About the Speaker:

Retired US Marine Col. Grant Newsham is a senior research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo.  He served as the first US Marine Liaison Officer to the Japan Ground Self Defense Force from 2011-2013 and was instrumental in the development of the JSDF’s amphibious capability.  Col. Newsham also worked with other SE Asian militaries and still consults on amphibious and defence matters in the Indo-Pacific region.  He previously served at Marine Forces Pacific HQ as the reserve G2 (intelligence) and G5 (plans and policies).

Col Newsham lived in Japan for 20 years, working as a US diplomat, Marine Attaché, and in the private sector – to include as an executive director at a US investment bank.  While serving with the US Foreign Service, he served at the US Embassy, Tokyo in the mid-1990’s in addition to work in other countries and specialized in insurgencies and commercial matters.  Col. Newsham is a lawyer with a specialty in international law and business, and previously served as co-head of the District of Columbia Bar’s International Trade Committee.  He speaks frequently at forums on Asian defence and business risk, and has published articles on regional defence and security issues in periodicals such as the Christian Science Monitor, Sankei Shimbun, Japan Times, and USNI Proceedings.

Organised by Maritime Security Programme, IDSS and RSIS Events Unit.