January ’26 CGCI Newsletter – CGCI Insights

The first weeks of 2026 open with a clear signal from Washington: the United States is formally redefining national security around industrial strength, economic leverage, and control of critical supply chains. With the release of the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) in early December—an agenda that elevates reindustrialization, defense production, and technological primacy to core national interests—the questions CGCI has been pressing since its founding have moved from the periphery to the center of policy debates and the agendas of capital markets and industry.

Executive Director’s Letter: January 2026

Dear CGCI Community,

The first weeks of 2026 open with a clear signal from Washington: the United States is formally redefining national security around industrial strength, economic leverage, and control of critical supply chains. With the release of the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) in early December—an agenda that elevates reindustrialization, defense production, and technological primacy to core national interests—the questions CGCI has been pressing since its founding have moved from the periphery to the center of policy debates and the agendas of capital markets and industry.

In that context, CGCI has been at the table as these debates unfold. In December, on behalf of the Council, I joined colleagues from CNAS, CSIS, MITRE, and other institutions to brief the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Capitol Hill, emphasizing that allied security now hinges on whether our industrial ecosystems can surge under pressure, not just operate efficiently in peacetime.From CGCI’s inception, deep alignment with allies and partners has been a core pillar of our mission, and this engagement reflected that commitment—underscoring that the success of any national strategy ultimately depends on how well like‑minded nations organize their combined industrial and innovation base for shared resilience and deterrence.

This month’s CGCI Insights features two pieces that speak directly to this shift. In “Where Power Resides: Velocity, Surge, and Why Readiness Has Become Regional,” Shaun Broeker, Chairman of the National Security Crossroads Alliance, argues that time—not territory—is now the decisive terrain of power. Readiness, in his framing, is measured by the “velocity of relevance”: the ability to translate known capabilities into fielded effects on timelines that outpace threat evolution, and to surge production without systems falling out of sequence. That shift forces investors, operators, and policymakers alike to see regions—not individual firms—as the true unit of execution, where labor, infrastructure, logistics, and capital either move together under pressure or fail together in crisis, a theme I underscored in December when briefing the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on how allied industrial ecosystems must be organized for surge, not just for efficiency.

Complementing this is Ellen Chang’s “Restoring America’s Maritime Capabilities: From Vulnerability to Sea Power,” which makes the case that maritime strength is a foundational pillar of U.S. and allied economic security, energy resilience, and deterrence. Ellen details how decades of underinvestment have left the U.S.-flag commercial fleet and domestic shipbuilding capacity fragile, even as rivals use large merchant fleets and dominant shipyards to convert economic leverage into strategic influence at sea. She outlines a practical agenda: modernize public and private yards for standardized, high‑rate production; rebuild the U.S.-flag fleet and surge sealift; reimagine ports as resilient waterfront industrial hubs; and deliberately pull in private and allied capital so maritime power is rebuilt as an integrated system, not a series of disconnected programs.

These essays arrive as the NSS and the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) both tie security more explicitly tothe health of the innovation base, the defense industrial ecosystem, and the broader industrial commons. The Strategy highlights the need to strengthen the industrial base, protect critical and emerging technologies, and deepen cooperation with allies and partners across key supply chains, while the NDAA reinforces investment in munitions, shipbuilding, and allied integration to ensure capabilities can actually be fielded at scale and speed when it counts.

Over the past year, CGCI has continued to sharpen and socialize the GCI framework—a set of eight global competition and innovation sectors that define modern economic and military power, from semiconductors, quantum, and advanced manufacturing to maritime infrastructure, energy systems, and the water–technology nexus. Our recent briefings and public work have focused on helping policymakers and market participants view these sectors as an integrated strategic portfolio, where public policy, private capital, and allied coordination must move in sequence to generate real capability, not just plans.

Within this landscape, CGCI’s mission for 2026 is to narrow the gap between policy and markets. The Council exists to help public officials understand how private capital actually deploys, and to help investors and executives internalize the demands of a contested geopolitical environment that spans the United States and its allies. Our work on the GCI sectors—from regional defense ecosystems and industrial readiness to maritime infrastructure and critical technologies—is designed to map where velocity can emerge, where regional orchestration is possible, and where private capital can turn national and allied strategies into executable capacity.

The NSS and NDAA create an important policy foundation, but they will not, on their own, close the orchestration gap that Shaun describes or the maritime vulnerabilities Ellen highlights. Doing so will require deliberate choices by boards, investment committees, and public officials: to prioritize execution environments that reduce surge risk; to back regional coalitions that can move “from mine to mission” at speed; and to treat shipyards, ports, and industrial hubs as long-horizon strategic assets central to deterrence and resilience. It will also require a new generation of partnerships that blend U.S. and allied capabilities while maintaining collective control over critical national security nodes.

