As a former Research Analyst, Shannon has contributed to the Plakhov Group's Podcast Summaries and researched the rise of spiritual security in Russian academic and governmental publications. Currently, she works as a Policy Analyst at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in the G7 and G20 International Relations Unit.

Shannon obtained an MA from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs where she researched the Artic as a potential avenue for cooperation with Russia prior to 2022. She also holds an Honours BSocSc International Studies and Modern Languages and a Minor in Russian Language and Culture from the University of Ottawa.

As a former Research Analyst at The Plakhov Group, Francis was documenting the effects of international sanctions on Russia’s presence in the Arctic, reporting on Radio Free Europe’s The Week Ahead in Russia podcast, and expanding the Plakhov Group’s professional and academic networks.

Francis was selected for the Policy Officer Recruitment Programme (PORP) at the Department of National Defence (DND), to eventually become a Defence Policy Officer. Francis holds an MA in International Affairs with a specialization in Security and Defence Policy, and a BA in Global and International Studies with a specialization in Global Politics, both from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. 

Francis was also a previous Program Officer in the Caribbean Engagement Division at Global Affairs Canada (GAC), where he worked to facilitate Canada’s political, trade, and security relationships with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). 

As a former Senior Research Analyst at The Plakhov Group, Dylan conducted research into the Putin regime in Russia and levels of authoritarianism and fascism. Dylan also reported on the Plakhov Group's continuous analysis of the war in Ukraine by monitoring The Telegraph's Ukraine: The Latest podcast, based out of the UK.

MA Candidate - European, Russian and Eurasian Studies with an Academic Concentration on the EU and Europe and a Specialization in Balkan Political and Military Affairs, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. BA (Distinction) - Double-Major in International Relations and Political Science, Minor in Italian from St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. 

As a former Research Analyst, Tigran has contributed to the Plakhov Group's Podcast Summaries and Plakhov Quick Takes and researched topics pertaining to Russia and Armenia. He currently works as an Investigations, Diligence and Compliance Associate at international business consultancy Kroll, Inc.

In 2023, Tigran obtained his Honours BA in History and Political Science from Trinity College, University of Toronto and his MA degree in European and Russian Affairs at the Center of European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (CERES) at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto.

As a former Research Analyst at The Plakhov Group, Roman Vysochanskyy worked on Quick Takes, Podcast Summaries, and Event Reports. Roman is a published scholar in the fields of public policy, international relations, governance, and security.

From 2016 to 2022, Roman functioned as an independent scholar and tutor after holding a tenure-track position as an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Ivan Franko National University of L’viv, Ukraine, from 2008-2016. Roman’s vast academic journey includes prestigious awards such as the Fulbright Scholar Program at Columbia University and a grant from the Polish National Commission for UNESCO.

Roman holds a Master of Arts in International Public Policy at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, and a Ph.D. in Social Philosophy and Philosophy of History from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukraine. He also holds an MA and BA in Middle Eastern Studies from the same institution.

Roman has contributed to both English and Ukrainian scholarship literature with publications on a variety of subjects, including conflict analysis, information security, and postcolonial studies.

As a former Research Analyst at The Plakhov Group, Oleksii worked on Quick Takes, Podcast Summaries, and Event Reports.

Oleksii Yemelianenko is a recent Carleton University EURUS MA graduate and a current Program Associate at the Canadian Red Cross. 

He is a former Ukrainian diplomat who represented Ukraine in Belarus and Palestine for over a decade total - not including his work at the Ukrainian MFA. 

Oleksii came to Canada recently and speaks Ukrainian, Belarusian, Russian, and Czech.

As a former Grant Researcher/Writer at the Plakhov Group, Humboldt sought out eligible funding opportunities and wrote proposals on behalf of the organization.

Humboldt is currently pursuing a BA Honours Specialization in History at Western University. His research interests focus on World War II, particularly the daily life within Nazi Germany and the military strategies employed on the Western and Eastern fronts in Europe.

As a former Senior Research Analyst at The Plakhov Group, Algis worked on Quick Takes, Podcast Summaries, Event Debriefs, and bilateral meeting readouts.

MA Candidate - European, Russian and Eurasian Studies. BA - Major in Criminology with a concentration in Sociology, and a Minor in History from Carleton University.

As a former Research Analyst, Jake contributed to the Plakhov Group’s Podcast Summaries, Quick Takes and Event Reports. Currently, Jake works as a Program Manager at Edelman Global Advisory and is the Ottawa Operations Manager for the NATO Association of Canada where he is also a contributing writer. Jake is also the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies Graduate Recruitment Coordinator.

He holds an MA, specializing in European, Russian and Eurasian Studies and a BA Honours in Political Science, both from Carleton University.

As a former Senior Research Analyst with The Plakhov Group, Colby composed a bilateral relations database covering over 50 countries and contributed to leading international affairs podcasts such as Foreign Policy Live and War on the Rocks, reporting on Ukraine’s counteroffensive. He also played a key role in expanding the Plakhov Group’s professional and academic networks.

Previously, Colby was a Research Assistant at Carleton University under the European and Eurasian Studies Network (EETN) and the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (EURUS), where he supported research on regional security and foreign policy in Eastern Europe and Eurasia.

Colby currently works as a Junior Policy Analyst at Global Affairs Canada (GAC), where he supports Canada’s foreign policy initiatives. He is also pursuing a Master’s degree in Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA).

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree with Honours in Political Studies from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Colby is passionate about national security, foreign policy and military/strategic studies.

As a former Research Analyst at the Plakhov Group, Taylor is currently working on Quick Takes, Podcast Summaries, and Event Reports.

Taylor specializes in International Diplomacy, Security, and Peace Studies, with primary research expertise concerning human rights and international cooperation, particularly within Transatlantic relations. 

Taylor often complements his lucid policy analysis with spatial analytics, allowing him to garner unique quantitative insights.

Taylor is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in international relations with a minor in Geographic Computation at the University of British Columbia. 

As a former Grant Writer and Researcher with The Plakhov Group, Matt helps to grow and expand the organization by identifying new grant, funding, and contracting opportunities.

Matt is a skilled writer and researcher with experience in client service. Before joining The Plakhov Group, Matt split his time between two major Canadian media companies. While in media, Matt used his research, writing, editing, and communication planning skills to help hundreds of national, regional, and local clients reach their customers with targeted advertising campaigns. During this time, he worked with clients in a variety of public sectors, including consumer goods, agriculture, and transportation, along with clients in the public and non-profit sectors.    

Since March 2025, has Matt been a full-time policy and public affairs coordinator with Canadian Strategy Group, one of Western Canada’s leading public affairs firms. He previously served as a member of the communications committee for 880 CHED Santas Anonymous, an Edmonton-based charity that delivers toys to over 20,000 less-fortunate children every Christmas.  

Matt holds a Master of Arts (MA) degree in history from the University of Birmingham, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in communication studies from Athabasca University, and a diploma of technology in broadcast and media communications from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). In his spare time, he plays ball hockey, golf, and curling. He also enjoys travelling the world with his wife, Jess, and cheering on his beloved Edmonton Oilers.