Philip Reiner is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the Institute for Security and Technology (IST), a global non-profit think tank that serves as the critical bridge between technologists and national security policy makers. Under his leadership, IST develops innovative solutions to the world’s most challenging tech-driven emerging security threats, positioning itself as a trusted interlocutor between industry and government.
With extensive experience in national security and technology policy, Reiner previously served in President Obama’s White House as the Senior Director for South Asia on the National Security Council staff. Prior to this role, he worked as a civil servant in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon. His private sector experience includes several years at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, where he contributed to their Electronic Warfare, Remote Sensing, and Vision Systems units.
Reiner’s expertise spans business resilience, risk assessment, threat mitigation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons, systems warfare, cognitive operations, and defense and intelligence in South and East Asia. He has established himself as a trusted advisor to governments, civil society organizations, CEOs, and entrepreneurs globally.
His academic credentials include a Master’s degree in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Religions and History from the University of California at Santa Barbara, with a focus on both East and South Asia.
Reiner holds numerous affiliations, serving as the Board Chairman of the AI Trust Foundation, as an External Advisory Board Member for the UC Berkeley Risk and Security Lab, an Affiliate at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), a Member of the Export-Import Bank Chair’s Council on China Competition, and a Member of the IST Board of Directors. He is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s AI Governance Alliance.
As an educator, Reiner has taught cybersecurity at UC Berkeley and routinely guest lectures on emerging international security risks at both UC Berkeley and Stanford University.