As CGCI enters 2026, the goal is not simply to comment on these shifts, but to help shape and accelerate them. That means working with our Council Members, advisors, and partners to define investable theses in defense production, maritime infrastructure, and frontier technologies aligned with the new NSS; to build frameworks that help capital price regional execution risk correctly; and to convene coalitions that can turn policy intent into concrete capacity on factory floors, in shipyards, and across ports and logistics networks. It also means expanding our community of practice—across defense, finance, energy, maritime, and advanced manufacturing—for those who are prepared to increase their strategic and financial commitments to this work at scale.

The stakes are unambiguous. Nations and allied systems that can compress time from design to deployment, from mine to mission, and from strategy to executed surge capacity will define this decade and the next. For CGCI, the measure of success is straightforward: more capital, more quickly, into the regions, capabilities, and industrial ecosystems that matter most for enduring security and competitiveness.

On behalf of the entire CGCI team and council, thank you for the expertise, influence, and capital you have already brought to this mission. We look forward to working with you to deepen those commitments and translate shared intent into deployed resources and durable advantage.

Sincerely,

Christina Alfonso

Executive Director, Council on Global Competition and Innovation – CGCI

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Senior Advisor, CGCI

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CTO, GRVTY
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Associate Dean of Innovation, MIT
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Corporate Board Member, Advisor, Speaker, Technologist
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Graham “Gray” Chynoweth

Founder, The Next Offset
Former Director of Global Activities, Office of Strategic Capital at the U.S. Department of War

Graham Chynoweth’s career has seen him drive change and impact across the areas of innovation, finance, and national security.

As an operator, he has served as CEO and in executive leadership roles overseeing operations, engineering, finance, legal, and talent functions in companies ranging from early-stage startups to firms with over 450 employees. He has raised more than $100 million in capital across private and public markets for companies in internet infrastructure, software, hardware, and biotech. He has also served as CEO and Director of a NASDAQ-listed company and as a Director of a publicly traded commercial bank.

As an investor, Graham has backed more than 25 startups, led New Hampshire’s largest angel investor network, and served as a General Partner in a venture fund focused on early-stage companies in New Hampshire.

In parallel with his civilian career, Graham has served as a Naval officer, leading multiple innovation initiatives. He was Deputy Director of NavalX, the U.S. Navy’s innovation cell; Director of Global Technology Scouting and Co-Investments at the Office of Strategic Capital within the Office of the Secretary of War; and a technology scout with Task Force 59 under the U.S. Navy’s Central Command.

Graham, a New Hampshire native, is also deeply involved in civic and nonprofit work, having served as a Director or Advisor to organizations such as New Hampshire Public Radio, the St. Anselm College Ethics in Governance Program, and the Business School at Southern New Hampshire University.

He holds a B.A. in Political Science with High Distinction from the University of California, Berkeley; an M.A. in Public Policy from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy; a J.D. from Duke University School of Law; and a Certificate in Transnational Law from Duke and the University of Geneva Faculty of Law.

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Jesús Mantas

Jesús Mantas

Former Global Managing Partner, IBM
Board Director, Biogen, IFF, and National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD)

Jesús Mantas is the former Global Managing Partner responsible for Business Transformation Services in IBM. Prior to this, he led IBM Business Consulting, IBM Global Process Services, and IBM GBS Latin America. Before IBM, he was a Partner in the High Technology practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting, and worked at Procter & Gamble in Spain.

He serves as the Chair of Compensation and Management Development of the Board of Director of Biogen Inc.(NASDAQ: BIIB), as well as a Board Director of IFF (NYSE: IFF) and NACD. He was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global AI Council and serves on the Boards of HITEC and NACME, non-profits focused on leadership development of diversity in technology. He is the emeritus chair of IBM’s Hispanic Diversity Council.

Jesús holds degrees in Telecommunications, Software Engineering, and Business Administration, was a professor at University of California, Irvine Graduate School of Management, and served as an officer in the Air Force of Spain.

