Robert Burton - Director of Risk Management

Rob is a the Director of Risk Management and a co-founder of Blue Water Partners Global where he assists organizations in designing, implementing and evaluating crisis, business continuity and security management programs. In this capacity Rob recently led a team that successfully implemented a crisis and security program at Canada's very first LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) marine facility. Rob specializes in crisis management exercises where one of his primary roles is designing and facilitating corporate war games, table top exercises and full/live operational exercises. Rob has featured on FOX News and has authored several articles for industry publications such as the Disaster Recovery Journal.

Throughout his career Rob has worked for the US State Department’s Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program, as a crisis management consultant in Pakistan and Afghanistan where he negotiated with the United Nations and Pashtun tribal warlords. He served with the United Kingdom Special Forces where he operated under hazardous and confidential conditions. During his military career Rob also served for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the elite regiment - The Grenadier Guards. Rob received a Queen’s Commendation for Bravery during his time in the military.

Thomas Chiginsky - Director of Development

Thomas Chiginsky is a internationally recognized expert in internet computing, content delivery and collaboration. He is a co-founder of Blue Water Partners Global where he serves as the Chief Technology Officer. Tom is responsible for all of Blue Water’s technology and development and the digital production of Blue Water’s online and in person gaming. He is the architect of GlobalTop, Blue Water’s platform for delivering corporate war gaming and table top exercises to geographically dispersed clients.

Prior to Blue Water Partners, Tom founded Azura Media, Inc. a company that developed collaborative tools for complex asset management. Tom has also been one of a small group of experts who have advised the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria on developing their next generation information analysis and dissemination systems dealing with the proliferation of weapons grade materials and technologies. He has facilitated and advised an international team on increasing collaboration and reducing the friction of information dissemination to decision makers and agencies. He has participated in international exercises focused on turning global data into knowledge to interdict and reduce the threat of WMD. He has been a featured speaker and presenter giving high level presentations regarding global collaboration and efficient content delivery. Tom has been technology consultant in New York and Milan to online retail and publishing concerns, focusing on setting the standards for global collaboration, content delivery and digital workflows. Tom has led global digital projects incorporating the latest content management and digital image delivery technologies for luxury retailers in Europe and America.

A competitive sailor he was a member of Dennis Conner’s 1983 Freedom/Liberty Americas Cup Campaign. Tom attended Boston University where he completed a self directed course of study with a major in Architecture and Environmental Design.

Donald H. Estes – Director of Exercise Design

Donald Estes has over 20 years of experience conducting research, analysis, and war gaming support to the Department of Defense, DHS, other government agencies and commercial clients. During a distinguished career as a naval officer in military intelligence, Mr. Estes held the Military Chair of Intelligence and was a professor in Joint Military Operations at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. In his tours of duty at the Naval War College, and more recently as leader of the Sonalysts Team conducting war games and tabletop exercises Mr. Estes has been involved in designing, executing, and analysis of more than 150 games/workshops, and experiments examining concepts for the deployment of military forces, and continuity of operations for DHS, FEMA, the IAEA, and other government and NGO operations. In recent years, he and his team also conducted games for large corporations to develop strategies and plans. Other games included examination of emerging or disruptive technology implications for corporations, crisis communications, corporate decision-making training, and continuity of operations determination.

Dale R. Allen – Director Middle East

Dale is Director of the Middle East for Blue Water Partners Global LLC and also the co-founder and CEO of Janus Security Iraq Ltd (JSI), a security services company operating in Iraq since 2004. Dale has worked in the high risk security consultancy industry since 1999 assisting clients throughout the world to identify, quantify and manage risks.

Dale had a successful first career in the British military culminating with the appointment as operations officer for a Special Forces unit responsible for the planning and co-ordination of covert counter terrorist operations. Drawing on his extensive operational and commercial experience he has also designed and delivered training courses for government and corporate clients which include security awareness, crisis management and personal protection.

Dale has lived in the Middle East since 2003. He is educated to degree level having successfully completed a Bachelors degree in business management after first completing an associate’s degree in Risk and Security Management.