Dr Katja Samuel

Preventing Disasters, Protecting Lives: Resilience with Integrity

Chief Executive Officer

Dr Katja Samuel

Katja is the founder and CEO of GSDM. She is a professional, strategically minded, resourceful and pragmatic lawyer with practitioner, military, operational, commercial, academic and civil society experience gained over more than 27 years. She has operated in many different national and international contexts, including at the governmental and intergovernmental levels, most recently with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

An international lawyer by background, Katja is unusual in having deep subject-matter expertise in both security (especially counter-terrorism) and disaster risk reduction / management. Such dual expertise is of particular relevance to GSDM’s focus on man-made and technological risk which often engages both paradigms. This enables Katja to identify potentially significant gaps and vulnerabilities which are not always identified or addressed by more conventional resilience planning approaches. Her current activities include as an advisor with the Resilience Advisors Network and as a consultant with Right Stone Consulting on organisational resilience.

Biography

Previously, Katja served in the UK’s Royal Navy as a sea-going logistics officer, as well as a naval barrister advising on Criminal, Military and International Law matters. As a Lieutenant Commander, her responsibilities extended to managing a large team of personnel and £multi-million assets in a busy, reactive and operational environment. After leaving military service in 2004, Katja worked mainly within the academic sector at a number of leading UK universities until 2017 when she founded GSDM. An experienced consultant and project manager, she is also an award-winning researcher / author and has held a number of external appointments especially in the fields of research and international law development.

Katja has been, and continues to be, active in diverse external roles. These have included: Co-Chair, American Society of International Law (Disaster Law Interest Group) (2017-2019);

Member of the prestigious peer review college of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (2014-2017); Member of the Global Research Challenges Fund (2016-18); and Committee member of the International Law Association’s Due Diligence Study Group (2012-2016).

Well-travelled (57 countries to date), Katja is conversant and comfortable working with diverse cultures and traditions, and has various degrees of language skills (especially French, German and Spanish).

In her spare time, she enjoys doing charitable work, travel, skiing and coastal walking with her dog.

Key Qualifications

Fellow of the UK’s Higher Education Authority (2015).
Postgraduate Certificate of Academic Practice, University of Reading (2015).
PhD: Public International Law, University of Sheffield (2006-2010) (awarded without corrections).
LLM: Public International Law, University of Nottingham (2004-2005) (awarded with distinction).
Called to the Bar, Gray's Inn (October 1997).
Bar Vocational Course: Inns of Court School of Law (1996-1997).
Law Society Finals Examination: Nottingham Trent University (1991-1992).
BA Hons (Law): University of Durham (1990-1991).

Significant Publications

External Engagement

Invited panellist, Farnborough International Airshow (virtual, 22 July 2020) on "Keeping our skies safe: identifying legitimate drones and managing the threat of unauthorised drone flight".
Invited speaker, with Shaun Ryles, at National Security Summit (London, 5 December 2019) on 'Rethinking Counter-drone Resilience Planning'.
Invited speaker at Resilience Association conference (London, 23 October 2019) on 'What are the Critical Risks to any Organizational Resilience Framework: Rethinking Resilience Approaches to Man-Made and Technological Risk'.
As UN consultant, participated in UN Office on Drugs and Crime 'Education for Justice' Expert Workshop for University Lecturers (Almaty, 11-12 September 2019).
Panellist on ‘Teaching on Firearms and Terrorism Related Issues in Higher Education through UNODC’s E4J University Module Series’, side event of the 28^th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Vienna, 20-24 May 2019).

