Janaki Kates Joins Mission Grey as Head of Intelligence

Turning National Security Expertise into Global External Intelligence

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.