By Sean Bielat, Founder & Managing Partner, Oscar Mike Venture Partners
Oscar Mike Venture Partners (OMVP) was built around the belief that defense investing requires more than capital. It requires operational judgment, policy awareness, procurement fluency, and trusted access across allied defense ecosystems.
Our Strategic Advisory Board is a core part of that advantage. These advisors help OMVP assess real-world demand, evaluate credibility early, and support portfolio companies as they move from concept to deployment, procurement, and scale. Their experience spans NATO command structures, national governments, live conflict environments, and decades of defense M&A.
What follows is an overview of the advisors supporting OMVP, listed in the same flow as our fund materials.
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Toomas Hendrik Ilves served as President of Estonia and previously held roles including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of the European Parliament. He is widely recognized for his leadership in cybersecurity, digital government, and European security policy.
He advises OMVP on the Baltic region, cybersecurity considerations, and government engagement across NATO’s eastern flank, providing valuable context on how smaller but strategically critical nations adopt and deploy defense technology.
Gen. Volodymyr Havrylov (Ukraine Air Defense, Ret.)
Gen. Havrylov is a former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine and previously served as Defense Attaché to both the United States and the United Kingdom. His experience spans diplomacy, defense planning, and direct exposure to modern conflict conditions.
He advises OMVP on Ukrainian defense innovation, battlefield-driven requirements, and technologies shaped by live operational use, offering insight that is difficult to replicate outside active conflict environments.
Gen. Matt Van Wagenen (U.S. Army, Ret.)
Former Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Intelligence at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Gen. Van Wagenen brings senior NATO command experience and a deep understanding of alliance operations. His career has focused on multinational coordination, intelligence integration, and operational readiness across Europe.
At OMVP, he advises on NATO priorities, European defense ministry dynamics, and how emerging technologies align with alliance-level operational needs—insight that is critical when evaluating companies targeting multi-country adoption.
Capt. Steve Higham, OBE (UK Royal Navy, Ret.)
Capt. Higham previously served as Advisor on International Security and Defense to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and held senior command roles in the Royal Navy. His background combines operational military leadership with direct exposure to national security policymaking at the highest level.
He supports OMVP by providing perspective on European defense policy, maritime security considerations, and government decision-making processes, helping ensure portfolio companies understand how strategic priorities translate into procurement and adoption.
Anita Antenucci
Anita Antenucci is Founder and Managing Partner of 3Wire Partners and was formerly Senior Managing Director for Defense M&A at Houlihan Lokey. She brings decades of experience advising aerospace and defense companies on transactions, exits, and strategic positioning.
At OMVP, she advises on exit dynamics, acquirer perspectives, and long-term value creation, helping ensure portfolio companies are built with credible strategic outcomes in mind—not just near-term funding milestones.
Gen. Jay Gallivan (U.S. Army, Ret.)
Gen. Gallivan is the former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Futures Command, where he played a central role in modernization efforts, acquisition reform, and future force development. His work focused on bridging the gap between emerging technology and deployable military capability.
He advises OMVP on U.S. defense requirements, procurement pathways, and modernization priorities, helping assess whether technologies are positioned to move beyond pilots and into sustained programs of record.
Why This Advisory Team Matters
OMVP’s advisors are deeply integrated into how we evaluate opportunities and support founders. Their experience helps us identify companies that solve real operational problems, understand procurement realities, and build with long-term credibility.
For founders, this means access to guidance shaped by deployment, policy, and acquisition – not theory. For investors, it reinforces OMVP’s commitment to disciplined, informed decision-making in a sector where execution matters more than narrative.
As OMVP continues to invest across Europe and allied markets, this advisory team remains a core part of our operating model: experienced, engaged, and focused on outcomes.