Convened working session on ‘Technological Risk’ at the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction, biennial global review of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (Geneva, 13-17 May 2019, organised by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction).
As UN consultant, participated in UN Office on Drugs and Crime 'Education for Justice' Expert Workshop for University Lecturers (Lagos, 8-9 May 2019).
Convened panel on ‘The Critical Contribution of Law towards Global Efforts to Mitigate Disaster Risk’, American Society of International Law Annual Meeting (Washington, DC, 26-31 March 2019).
Invited expert speaker at the North American Humanitarian Response Initiative Joint Meeting of International Disaster Law Experts, hosted at Millersville University (Pennsylvania, 21-22 February 2019).
As UN consultant, participated in UN Office on Drugs and Crime 'Education for Justice' Expert Group Meeting on ‘Sport as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism’ (Vienna, 10-11 December 2018).
Conference paper on ‘Law as a Dynamic, Yet Under-utilised Tool of Disaster Risk Mitigation’, at the International Disaster Response/International Security Exhibition (London, 28-29 November 2018).
Contribution on international legal perspectives to the ‘Exploring the Private Security Sector’s Contribution to the Global Security Architecture’ SCEG Symposium, convened during the International Disaster Response/International Security Exhibition (London, 28-29 November 2018).
Convened working session on ‘Man-Made and Technological Risk’ at the European Forum on Disaster Risk Reduction biennial regional review of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (Rome, 21-23 November 2018, organised by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction).
As UN consultant, participated in UN Office on Drugs and Crime 'Education for Justice' sponsored International Symposium on Practice and Education for Justice on Counter-Terrorism, hosted by the College for Criminal Law Science of Beijing Normal University, China (28-29 September 2018).
Conference paper on ‘Law as a Dynamic Yet Generally Poorly Understood Tool of Disaster Risk Mitigation’: New Battlefields/Old Laws: Crisis Management in Times of Transition workshop, 18th Global Counter-Terrorism Summit (Israel, 3-6 September 2018).
As UN consultant, participated in UN Office on Drugs and Crime 'Education for Justice' sponsored conference on ‘Human Rights, Securitisation and Counter-Terrorism in Africa’, during the 27th African Human Rights Moot Court Competition (10 August 2018).
Co-lead and moderator for the working session on ‘Technological risk’, Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction 2019, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
Co-lead and moderator for the working session on ‘Understanding man-made and technological risks’ for the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR (November 2018).
Member of UNISDR organising teams (on the Sendai Framework implementation; and on Health and DRR) for the Global Platform 2019 (2018-2019).
Co-chair of the American Society of International Law’s Disaster Law Interest Group (2017-2019).
Committee member of the International Law Association’s Committee on Islamic Law and International Law (2007-2014).
Expert with Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GITOC).
Conference paper, together with Cassius Chai, on ‘Closing the ‘Intangible Technology Transfer’ Gap within the Existing Legal Frameworks: Time for an Additional Protocol?’, International Academic Conference: Exploring and Countering the Linkages between Organized Crime and Terrorism organised by UN Office on Drugs and Crime in collaboration with Qatar University College of Law (Qatar, 25-26 April 2018).
Conference paper on 'Disaster Risk Reduction, Early Warning Systems and Global Health: Critiquing the Current Systems-Based Approach', UK Association of Disaster Response annual conference (Bristol, 27-28 March 2018).
Meetings with African Union Disaster Risk Reduction team (Addis Ababa, 12-13 December 2017).
Participation in UN Office on Drugs and Crime 'Education for Justice' Initiative Expert Group Meetings on Counter-Terrorism (Nairobi, 21-23 November 2017; Singapore, 27-29 November 2017).
IFRC 'Checklist on Law and Disaster Preparedness and Response in the UK' meeting with key stakeholders, (Cabinet Office, London, 14 November 2017).
Participated in RED strategy meeting, PoolReinsurance (London, 9 November 2017).
Participated in UN Office on Drugs and Crime 'Education for Justice' Initiative Expert Group Meeting on Organized Crime (Vienna, 25-26 September 2017).
'Terrorist Attacks as Catastrophic Disaster Events', New Battlefields/Old Laws: Crisis Management in Times of Transition workshop, 17th Global Counter-Terrorism Summit (Israel, 11-14 September 2017).
Instigated and organised 'Disaster Risk Reduction and International Law Symposium' (University of Reading, 29 June-1 July 2017).
'Due diligence in a disaster risk management context', Northern European Conference on Emergency and Disaster Studies 2nd Conference (Copenhagen, 17-19 May 2017).
Participated in and contributed to International Disaster Law expert workshops (Dublin, 4-5 May 2017; Cork, 8-9 June 2017).
Participation in UN Office on Drugs and Crime 'Education for Justice' Initiative Expert Group Meeting on counter-terrorism (Vienna, 8-9 March 2017).
Guest lecture as Birks prize winner, Society of Legal Scholars annual conference (York, 6 September 2016).
Participated in expert workshop organised by Open Society Justice Initiative and Open Society Initiative East Africa to review draft guidelines and principles on terrorism and human rights for adoption by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights and implementation by governments on the African continent (London, 22-23 August 2013).
'Terrorism, Shari'ah, the OIC, and International Law' - Guest lecture (NATO School, Oberammergau, 17 April 13).
'The Nature and Impact of OIC Law-Making on International Law' - International Law Association (British Branch) Annual Spring Conference 2013, Oxford University, 13 April 2013).
‘Counter-Terrorism and the Rule of Law: Legal Challenges posed by “Preventive” Responses and a Changing Global Political Context’ - Book Launch Event for Counter-Terrorism: International Law and Practice (Barcelona University and Centro Estudios Internacionales, Spain, 1 October 12).
‘Cooperation in Counter-Terrorism: A Rule of Law Stocktake in a Changing Global Political Context’ (NATO Legal Conference, Tirana, Albania, 24-28 September 2012).
Presentation on WJP Rule of Law and Counter-Terrorism Project - Global Counter-Terrorism Forum Criminal Justice Sector/Rule of Law Working Group (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague, 24 May 2012).
‘The International Rule of Law Framework for Countering Terrorism’ - Book Launch Event for Counter-Terrorism: International Law and Practice (International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, The Hague, 23 May 2012).
‘Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism, and Rule of Law Based Responses’ – Guest Lecture (International Criminal Court, The Hague, 23 May 2012).
‘International Law, Counter-Terrorism, and the Concept of ‘Prevention’ - Book Launch Event for Counter-Terrorism: International Law and Practice (American Society of International Law, Washington, DC, 9 May 2012).
‘UN Reform, the Rule of Law and Counter-Terrorism: How Can Past Lessons Inform Future Responses?’ - Book Launch Event for Counter-Terrorism: International Law and Practice, co-sponsored by the UN CTITF Working Group on Protecting Human Rights while Countering Terrorism and John Jay College of Criminal Justice (New York, 8 May 2012).
Presentation on WJP Rule of Law and Counter-Terrorism Project - Book Launch Event for Counter-Terrorism: International Law and Practice (‘Security and International Law’, International Law Association (British Branch) Annual Spring Conference 2012, Nottingham University, 20 April 2012).
Presentation on WJP Rule of Law and Counter-Terrorism Project - Book Launch Event for Counter-Terrorism: International Law and Practice (International Judicial Conference, Islamabad, Pakistan, 15 April 2012).
‘Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism, and Rule of Law Based Responses: Terrorist Financing’ (International Judicial Conference, Islamabad, Pakistan, 14 April 2012).
‘Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism, and Rule of Law Based Responses’ – Guest Lecture (Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan, 12 April 2012).
‘Complexities Facing Intelligence and Law Enforcement Agencies when Providing Collective Security while Navigating the Various Rule of Law Challenges’ – Guest Lecture (NATO Region V Vigilant Resolve Conference, London, 14 March 2012).
‘United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon: Political, Historical, Religious, and Legal Factors’ – Guest Lecture (Finnish Defence Forces International Centre, Niinisalo, Finland, 4 August 2011).

