RUSI Welcomes New Trustees

The Council of Trustees provides the overall oversight of RUSI and ensures its good governance.

Rageh Omaar is a veteran journalist and is currently anchor and International Affairs Editor of ITV News.  He was previously a Senior Foreign Correspondent for the BBC, where he covered the second Gulf War from Baghdad, before leaving to report and present for Al Jazeera.

The Rt. Hon. Amber Rudd held some of the highest UK government responsibilities over the last decade, serving as Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.

The Rt. Hon. Jack Straw’s long political career included thirteen years in the most senior Cabinet positions, serving in turn as Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.

Sir Alex Younger KCMG recently retired as a career intelligence officer, having served as Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from 2014 until 2020.

Welcoming their appointment, RUSI Director-General Dr Karin von Hippel remarked, “I am looking forward to working with all four of our new Trustees. They will bring a wealth of experience, expertise, networks, and political diversity.”

RUSI’s Chair, Sir David Lidington, added, “I too am excited about welcoming our new Trustees. They will help RUSI go from strength to strength, and address many of the impending threats and challenges we will face in the years ahead.”

Established in 1831 by the first Duke of Wellington, the Institute devotes its efforts to the study of issues of defence and security, including financial and organised crime, terrorism and the ideologies that foster it.

View the full list of RUSI’s trustees and advisory board members here.