Clarion Strategies

Meet the Team

Led by a distinguished team — including a former Secretary of Defense, a former NATO Ambassador, and a former Assistant Secretary — we bring unmatched expertise in defense, diplomacy, and international security.

Our Leaders

Former Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III
CEO and Co-Founder
Austin led the Pentagon through unprecedented modernization and maturation, preparing the department for global competition in Asia and addressing the rise and ubiquity of autonomous and AI-enabled weapons systems. He also created pathways to drive private capital to national security priorities. Austin draws on more than 40 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as the four-star general commanding U.S. and coalition forces in the Middle East and South Asia.
Ambassador Julianne Smith
President and Co-Founder
Smith is a seasoned diplomat with decades of national security expertise, most recently serving as the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO. She has held senior positions at the Pentagon, the State Department, and the White House, including as Acting National Security Advisor to the Vice President. Her career includes influential roles at think tanks such as the German Marshall Fund, the Center for a New American Security and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Honorable Rheanne Wirkkala
Managing Partner and Co-Founder
Wirkkala is a national security expert who most recently served as the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the Pentagon, managing the Pentagon’s relationship with Congress and advocating for their nearly $1 trillion budget. She also served as a senior staff member on the House Intelligence Committee and as an intelligence analyst covering counter-terrorism and international security trends in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.

Our Team

Holly Bekesha
Bekesha has over a decade of experience in government affairs consulting, building client relationships and advising Fortune 500 companies. She previously served as Director of Strategic Growth for a federal contractor and senior positions at Albright Stonebridge Group.
Jacob Freedman
Freedman is a national security and public affairs expert with two decades of experience across government and the private sector. He has held senior roles at the Pentagon and the Albright Stonebridge Group, most recently serving as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Army.
Elin Patman
Elin has a background in international affairs supporting senior diplomatic leadership and major initiatives, including Sweden’s NATO accession and participation in the 2024 NATO Summit. She previously served as a Program Officer at HFX after working for the Swedish government, most recently at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C.

Our Senior Advisors

Holly Bekesha
Bekesha has over a decade of experience in government affairs consulting, building client relationships and advising Fortune 500 companies. She previously served as Director of Strategic Growth for a federal contractor and senior positions at Albright Stonebridge Group.
Phoebe Benich
Benich is a national security and emerging technologies expert specializing in U.S.-China strategic competition and defense and intelligence community collaboration with the startup ecosystem. She has held roles at the White House, Pentagon, State Department, and In-Q-Tel.
Curtis Burns
Burns is a national security and intelligence expert who draws on 28 years of experience as an Infantry and Strategic Intelligence officer in the U.S. Army with particular focus on the Middle East, Europe, and Indo-Pacific security, and the evolution of modern warfare.
Jacob Freedman
Freedman is a national security and public affairs expert with two decades of experience across government and the private sector. He has held senior roles at the Pentagon and the Albright Stonebridge Group, most recently serving as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Army.
David Helvey
Helvey is a leading expert on Indo-Pacific and transatlantic security. He has held senior roles at the Pentagon including Deputy Representative in Europe and Deputy Defense Advisor at NATO and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.
Jacqueline Ramos
Ramos is a foreign policy and national security expert focused on transatlantic relations who most recently served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for European affairs at the State Department. She has also held roles at the Pentagon, Congress, NNSA, and in the private sector.
Dr. Ely Ratner
Ratner is a political scientist and leading expert on Indo-Pacific security issues who was most recently the Assistant Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs at the Pentagon. He has also held senior roles at the White House, the State Department, and in the Senate.