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Glen Dodson

Glen Dodson

Job Title, Cyberistics

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David Ulevitch Portrait2

David Ulevitch

General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz

David Ulevitch is an entrepreneur and investor. As a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, he leads the firm’s American Dynamism practice, which focuses on investing in companies advancing American interests — including supporting builders in areas such as defense, national security, public safety, nuclear and aerospace. David sits on the boards of Alloy Automation, Anduril, AnyRoad, Charthop, Firstbase, Flock Safety, Orderful, Rewatch, Skydio, Superhuman, Supermove, Vitally, and WorkBoard. David has written extensively on the role of technology in advancing American interests, including how nuclear technology can untether our military, the future of public safety and how the U.S. can rewire the Pentagon for a new era. David was previously the founder and CEO of OpenDNS, a cloud-delivered security service that was acquired by Cisco in 2015 for $635 million. While at Cisco, David was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cisco Security — a $2.4 billion annual revenue business with more than 5,000 team members — where he oversaw the company’s global cybersecurity strategy, product portfolio, and business. Prior to OpenDNS, David founded EveryDNS, an authoritative DNS service, and grew it into the world’s largest free DNS service. He sold it to Dyn (now Oracle) in 2010.

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John M. B. O'Connor

John M. B. O’Connor

Chairman and CEO, J.H. Whitney Investment Management

John M. B. O’Connor is CEO of J.H. Whitney Investment Management, LLC. Previously, Mr. O’Connor was Chairman of JP Morgan Alternative Asset Management. Mr. O’Connor is also CEO of Whitney Strategic Services and Whitney Data Services. Mr. O’Connor serves on the Board of Directors of numerous companies including Oceus Networks, LLC., Sequoia Holdings, Inc., and Boon Logic, Inc.

Mr. O’Connor is a Senior Fellow at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he lectures on the Economics of National Security. He served as a member of the U.S. Department of War Business Board from 2005 to 2021 and as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for New York from 2014 to 2019. He is a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the Air Force Distinguished Public Service Award and the Department of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award. Mr. O’Connor earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Tulane University and a Master’s in Business Administration degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

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Sherif Nahas

Sherif Nahas

Director of Private Equity, Ford Foundation

Sherif works at The Ford Foundation, where he manages approximately $7 billion in private investments, including venture capital, private equity, real estate, and natural resources. He previously managed private investments for the University of Virginia endowment, and before that worked at BankBoston and Sand Hill Capital. Sherif started his career as an engineer and product strategist at The Ford Motor Company. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. and M.E in Aerospace Engineering, and received an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.

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Byron Loflin

Byron Loflin

Global Head of Board Advisory & Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence, Nasdaq

Byron Loflin is the Global Head of Board Advisory at Nasdaq where he leads the governance team in driving board and governance effectiveness. Byron founded the Center for Board Excellence (CBE) in 2010 and was CEO until it was acquired by Nasdaq in 2019.

Prior to CBE, Byron was the CEO and president for two private companies between 1992-2009. Along with speaking on and teaching corporate governance effectiveness, Byron is a graduate of James Madison University (BA) and Harvard Business School (OPM) and several HBS Executive Education Certificates including Havard’s Board Effectiveness program.

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Gen. David Stilwell

General David Stilwell

Ret. General USAF; Fmr Assistant Secretary of State (Asia)

Brig Gen (Ret) David Stilwell is the Fox Fellow for Future Pacing Threats at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Institute for Future Conflict. In this role, he educates cadets and faculty on the growing military threat presented by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including its use of political and information warfare to undermine democracies. His teachings help prepare future officers for the challenges they will face immediately after commissioning. Stilwell most recently served as the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of EastAsian and Pacific Affairs from 2019 to 2021. Before that, he served in the U.S.Air Force for 35 years. Stilwell enlisted as a Korean linguist in 1980, served as a fighter pilot and commander for 25 years, and was later the Defense Attaché in Beijing. He retired in 2015 as the Asia advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He speaks Korean, Chinese, and some Japanese.
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Adam Segal

Ira A. Lipman Chair in Emerging Technologies and National Security, and Director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy program, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

Adam Segal is the Ira A. Lipman chair in emerging technologies and national security and director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy program at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). An expert on security issues, technology development, and Chinese domestic and foreign policy, Segal was the project director for the CFR-sponsored Independent Task Force reports Confronting Reality in Cyberspace, Innovation and National Security, Defending an Open, Global, Secure, and Resilient Internet, and Chinese Military Power. His book The Hacked World Order: How Nations Fight, Trade, Maneuver, and Manipulate in the Digital Age (PublicAffairs, 2016) describes the increasingly contentious geopolitics of cyberspace. His work has appeared in the Financial Times, the New York Times, Foreign Policy, the Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Affairs, among others. From April 2023 to June 2024, Segal was a senior advisor in the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, where he led the development of the United States International Cyberspace and Digital Policy. Before coming to CFR, Segal was an arms control analyst for the China Project at the Union of Concerned Scientists. There, he wrote about missile defense, nuclear weapons, and Asian security issues. He has been a visiting scholar at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for International Studies, the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, and Tsinghua University in Beijing. He has taught at Vassar College and Columbia University. Segal is the author of Advantage: How American Innovation Can Overcome the Asian Challenge (W.W. Norton, 2011)
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Nazak Nikakhtar Portrait

