Norine MacDonald KC is the founder and president of the RAINCLOUD Group, which operates specialized B2B digital platforms for various industries. RAINCLOUD DEFENSE is its first platform, with others to follow in sectors such as semiconductors, biotech, and fintech.

Ms. MacDonald is a lawyer and a Former Visiting Distinguished Fellow at the National Defense University. She co-authored Killing Me Softly: Competition in Artificial Intelligence and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with George Howell. She also holds a certification in Artificial Intelligence from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management.

MacDonald has been honored with the U.S. Department of the Army Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service and the Distinguished Public Service Medal. Additionally, she was awarded the First Class Medal of Merit by the Italian Red Cross.

She has testified before several high-profile government institutions, including the U.S. Senate Caucus, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, the Standing Committee on National Defence in Canada, and the House of Commons’ Defence Committee in the United Kingdom.

MacDonald’s work has been widely featured in publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. She has also appeared on media outlets such as CNN, BBC and CBC. Previously, she was the President and Founder of The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), a think tank specializing in international security and development, with offices in London, Rio de Janeiro, Brussels, Paris, and Afghanistan. MacDonald has been a member of the Network of European Foundations for Innovative Cooperation (NEF) and the International Advisory Council of the International Crisis Group. She co-edited two books: Global Philanthropy and Philanthropy in Europe: A Rich Past, A Promising Future.

With a deep international background in defense, intelligence, advocacy, and philanthropy and law MacDonald was awarded the professional designation of Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel).

Emmanuel Reinert is an accomplished executive with a broad background in international policy, global philanthropy, research, and a deep commitment to global security.

As Chief Executive Officer at RAINCLOUD Group since July 2022, Emmanuel led the launch of RAINCLOUD DEFENSE, the premier business and knowledge hub for the Defense tech and innovation ecosystem.

Previously, Emmanuel served as Executive Director at the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS). There, he led field research initiatives in conflict and post-conflict zones, resulting in sustainable policy recommendations. His influence extended to high-level government officials, ministers, parliamentary representatives, and academia, securing media coverage on major platforms like CNN and BBC.

Emmanuel Reinert’s portfolio encompassed projects in diverse regions, including the UAE, Jordan, Afghanistan, Brazil, Paraguay, and Colombia. Emmanuel also diversified the Latin America portfolio to address issues such as violence against children in Brazil and the human security of young adults in Colombia. He developed a successful model in Rio de Janeiro to empower disadvantaged communities, which was later adopted by city officials for other areas.

Emmanuel Reinert’s extensive career also encompassed roles as Director of Public Affairs at CEA – European Insurance Federation and Deputy to the Secretary General, where he managed the implementation of a substantial TACIS program. Additionally, he served as Chief Operating Officer at EURO PUBLISHING SYSTEM in Brussels, an Intelligence Analyst at SECRETARIAT GENERAL DE LA DEFENSE NATIONAL in Paris, and Corporate Lawyer in firms such as CLIFFORD CHANCE (Paris) and CHRISTIES AND WIENER (New-York).

Emmanuel Reinert’s dedication to lifelong learning is evident in his educational pursuits. He completed the MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT’s “Digital Transformation: Platform Strategies For Success” program in 2023 and the SAÏD BUSINESS SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD’s “Venture Finance Programme” in 2022. Emmanuel holds LLM degrees in International Private Law and European Community Law from UNIVERSITY PARIS II ASSAS, earned in 1986.

Jorrit Kamminga is Senior Consultant at RAINCLOUD DEFENSE in charge of Global Policy. He is also an Associate Fellow at the Clingendael Institute. Dr. Kamminga brings two decades of experience working on the nexus between security and development, with a special focus on Afghanistan and Colombia. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Valencia, Spain.

He was previously Director of Research of The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), conducting field research in central, southern and western Afghanistan.