Our Professional Services and Solutions

Counter Drone Resilience

Specialist Legal Expertise

Organisational Resilience

Learning Development

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Our team of internationally recognised experts has extensive operational, technical, research and analytical expertise in many aspects of security, disaster management and resilience.

In particular, we specialise in conventional and emerging man-made and technological risk from legal and multi-disciplinary perspectives.

Such breadth of expertise allows us to customise our client services and solutions to many different threat, risk, hazard, sector and geographical contexts.

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Preventing Disasters, Protecting Lives: Resilience with Integrity

Dr Katja Samuel

Chief Executive Officer

Dr Katja Samuel

Our Professional Services and Solutions

Counter Drone Resilience

Specialist Legal Expertise

Organisational Resilience

Learning Development

Research and Analysis

Our Expertise

Recent Posts

Strengthening Resilience against Technological Risks: the Importance and Benefits of Integrating Research and Practice

Building Increased Resilience against Terrorist Drone Attacks

Hybrid Threats, Terrorism, and Resilience Planning

Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) and Framework Development Challenges

Five Key Considerations for Leveraging Data for Better Migration Policies

Maritime Crime and the Role of Insurers

The Impact of Fake News

Protection or Danger from Above? The Use of Drones in Emergency, Defence and Security Operations

Artificial Intelligence and ‘Smart Robots’: What’s Next on the Horizon?

The 70th Anniversary of the Genocide Convention at the Gates

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