The Honorable Nazak Nikakhtar

Partner and National Security Chair, Wiley Rein LLP
Former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce

The Honorable Nazak Nikakhtar brings over two decades of experience in international trade and national security to help clients succeed in the domestic and global marketplace. Through leadership roles in the U.S. government and private sector, Nazak has leveraged her valuable insights into the expansive range of U.S. and international laws, regulatory and policy processes, and federal agency resources to achieve clients’ business objectives. 

 

From 2018 to 2021, with unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Nazak served as the Department of Commerce’s Assistant Secretary for Industry & Analysis at the International Trade Administration (ITA). Nazak also served the duties of the Under Secretary for Industry and Security at Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). In these roles, Nazak was the agency’s primary liaison with U.S. industry and trade associations, and she shaped major initiatives to strengthen U.S. industry competitiveness, promote innovation, and accelerate economic and job growth.

 

As one of the key national security experts in the U.S. government, she developed and implemented innovative laws, regulations, and policies to safeguard strategically important technologies, strengthen the U.S. industrial base, and protect the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States. As the Department’s lead on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), she played a key role in shaping U.S. investment policy. As the head of the agency’s trade policy office, she advised the U.S. government on legal and economic issues impacting critical technologies, advanced manufacturing, financial services, e-commerce, data privacy, cybersecurity, critical minerals/rare earths, and energy competition. Finally, as the federal agency’s lead on supply chain assessments, Nazak spearheaded the United States’ first-ever whole-of-government initiative to evaluate and strengthen supply chains across all strategic sectors of the economy.

 

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R.P. Eddy

R.P. Eddy

CEO, Ergo

R.P. Eddy is the CEO of Ergo, a geopolitical and economic intelligence firm known for forecasting critical world events. Leaders of allied governments and the world’s most consequential global businesses rely on Ergo to navigate what the firm calls “The Fastest Year in History”—with each year faster still.

Previously, R.P. served as a Director at the White House National Security Council and as a senior U.S. and UN diplomat. He has represented the U.S. in peace negotiations, played a role in the (flawed) creation of the International Criminal Court, and led attempts to recover American hostages. He was an initial architect of the Global Fund, which has since been credited with saving over 50 million lives; the UN team was honored with a Nobel Peace Prize. Recognized by Foreign Policy magazine as one of “America’s most respected national security experts,” R.P. was also named a “Global Leader for Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum.

R.P. co-authored the award-winning bestseller Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes (HarperCollins). His advocacy work spans leading counterterrorism programs for the NYPD and LAPD, promoting Western industrial competitiveness with DARPA, advocating for safe social media, and supporting the responsible development of AI. He has testified before Congress, spoken at the UN General Assembly and the Nobel Prize Summit, and is a member of both the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission.

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Christina Alfonso

Executive Director, CGCI

Christina Alfonso is a senior advisor to leaders across government and industry, specializing in national security, economic competitiveness, and emerging technology policy. As the Executive Director of the Council on Global Competition and Innovation (CGCI), she leads an initiative championed by the U.S. Department of War and private sector executives to advance resilient, market-driven security investments and foster strategic growth. As a Senior Advisor at DARPA, Christina prioritized developing public-private partnerships and advised on strategies to strengthen the U.S. defense innovation ecosystem.

Previously, as co-founder/CFO of Novata, a Microsoft and S&P-backed technology platform, Christina enhanced private market transparency through non-financial data reporting. As co-founder/CEO of Madeira Global (2012-2020), she pioneered values-based investment solutions for the private equity and credit sectors.

She is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in National and International Security program. Christina holds an M.B.A. from ESADE Business School (Spain) and a B.S. in Finance and Economics from Fordham University. Christina is a trustee and treasurer of the RWJBH Monmouth Medical Center Foundation and has served on the advisory boards of the Milken Institute Young Leaders Circle, PathNorth, and the Women’s Society for the Economy and Society. She has extensive international experience, most recently in São Paulo, and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.