Frejus Bakpe

Frejus Bakpe is an Operations Management Specialist at the NESA Center, where he supports the planning, coordination, and execution of NESA Center programs. With more than ten years of professional experience, he has been a key contributor to U.S. Government–supported security cooperation efforts. His career includes service at the Africa Center, the NESA Center, and the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, where he held roles in operations and program support and contributed to the successful delivery of complex, multinational initiatives. 

In addition, Frejus spent three years at Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a Data Center Cloud Engineer. In this role, he oversaw the full lifecycle management of incoming and outgoing information technology components supporting AWS cloud infrastructure, gaining hands-on experience in large-scale, mission-critical technology environments. 

Frejus holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the National Institute of Economics of the Republic of Benin and a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity from Strayer University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance at George Washington University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 

He has authored multiple articles on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence published in Cyber Defense Magazine, including: 

Bakpe, F. (2025). The Human Factor in Zero Trust Architecture: Can Users Keep Up? 

Bakpe, F. (2026). AI as a Friend, Not a Threat: Building Trustworthy Security Systems in the Age of Autonomy. 

Bakpe, F. (2026). From Embassies to Firewalls: The New Tools of Diplomacy.