Building Cooperation and Foresight in a Fragmented World Next week, leaders from business, government, and academia will gather in São Paulo for the Horasis Global Meeting 2025. Known as one of the world’s most trusted communities for dialogue, Horasis brings together decision-makers to address urgent questions of globalization, sustainability, and geopolitical change.
The meeting is the creation of Dr. Frank-Jürgen Richter, Founder and Chairman of Horasis, whose long-standing work has built a unique global community. Under his leadership, Horasis has become a space where ideas are exchanged openly across regions and sectors, and where new models for cooperation can be tested and scaled. Mission Grey is proud to contribute to this dialogue, with our Chairman Jouko Ahvenainen chairing the panel “Cooperation in a Non-Cooperative World” and our CEO Lauri Tähtinen chairing “The Rise and Fall of Great Powers.” These themes reflect some of the central challenges of our time:
These are not abstract questions. They shape how nations collaborate on climate, how businesses plan investments, and how societies manage risks and opportunities. Solutions require both open dialogue such as Horasis provides and new tools that help leaders see beyond immediate headlines and into longer-term scenarios. For Mission Grey, participating in Horasis is part of a broader commitment: working with global partners to help leaders anticipate change, find opportunities, and chart positive scenarios in an uncertain world. About Mission Grey Mission Grey is The External Intelligence Company. Its platform integrates diverse data sources — from politics and regulation to trade, climate, and security — and transforms them into actionable insights. Mission Grey enables organizations to seize new opportunities, stay resilient, and shape the agenda in a complex and uncertain world. The company operates globally with offices in the USA, France, Finland, and Singapore.
Mission Grey is proud to announce that Janaki Kates has joined the company as Head of Intelligence. In this role, she will lead Mission Grey’s intelligence strategy, data interpretation frameworks, and foresight operations; ensuring that customers receive the most relevant and actionable external intelligence available.
Janaki brings nearly two decades of experience at the highest levels of the U.S. government and industry. She began her career as a CIA analyst focused on foreign space programs and went on to serve as an analytic manager and technical director, leading diverse teams across Directorates on foreign weapons systems, counterproliferation, and counterintelligence. Her career highlights include serving as an intelligence briefer to senior leaders at the Department of State and the National Security Council, editing the President’s Daily Brief, and acting as Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director of National Intelligence during a Presidential transition. Most recently, she was Director of Government Affairs for Intelligence Programs at Northrop Grumman. Janaki holds a BS in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from MIT and an MA in Security Studies from Georgetown University. On joining Mission Grey, Janaki commented: "Mission Grey is doing something the world urgently needs; democratizing strategic intelligence and making it available globally, beyond the small circle of government or elite institutions. Bringing clarity to complexity is one of the hardest challenges, and I’m excited to help make this capability accessible to organizations everywhere." Mission Grey CEO Lauri Tähtinen added: "Janaki’s joining as Head of Intelligence marks a major milestone for Mission Grey. Her unique combination of CIA, national security, and industry leadership experience gives us unmatched expertise in building a world-class external intelligence platform. She understands how strategic foresight shapes outcomes, and her leadership will ensure we deliver intelligence that is clear, actionable, and globally relevant." About Mission Grey Mission Grey is The External Intelligence Company. Its platform integrates diverse data sources — from politics and regulation to trade, climate, and security — and transforms them into actionable insights. Mission Grey enables organizations to seize new opportunities, stay resilient, and shape the agenda in a complex and uncertain world. The company operates globally with offices in the USA, France, Finland, and Singapore. 9/23/2025 Dr. Monique Boddington Joins Mission Grey to Lead University and Research PartnershipsRead Now  Mission Grey is pleased to announce that Dr. Monique Boddington has joined the organization to lead its cooperation with universities, research institutes, and research programs worldwide. In this role, she will build and strengthen Mission Grey’s research partnerships, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of combining advanced science with applied external intelligence.
Monique is a Management Practice Associate Professor at the Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, where she also serves as Director of the Master’s in Entrepreneurship. She has led and collaborated on numerous international research initiatives, including EU-funded projects on entrepreneurship education and impact measurement, as well as the EVER project on early-stage venture strategy. Beyond academia, she has advised policymakers across multiple countries and supported ventures in diverse industries. At Mission Grey, Monique ensures that partnerships with universities are a two-way exchange: bringing cutting-edge research into the company while enabling universities, researchers, and students to apply Mission Grey’s external intelligence tools to their own analysis and decision-making. By connecting academia, policymakers, and the private sector, she strengthens Mission Grey’s mission of transforming complexity into actionable foresight. Monique commented on her new role: “Mission Grey sits at a unique intersection, combining deep technology with global foresight. By linking with universities and research programs, we can accelerate innovation and expand the impact of external intelligence, while also empowering researchers and students with new tools to make sense of an uncertain world.” Mission Grey CEO Lauri Tähtinen added: “Monique's leadership in building research collaborations and her experience bring enormous value to Mission Grey. Her ability to connect universities and other organizations aligns perfectly with our vision of creating the most advanced external intelligence platform. With her joining, we strengthen both our scientific foundation and our global reach.”