George Howell is Senior Consultant at RAINCLOUD DEFENSE in charge of Industry. In 2022 Howell was lead author on three of RAINCLOUD Research’s reports: High-Altitude Platform Systems + Artificial Intelligence, High-Altitude Long-Endurance Uncrewed Systems, and The Venture Capital + Defense Directory. Howell co-authored a paper for National Defense University’ PRISM Magazine ‘Singularity’ issue with Norine MacDonald kC, President + Founder of RAINCLOUD group. Published in January 2020, ‘Killing Me Softly: Competition in Artificial Intelligence and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’ explored the use of artificial intelligence in military uncrewed aerial vehicles.

Howell previously worked for The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), conducting research into global security and economic development.

In 2008 he helped establish The Centre for Excellence on Public Security in Rio de Janeiro, a think tank working to bring together policy makers, independent experts, for dialogues towards generating innovative solutions to complex public policy issues.

General John Nicholson is a distinguished military and business leader with global relationships and experience, now sharing that expertise as a strategy, leadership and business consultant with the Nicholson MacDonald Group. He is also an advisor to and investor in RAINCLOUD DEFENSE, the premier business and knowledge ecosystem for the defense technology sector.

​As a business leader, between December 2021 and January 2026, General Nicholson was the Chief Executive for Lockheed Martin Middle East, based in Abu Dhabi. During a very challenging period, he led the company’s strategy, operations, and growth in the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Iraq, and Pakistan. In this role, he was consistently selected among the top regional business leaders on the Forbes Global Meets Local List.

As a military leader, General Nicholson was a four-star U.S. Army General who last served as the Commander of all U.S. Forces and the 41-nation NATO-led Coalition in Afghanistan from 2016 to 2018. Before that, he served as Commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command and Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division. Commissioned in 1982, he served as a U.S. Army Airborne Ranger infantry officer at all levels with over six years in combat. He lived in Europe and the Middle East for more than twelve years, forging close relationships with security leaders in these regions.

​General Nicholson was also a leader in the non-profit sector as President of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation from 2019-2021.. The PENFED Foundation was selected as the top non-profit in the DC regional area for its work supporting post-9/11 combat veterans, service members, caregivers, and their families. Under his leadership, the foundation created an educational program and venture capital fund which trained and invested in veteran entrepreneurs. They also assisted dozens of Afghans, including many former women Commandos, who had served alongside US Forces to resettle in the United States.

​In August 2022, General Nicholson became a member of the Board of Directors of Veteran Coalition International, a registered US public charity organization supporting those who served in combat alongside US forces across the NATO alliance and partner nations to ensure their continued contribution to society.

In September 2022, he became a Member of the Board of Trustees of the UAE’s top-ranked Khalifa University of Science and Technology, which is one of the leading regional and global universities in developing the next generation of Emirati scientists, engineers and leaders.

He has been a mentor to U.S. General Officers through the U.S. National Defense University CAPSTONE program and to NATO officers through various fora. He is a member of Harvard’s Belfer Center Elbe Group which maintained a track two dialogue between retired Russian and American senior officials until Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. He has previously been an adjunct faculty member in leadership at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School Senior Executives in National and International Security Program and is a frequent speaker on security, leadership and business across the Middle East and Europe.

General Nicholson holds Bachelor’s Degrees from the United States Military Academy and Georgetown University and Master’s Degrees from the School for Advanced Military Studies and the National Defense University as well as two honorary doctorate degrees.

Based in Ukraine, Mark Voyger is Advisor to RAINCLOUD GROUP and the President and Founder of KINGS — the Kyiv Institute for National and Global Security. Previously he served as Special Advisor on Russian and Eurasian Affairs to LTG Ben Hodges, Commanding General of US Army Europe, and as Cultural Advisor at NATO Allied Land Command.

Mark Voyger is also a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) in Washington, D.C., a Board Member of the Forum for Foreign Relations (UK), and a Consultant for RAND Europe.

He holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University with a focus on Russia–NATO relations, and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He has also pursued PhD studies in Middle Eastern Studies at Cambridge University, UK.

Mark is fluent in English, Ukrainian, Russian, Bulgarian, Arabic, Turkish, French, Spanish, and Italian.