HOPLITE GROUP
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Ioannis Koskinas,
CEO
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Ioannis "Gianni" is a retired special operations military officer, published author, leader, coach, and mentor. Prior to retirement, Gianni focused on national security matters as senior advisor to General Stan McChrystal (twice), General Nordy Schwartz (Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force), and the Honorable Mike Vickers (Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict).
In commercial life, he has focused on extractive industries, capacity development, aviation, risk mitigation strategies, and bespoke consulting for Fortune 500 company initiatives.
BOARD OF ADVISORS
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Milton Bearden,
Senior Member
Board of Advisors​
Milt Bearden is a thirty-year veteran of the CIA's clandestine services. He was the chief of the Soviet/East European Division at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union. As a Station Chief in Pakistan, he armed and trained the Afghan mujahideen who overthrew the Soviets. The CIA honored Milt with its highest award, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal. He is the recipient of the prestigious Donovan award.
Mr. Bearden is the President of AM&M Enterprises and is an accomplished business entrepreneur, author, and film advisor.
Eric Fiel,
Senior Member
Board of Advisors​
Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel retired as the Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Hurlburt Field, Fla. General Fiel entered the Air Force in 1981 as a graduate of Officer Training School. He has held a variety of assignments and has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels.
Additionally, he has held a variety of staff positions at major command, unified command, Air Staff and Secretary of the Air Force levels. Prior to his assignment as AFSOC Commander, he was the Vice Commander, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, Washington, D.C..
Charles T.Cleveland,
Senior Member
Board of Advisors​
Lieutenant General Cleveland retired as the Commander of the U.S. Army's Special Operations Command. LTG (R) Cleveland commanded the Special Operations Command-Central (SOCCENT), with responsibility for special operations throughout the Middle East and Central Asia, and Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH), focused on the Caribbean and Central and South America.
He is currently the Senior Mentor to the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Strategic Studies Group, a Senior Fellow at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, a Senior Fellow at the Monroe Policy Forum, and Adjunct at Rand. He serves on the Advisory Board of the nonprofit Spirit of America Foundation.
Pat Roberson,
Senior Member
Board of Advisors​
Major General Patrick Roberson retired from military service as Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, where he directed Special Operations Forces globally, overseeing operations ranging from combat and training to recruiting and technology. He previously served as Commander of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, the premier school for Special Operations Forces, where he launched the revamping of Special Operations training to focus on strategic competition. Pat also commanded Special Operations Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, where he directed more than 20,000 U.S., Coalition, and host nation special operations forces to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
In addition to his military and professional experience, Pat holds master’s degrees from the Army School of Advanced Military Studies and the Naval Postgraduate School. Pat is the President of Crossed Arrows Consulting, a firm focused on strategic planning, leader development and organizational effectiveness.
Jeff Aiton,
Senior Member
Board of Advisors​
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Jeff has over 30 years of broad Intelligence Community (IC) experience - from special operations analysis and human intelligence collection operations in combat, to national-level planning, strategy, oversight and policymaking. He has led award-winning teams of intelligence professionals in operations, crisis management, intelligence program governance and oversight, budgeting/program building, and corporate evolution/change management, across multiple agencies and combatant commands. Just prior to his retirement in May 2024, Jeff served as Assistant Director for Intelligence at US Central Command - supervising and executing the full-spectrum intelligence capability of over 2000 employees while coordinating the support of the IC and other USG entities, private industry, academia, and our U.S. allies and partners in support of all military operations in the Middle East, Southwest Asia, and Levant. In this role, Jeff provided intelligence support to unconventional warfare; served on the DoD Open-Source
Intelligence (OSINT) Executive Council; and focused on counter-UAS, space/surface/subsurface ISR, denial, and deception operations.
Currently, as Founder and CEO of ACME Unconventional Solutions LLC, Jeff focuses on intelligence support to unconventional warfare, the introduction of new technologies into the modern battle space and advisory services for the entry or expansion of business in the IC.
Peter Bergen,
Senior Member
Board of Advisors​
Peter Bergen is the Vice President at New America Foundation, CNN's national security analyst, the professor of practice at the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University, a print and television journalist, documentary producer, and the author of five books, three of which were New York Times best-sellers and four of which The Washington Post named among the nonfiction books of the year.
The books have been translated into 20 languages and have been turned into three documentaries. Two of the latter were nominated for Emmys, and one of them received the award.
Ed Bachl,
Member Board of Advisors
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Ed Bachl is an award winning industry leader in information technology, intelligence, and cyber security to a variety of clients. Ed is a senior executive with over 25 years of global operational, strategy and executive experience in the defense market space, with an operational footprint in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. He founded and sold Vykin Corporation.
He served with distinction in the military, in a variety of positions, retiring after a remarkable career that culminated with Ed holding senior positions in intelligence and public affairs, including command and staff postings.
Bill Turner,
Member Board of Advisors
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Chief Master Sergeant (ret) Bill Turner a member of our board of advisors. Soon after his retirement, he served as our VP of Government Services and was is responsible for the oversight and direction of our U.S. government projects. He later served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Air Force Enlisted Village
Bill served 30 years in the United States Air Force, with 21 years of that time in Air Force Special Operations Command. He flew AC-130H Spectre Gunships and AC-130U Spooky Gunships as an aerial gunner, seeing combat in Bosnia, Africa, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Bill has served in numerous key strategic positions in the Department of Defense, including as the command chief master sergeant of Air Force Special Operations Command and command senior enlisted leader of United States Transportation Command.
Farris El Nasser,
Member Board of Advisors
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Farris El Nasser connects people of quality. According to Hoplite Group CEO, Ioannis Koskinas “He is the best natural connector I’ve ever met.” Farris spent a 20-year military career leveraging his capacity to build teams and bridges with allies, while informing senior decision makers as a Special Operations Combat Aviation Advisor, intelligence officer, regional specialist, and a Military Attaché. Leveraging his deep knowledge and far-reaching networks in the Middle East and North Africa, Farris advises international renewable energy companies on the development and production of Green Hydrogen projects. Farris also serves as a faculty member with the Joint Special Operations University, focusing on counter insurgency and Special Operations curricula.
Farris is the CEO of Lion-Archer LLC, a board member on the Iraq Leadership Fellows program, and the founder and director of the Lafayette Colorado Warriors Rugby Club, leveraging the sport to help bridge the opportunity gap for underserved sectors in his community.