Elena Martynova is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Fellow at Metropolitan University Prague, contributing to the EU-GLOCTER project and pursuing a PhD focused on the private sector and European Union counter-terrorism. She holds a Master of Arts in Intelligence and International Affairs and a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management, both from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Her present research focuses on the role of open-source intelligence companies as actors of security governance.
Elena previously served as a Senior Policy Analyst and Policy Advisor for the Canadian Government, specializing in illicit drug policy, intelligence policy, and security diplomacy. As a Senior Research Analyst for Insight Threat Intelligence, she researched and developed financial profiles of terrorist organizations and attacks. She also served as an officer for the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, where she designed and delivered capacity-building programs for banking supervisors, law enforcement, and reporting entities worldwide. In addition to her contributions to counter-terrorism, Elena has worked on research initiatives to combat the illegal wildlife trade, disrupt online child sexual exploitation, counter state-sponsored foreign information manipulation and interference, and address other international crimes.