James Appathurai
Speaker at the St. Gallen Symposium
James Appathurai was appointed to Deputy Assistant Secretary General (DASG) for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber at NATO in September 2021. As DASG, he works on policy development and implementation in the fields of emerging and disruptive technologies, cyber security, energy security, the security implications of climate change, the protection of critical infrastructure, and hybrid defence. Mr Appathurai previously served as DASG for Political Affairs and Security Policy, as well as Special Representative to Central Asia and the Caucasus. He was NATO’s Spokesperson from 2004 to 2010 and, previously, served as Deputy Head and Senior Planning Officer in the Policy Planning and Speechwriting Section of NATO’s Political Affairs Division from 1998 to 2004. From 1994 to 1998, Mr Appathurai served in the Canadian Defence Department.