Intelligence in the Age of AI: Adapting for a Decade of Disruption

General John Howard is a retired Major General who now works with boards and senior executives as a private advisor on strategy, risk and organisational performance. John's consulting work focuses on helping executive teams interpret complex strategic operating environments, align strategy and risk, and make clear decisions when the stakes are high and the information is imperfect. He brings a calm, inquiring strategic lens to decision making at the highest level, drawing on over four decades of service in some of the most complex defence, intelligence and national security environments. 

John has held a number of senior military leadership roles including Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment; Commander of the Deployable Joint Interagency Task Force; before being appointed the inaugural Chief of Defence Intelligence for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). In that role he was responsible for shaping NZDF's strategic intelligence enterprise, integrating complex information environments and supporting government decision makers under conditions of uncertainty. This role saw John serving as a principal across a full range of Five Eyes intelligence boards as well as at the highest level in Military Intelligence NATO.

Internationally, John has held significant appointments within the United States defence and intelligence system, including serving as the responsible Officer in the role of Deputy Director for Commonwealth Integration at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington (the world's largest All Source Intelligence Agency). In this role he was the only non-US executive officer serving across all 18 agencies and departments of the US Intelligence Community. He has also served as a senior national officer at U.S. Central Command, Tampa.

These positions placed him inside the core of the U.S. and Five Eyes Intelligence Community and saw him working daily with senior civilian and military leaders on some of the most demanding global security problems.

Alongside his operational and intelligence experience, John has led sensitive work with international governmental organisations at the highest levels, building an extensive global network across defence, security, diplomatic and multilateral institutions, including NATO. He holds a Master of Management & International Defence Studies, and a Master of Strategic Studies. John is a graduate of the US Pinnacle Course and of the Company Directors Course from the Institute of Directors for New Zealand. John was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his strategic leadership in East Timor. He was presented with the US Legion of Merit (Officer Grade) from the US Secretary of Defence, and has twice been awarded the US Meritorious Service Medal.

Major-General Dominic J.A. Goulet commenced his career with the Canadian Armed Forces by joining the Governor General’s Foot Guards in 1993. Upon completion of infantry officer training through the Reserve Entry Scheme – Officers program, he transferred to the Regular Force in 1997 and was posted to the 2nd Bat talion, Royal 22nd Regiment where he served as Platoon Commander and the Battalion Intelligence Officer. 

He transferred to the Canadian Armed Forces Intelligence Branch in 2002. He has held multiple tactical and operational level intelligence staff positions, including G2 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade-Group, G2 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade-Group, J2 Ops Canada Command, G2 Plans Canadian Army HQ, J3 Canadian Forces Intelligence Group, and Deputy J2 Canadian Joint Operations Command. He has also served as an instructor at the Canadian Forces School of Military Intelligence, and commanded Joint Task Force X, the Canadian Armed Forces Human Intelligence unit.

As part of Canada’s contribution to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, he deployed in 2004 as the Battalion Intelligence Officer with the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment Battle Group in Kabul, and in 2006-07 as the Commanding Officer All-Source Intelligence Centre in Kandahar. He deployed in 2019-20 with Combined Joint Task Force – Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, as a member of the Directorate of Strategic Communications. He served as Special Advisor to the Commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command from 2020-2021. He has commanded at the formation level, serving as Commander of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Group from 2021-2022.

Prior to his appointment as the Deputy Director for Commonwealth Integration, he served as Chief of Staff, Canadian Forces Intelligence Command. He is a graduate of the Canadian Forces College National Security Program and holds a Master of Arts in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada.

In his free time, Major-General Goulet enjoys sports, travel, and spending time with his family. He and his wife Chantal have four children, Brennan, Devin, Mallory, and Chelsea-Cyndel.