Norine MacDonald
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER
Norine MacDonald KC is the founder and president of the RAINCLOUD Group, which operates specialized B2B digital platforms for various industries. RAINCLOUD DEFENSE is its first platform, with others to follow in sectors such as semiconductors, biotech, and fintech.
Ms. MacDonald is a lawyer and a Former Visiting Distinguished Fellow at the National Defense University. She co-authored Killing Me Softly: Competition in Artificial Intelligence and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with George Howell. She also holds a certification in Artificial Intelligence from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management.
MacDonald has been honored with the U.S. Department of the Army Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service and the Distinguished Public Service Medal. Additionally, she was awarded the First Class Medal of Merit by the Italian Red Cross.
She has testified before several high-profile government institutions, including the U.S. Senate Caucus, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, the Standing Committee on National Defence in Canada, and the House of Commons’ Defence Committee in the United Kingdom.
MacDonald’s work has been widely featured in publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. She has also appeared on media outlets such as CNN, BBC and CBC. Previously, she was the President and Founder of The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), a think tank specializing in international security and development, with offices in London, Rio de Janeiro, Brussels, Paris, and Afghanistan. MacDonald has been a member of the Network of European Foundations for Innovative Cooperation (NEF) and the International Advisory Council of the International Crisis Group. She co-edited two books: Global Philanthropy and Philanthropy in Europe: A Rich Past, A Promising Future.
With a deep international background in defense, intelligence, advocacy, and philanthropy and law MacDonald was awarded the professional designation of Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel.
Emmanuel Reinert
CEO
Emmanuel Reinert is an accomplished executive with a broad background in international policy, global philanthropy, research, and a deep commitment to global security.
As Chief Executive Officer at RAINCLOUD Group since July 2022, Emmanuel led the launch of RAINCLOUD DEFENSE, the premier business and knowledge hub for the Defense tech and innovation ecosystem.
Previously, Emmanuel served as Executive Director at the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS). There, he led field research initiatives in conflict and post-conflict zones, resulting in sustainable policy recommendations. His influence extended to high-level government officials, ministers, parliamentary representatives, and academia, securing media coverage on major platforms like CNN and BBC.
Emmanuel Reinert’s portfolio encompassed projects in diverse regions, including the UAE, Jordan, Afghanistan, Brazil, Paraguay, and Colombia. Emmanuel also diversified the Latin America portfolio to address issues such as violence against children in Brazil and the human security of young adults in Colombia. He developed a successful model in Rio de Janeiro to empower disadvantaged communities, which was later adopted by city officials for other areas.
Emmanuel Reinert’s extensive career also encompassed roles as Director of Public Affairs at CEA – European Insurance Federation and Deputy to the Secretary General, where he managed the implementation of a substantial TACIS program. Additionally, he served as Chief Operating Officer at EURO PUBLISHING SYSTEM in Brussels, an Intelligence Analyst at SECRETARIAT GENERAL DE LA DEFENSE NATIONAL in Paris, and Corporate Lawyer in firms such as CLIFFORD CHANCE (Paris) and CHRISTIES AND WIENER (New-York).
Emmanuel Reinert’s dedication to lifelong learning is evident in his educational pursuits. He completed the MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT’s “Digital Transformation: Platform Strategies For Success” program in 2023 and the SAÏD BUSINESS SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD’s “Venture Finance Programme” in 2022. Emmanuel holds LLM degrees in International Private Law and European Community Law from UNIVERSITY PARIS II ASSAS, earned in 1986.
George Howell
VP GLOBAL - Industry
George Howell is Senior Consultant at RAINCLOUD DEFENSE in charge of Industry. In 2022 Howell was lead author on three of RAINCLOUD Research’s reports: High-Altitude Platform Systems + Artificial Intelligence, High-Altitude Long-Endurance Uncrewed Systems, and The Venture Capital + Defense Directory. Howell co-authored a paper for National Defense University’ PRISM Magazine ‘Singularity’ issue with Norine MacDonald kC, President + Founder of RAINCLOUD group. Published in January 2020, ‘Killing Me Softly: Competition in Artificial Intelligence and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’ explored the use of artificial intelligence in military uncrewed aerial vehicles
Howell previously worked for The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), conducting research into global security and economic development.
In 2008 he helped establish The Centre for Excellence on Public Security in Rio de Janeiro, a think tank working to bring together policy makers, independent experts, for dialogues towards generating innovative solutions to complex public policy issues.
Dr. Jorrit Kamminga
VP GLOBAL - Collaborations
Jorrit Kamminga is Senior Consultant at RAINCLOUD DEFENSE in charge of Global Policy. He is also an Associate Fellow at the Clingendael Institute. Dr. Kamminga brings two decades of experience working on the nexus between security and development, with a special focus on Afghanistan and Colombia. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Valencia, Spain.
He was previously Director of Research of The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), conducting field research in central, southern and western Afghanistan.
