Since its first kick-off meeting in September 2021, the Monitoring and Tracking Chemicals (MATCH) project has gone through several phases of research, scenario building and testing to understand the feasibility of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) as an innovation for streamlining and improving the accuracy of declarations on international transfers of dual-use chemicals. These “Scheduled Chemicals” covered by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) have many legitimate medical, commercial and industrial uses but also represent the small subset of the global chemical trade that also pose the highest risk of misuse for chemical weapons.
Join us for a discussion with the MATCH team and its stakeholders, including MATCH developers True North and DataTrails, along with Global Affairs Canada, and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for insights on the successes achieved and lessons learned along the way.
Brian Finlay, President and CEO of the Stimson Center, will provide opening remarks.
Featured Speakers
Marina de Carvalho Rasuck, Evaluation Officer, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Rob Desroches, Chief Revenue Officer, DataTrails
As Chief Revenue Officer, Rob is responsible for leading DataTrails sales and marketing organizations, with a focus on growth and delivering customer impact at scale. Rob brings over two decades of experience leading B2B SaaS sales, professional services and customer success organizations at companies including DocuSign, Autonomy and Prime Trust.
Christopher Hogg, Project Leader, Chemical Security, Weapons Threat Reduction Program, Global Affairs Canada
Since joining GAC’s Weapons Threat Reduction Program, Christopher Hogg has worked on a number of chemical and biological weapons nonproliferation issues. His recent focus has been on delivering international assistance for the mitigation of chemical weapons threats from states and non-state actors. Under Canada’s 2025 presidency of the G7-led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, Christopher is co-chairing the Chemical Security Sub-Working Group.
Bill Pugh, Co-Founder, True North Software Solutions LLC
Bill Pugh is a technology innovator who has spent the last 25 years building and deploying solutions that transform how cities and organizations operate. He is the co-founder of two successful companies: Smart Connections Consulting, which helps cities and municipalities leverage technology for strategic advantage, and True North Software Solutions, a SaaS provider of cutting-edge tools like digital twins and audit trails that foster trust and transparency.
Cindy Vestergaard, Senior Fellow and Director, Converging Technologies and Global Security, Stimson Center
Dr. Vestergaard previously directed Stimson’s Nuclear Safeguards program (2016 – 2022) and the Blockchain in Practice program (2018 – 2022) and was a Nonresident fellow for both programs in 2023 when she served as Vice President, Special Projects and External Relations at DataTrails. Prior to Stimson, she held a variety of positions at the Danish Institute for International Studies, Global Affairs Canada, and as an external lecturer at the University of Copenhagen.
Christina McAllister, Senior Fellow and Director, Partnerships in Proliferation Prevention Program, Stimson Center (Moderator)
Christina McAllister is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Partnerships in Proliferation Prevention program at the Stimson Center. Prior to joining Stimson, Christina served as a senior advisor to U.S. Department of Defense offices responsible for non-proliferation and countering weapons of mass destruction. As a Booz Allen Hamilton consultant, she led strategic communications initiatives for the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and other DoD programs.
Brian Finlay, President and Chief Executive Officer, Stimson Center (Opening Remarks)