Mission Grey is proud to announce that Dr. Kuan Yen Tan has joined the company as Head of Models. In this advisory role, he will establish Mission Grey at the forefront of model innovation, turning global complexity and uncertainty into structured tools that businesses and governments can use with confidence.
Kuan holds a Ph.D. in experimental physics and has had an outstanding career at the intersection of science and technology. He began in academia, studying a range of quantum computing platforms and co-authoring more than 50 peer-reviewed papers. His scientific work has taken him to world-class laboratories across Australia, the United States, and Europe. Before joining Mission Grey, Kuan co-founded IQM Quantum Computers, one of Europe’s most prominent deeptech startups, where he served as the inaugural Chief Technology Officer. At IQM, he built the technology organization from the ground up, growing it into a 200-person team of engineers and scientists. Under his leadership, IQM achieved several major milestones, most notably delivering Finland’s first commercial quantum computer in record time. In recognition of his achievements, Kuan was named CTO of the Year in 2023 by the Technology Industries of Finland. Commenting on his new role, Kuan said: “Mission Grey is tackling one of the most technically and scientifically challenging problems of our time, making sense of a world full of uncertainty. What excites me most is that this role isn’t just intellectually demanding, it’s deeply meaningful. We’re creating the tools that help businesses, governments, and societies make better decisions in the face of complexity.” Mission Grey CEO Lauri Tähtinen added: “Kuan’s appointment marks a pivotal step in our mission. His experience in building frontier technology organizations, and his ability to turn scientific breakthroughs into practical systems, will be central to how Mission Grey builds the future of external intelligence. The models Kuan and our team will develop form the foundation for understanding the world better. By doing so, we are ultimately helping the people who rely on us to act with confidence.” About Mission Grey Mission Grey is The External Intelligence Company. Its platform integrates diverse data sources, from politics and regulation to trade, climate, and security, and transforms them into actionable insights. Mission Grey enables organizations to seize new opportunities, stay resilient, and shape the agenda in a complex and uncertain world. The company operates globally with offices in the USA, France, Finland, and Singapore.  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
With a diverse network of international talents, Mission Grey Inc. strives for strategic analysis, thought leadership and commercial excellence. To advance its ambitious goals, the external intelligence company launches a distinct network of experts, the Mission Grey Guild. The founding members of this community include the founder and CEO of Empower Global Samantha Karlin, transatlantic security researcher and consultant Mathieu Boulègue, Harvard-awarded historian and strategist Marino Auffant, seasoned security consultant Ludvig Lund, East Asia expert, and co-founder of Polylocal Dorota Maczuga, political scientist focused on French and European affairs Pekka Väisänen, Latin America specialist, business consultant Kelly Couto, and US Special Forces officer Rori Comiskey. The Guild members will represent Mission Grey’s vision and values within their professional networks in different sectors. They will contribute to the generation of new leads and opening business opportunities. However, the Mission Grey Guild also aims at something with a deeper impact: thought leadership. – By thought leadership, we refer to the process by which individuals or organizations establish credibility as pioneers and authorities in their domain, says Pekka Virkki, the Guildmaster, Mission Grey co-founder, and internationally recognized political analyst. – It involves actively shaping industry narratives and influencing decision-makers. This is achieved by formulating and disseminating original insights, challenging conventional wisdom, and providing actionable frameworks for complex issues. Guild Members will be visible in public discourse as experts of their fields. They will engage in content creation and take part in events and networking opportunities, championing Mission Grey’s opportunities through research, commentary and actionable insight. Risk intelligence platforms have seen significant growth in the past months and years, reflecting a rapidly increasing demand in today’s volatile global environment. Mission Grey is up to the task, and is ready to serve a multifaceted set of clients in business, governmental, and non-governmental sectors. – Global corporations seek risk mitigation and country analysis for market entry. Investors, exporters, and consultants look for political and regulatory insight. Most importantly, geopolitics is back. How to find solutions that are profitable, but waterproof in the face of extreme scenarios, such as war, commercial blockade, or long-term trade barriers? We hold the keys, says Virkki. He returns to the concept of a practical thought leadership, emphasizing the combination of actionable business intelligence and cross-fertilization of talents as the strength of the Guild. – Thought leadership encompasses a range of activities, such as networking, conferences, articles, whitepapers, op-eds, podcasts and webinars, roundtables, client briefings, social functions, you name it, muses Virkki. – Mission Grey produces curated and actionable intelligence with specific market relevance. Thus, also the Guild will cater for the needs of a very diverse client base. I am very excited to lead this awesome community of great minds! More information Pekka Virkki Guildmaster [email protected] |
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