Pax Mondial team, he worked as Development Associate and Special Assistant to the President at the International Stability Operations Association (ISOA), a non-profit trade association based in Washington, DC. And Naveed previously worked as Editorial & Research Assistant in the DC headquarters of Devex (The Development Executive Group), the largest provider of business intelligence and recruitment services to the international development community.

Naveed holds a Master of Arts in International Studies & Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (with a Philosophy minor) from the University of Alberta, where he earned a Certificate in Peace and Post-Conflict Studies and a Certificate in Globalization and Governance. Naveed is fluent in French.

Howard Lipman
Director of Contracts

Howard Lipman has more than 20 years of diversified contract management experience with leading defense engineering, development, manufacturing and service providers. Prior to joining Pax Mondial, Howard held contract leadership positions with DynCorp International, DRS Technologies Finmecanicca, Volvo Aero Services and Miltope Corporation. In these positions, Howard was responsible for oversight and achievement of Corporate metrics in procurement, finance, program management, export control, ethics & compliance and operations as well as contracts.

Mr. Lipman has a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Adelphi University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Albany State University.

Nicole Guskiewicz
Corporate Financial Controller

As Corporate Controller, Nicole manages the day-to-day coordination of finance and accounting activities, corporate process, internal controls, and pricing and contract financial oversight. Nicole specializes in DCAA audit compliance and business process development and controls. Nicole started her career as a policy analyst on Capitol Hill, and went on to work in Systems Engineering and Business Process development at Northrop Grumman. She later worked in Northop’s project financial control division for intelligence operations, and eventually went on to manage the project financial control DoD division. Nicole also worked as a financial analyst and internal audit and controls manager at GTSI Corp.

Nicole served in the US Marine Corps and holds a BA in Political Science Pre-Law, a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Federal Contract Acquisitions, and a certification in Systems Engineering from Northrop Grumman and the Project Management Institute.

Meg Cochran, PPS
Director of Operational Support, Africa.

Meg Cochran brings international and administrative experience to the Pax Mondial team. Prior to joining Pax, Meg worked as the Program Coordinator for Global Investments at ACCION International, a microfinance and social investing organization where she provided project support to an investment fund focused on supporting businesses that provided innovative banking and housing solutions to impoverished people.

Prior to that, Meg spent more than two years working as a litigation and antitrust project assistant at Jones Day, a large international law firm where she was responsible for managing case files for a number of high-profile legal cases.

Meg is a graduate of the Executive Protection Institute and is a licensed Personal Protection Specialist (PPS). Additionally, Meg holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Mount Holyoke College. She is proficient in French.

Lieutenant General (Retired) Anthony Palmer, CB, CBE
Chairman

Lt. Gen. Anthony Palmer retired from the British Army in 2005. His last appointment was as Deputy to the Chief of Defence Staff, responsible for Personnel and Training Policy for all three Services. He chaired the Service Personnel Board, which had responsibility for 500,000 Service Personnel and their families. He was also directly responsible to Ministers for the delivery of three major PFI programs. During this process he dealt not only with the Treasury at senior levels, but also the Chief Executives of major Defence and Utilities Companies. He was a member of the MOD’s Audit Committee, and before that was deputy Commander Operations in Bosnia where he had control of four multi-national Divisions. During this period he gained experience working with several international agencies including the IMF and World Bank.

Lt. Gen. Palmer brings significant experience to Pax Mondial in the management of large complex organizations. As Chief Executive of The Army Training and Recruiting Agency, he managed one of the largest training organizations in Europe against tight financial targets. As Director of the Army program, he was responsible for advising Ministers on the allocation of funding for all aspects of British Army spending. During this appointment he led the Army input to the Strategic Defence Review.

Lt. Gen Palmer has also been involved with various charities dealing with the challenges facing young people and the homeless. In the latter role he chaired Compass, a charity for the homeless, and in the former he was a Board Member of the Prince’s Trust and is currently a trustee of Skillforce which seeks to help those children most in danger of exclusion. He is also Chairman of the Pakistan Society, a bilateral society that aims to increase public knowledge in Britain of the arts, history, antiquities and geography of Pakistan as well as its economic life and political institutions.

Shane Le Prevost

Shane Le Prevost is the founder and CEO of the Investment Bank Liberum Capital and was formerly the CEO of Collins Stewart (CI) Limited. Mr. Le Prevost brings a vast array of commercial experience to Pax Mondial and a global network of contacts and resources.

James Cole

A former British Army officer, James Cole has spent more than 20 years in the real estate business, originally for the international groups, Jones Lang LaSalle and Cushman & Wakefield and latterly as an investor and developer with the Akeler Group, where he rose to be CEO. In 1996, he sold the Akeler business to Macquarie Goodman, an Australian investor and developer, and since then has advised and invested in various established and fledgling businesses. He has lived in Hong Kong, San Francisco, Lisbon, Paris and currently resides in London. His entrepreneurial ventures continue to take him around the world and his depth of knowledge of international business greatly aides the management team.

James Stephenson

James Stephenson is a retired senior Foreign Service Officer with 28 years of experience in rebuilding states at war or states recovering from war or conflict. Mr. Stephenson was USAID Mission Director in Lebanon and in Serbia and Montenegro prior to assuming the high-profile Mission Director role for USAID in Iraq. He has also served in Egypt, Grenada and El Salvador. A decorated Vietnam War Veteran, Mr. Stephenson is a recognized expert on post-conflict transition, civilian-military cooperation and counter-insurgency. In addition to his role with Pax Mondial he is currently a senior adviser for a US development firm.

Ambassador Michael Ussery

Ambassador Michael Ussery has led major investments, humanitarian initiatives, and political projects in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa since 1992. He has served as an advisor to eight countries and to more than 70 major corporations and non-profit organizations, working in 35 countries. He is also a founder of eight companies and four non-profit organizations.

Amb. Ussery served at the US Department of State from 1981 to 1992, and was appointed US Ambassador to Morocco in 1988. During the Gulf War, Amb. Ussery directed the emergency evacuation of 600 Americans and led Embassy Rabat through the intense challenges posed by the war. Other US Department of State positions he has held include Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs; Chairman of the 12-agency Libya Task Force during the U.S.-Libya confrontation; White House Liaison; and Director for Congress and the Media in the International Organizations Bureau.

In the field of education, Amb. Ussery was President of the Coordinating Council for International Universities from 2003-2006, planning the American University of Afghanistan. Today, he serves as the Chairman and President of the Council for American Universities Abroad.

Amb. Ussery began his career as a professional campaign consultant and in 1979 became Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman Carroll Campbell. He graduated with a BA degree from Newberry College.