Ajay Krishnan
Senior Consultant
Ajay is a former Naval Aviator with a decade of military experience followed by six years in the aerospace and defense industry working with the largest contractors in North America and Europe.
He has worked extensively with government and public sector agencies across 12 countries in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East focusing on large defense and law enforcement programs.
Ajay is a competitive swimmer and an avid traveller to more than 45 countries.
Anahita Asudani
ANALYST
Anahita is an Analyst at RAINCLOUD DEFENSE, based in Washington, DC, where she studies International Politics with a concentration in International Security at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. In the past, she has interned for the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project. At Georgetown, she is involved in the Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, and the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs.
Sri Harsha Pagadala
ANALYST
Sri Harsha Pagadala is a mechanical engineer and passionate content writer with expertise in core mechanical engineering and copywriting. Fascinated by defense engineering, he brings technical precision and creativity to RAINCLOUD DEFENSE’s content. Harsha contributes to the company’s growth by creating and moderating backend content and safeguarding quality at both the global and Pavilion levels.
Ross Budge
ANALYST
Ross Budge is an analyst at RAINCLOUD DEFENSE supporting the RAINCLOUD platform from Stornoway, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Aberdeen with an MA in History and International Relations. His experience lies in analysing international security challenges and strategies as well as in community outreach and engagement.
Dr. Catherine Bair
GLOBAL AMBASSADOR - Science and Policy
Dr. Catherine Bair is RAINCLOUD DEFENSE’s Global Ambassador for Science and Policy. She brings over 20 years of extensive experience across the research, industry, government, and international arenas. Her distinguished career includes serving as a Director in the Medical industry, Executive within the US Department of Defense (DoD) Science & Technology (S&T), a FVEY S&T Lead, and an advisor in the US Defense industry. Since moving to Australia, she has held the position of CEO in the Australian Defence industry, and Board member and Mentor for nation-wide Australian government programs. Throughout their career, Catherine has cultivated strong national and international networks across diverse sectors, leveraging her exceptional ability to partner, influence, and secure resources to drive successful outcomes. Catherine has proactively fostered collaborations between industry, academia, and government in Australia, the UK, and the US, focusing on improving information sharing and accelerating capability development.
Adam "Monster" Darnley-Stuart
AMBASSADOR - Australia
Adam “Monster” Darnley-Stuart is a national security professional with twenty years’ experience within Australian Special Operations and the National Intelligence Community. As a graduate of the Royal Military College Duntroon, Adam has extensive operational experience across the Middle East and Indo-Pacific focusing on Counter-Proliferation, Unconventional Warfare, and Technical Intelligence. Adam is the Co-Founder of an Australian start-up, Redwood Group, focused on the human dimension of influence Operations. Adam is also currently undertaking research focusing on the relationship between irregular warfare and nuclear weapons proliferation. As an Ambassador, Adam is supporting RAINCLOUD’s growth and outreach in Australia and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
Meredith Cavan
AMBASSADOR - Intelligence Community
Andrew Koch
AMBASSADOR - Japan
Andrew Koch is RAINCLOUD DEFENSE’s Ambassador to Japan and Founder of Nexus Pacific, specializing in Japan defense and dual-use market entry. He brings over 20 years of national security and foreign policy experience, most recently serving at the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong monitoring Chinese emerging technology developments with global implications, particularly across the Indo-Pacific defense procurement landscape. Andrew’s previous roles include supporting the White House National Security Council, FBI counterterrorism liaison work, and diplomatic postings requiring collaboration and coordination with DoD elements from INDOPACOM, AFRICOM and CENTCOM. Based in Tokyo, he leverages contacts across Japanese government agencies, defense companies, and venture capital partners to facilitate market entry and stakeholder alignment for defense technology companies. Andrew holds a Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University. As Ambassador, Andrew is supporting RAINCLOUD’s expansion into Japan’s defense innovation ecosystem and aims to provide specialized market entry consulting to RAINCLOUD DEFENSE users seeking to establish successful operations in Japan.
Ross Maciver
ANALYST
Ross Maciver is an analyst at RAIN Defense + AI based in Stornoway, Scotland. His main role is supporting the development of the RAINCLOUD platform,. Maciver has experience in data analysis and in data research. In 2020, he graduated from Webber International University in Florida, with a degree in Business Administration. He has a strong interest in international relations and developing working knowledge in the fields of artificial intelligence and national security.
Luke MacLeod
ANALYST
Luke currently works as an intern analyst at RAIN Defence + AI, supporting the RAINCLOUD platform. He is pursuing an MSci in Computer Science at the University of St Andrews Scotland, and his experience is continuously growing as he actively operates in the technology, media, and military sectors. Luke’s diverse experience ranges from research work at the BBC to serving as an active RAF Officer Cadet at the East of Scotland University Air Squadron, where he recently completed an Air Power Studies visit in Malta.
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