Rear Admiral Mike Studeman is a decorated military leader and former Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence who stands as one of the United States’ preeminent national security officials. His distinguished 35-year career has taken him to assignments around the globe and positioned him as one of the most influential voices on intelligence, foreign policy, and defense matters. He is an internationally recognized authority on Asian affairs with deep expertise on China. Studeman has led intelligence operations at every level — from the tactical to the strategic, through crises and war – and is an accomplished foreign policy practitioner with a track record of geostrategic impact.

In a career spanning more than 35 years, longtime Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) senior executive Ted Singer has been regarded as a national intelligence and security chessmaster whose insights and acumen have guided strategic decision-making by U.S. and foreign governments on global issues of the highest complexity. From 2006 onwards, Singer served as a CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer — succeeding in positions of increasing responsibility and U.S. national security scope, and becoming a five-time Chief of Station — serving in major Middle Eastern and European capitals. Singer’s knowledge of regional dynamics in the Middle East and Europe is near-encyclopedic and his list of achievements is as extensive as it is impressive. His expertise extends across strategic planning, stewardship of significant staff and resources, financial management, and operational control of groundbreaking intelligence programs.

Currently, David has taken over as Beijing Bureau Chief for The Economist. David was the Washington bureau chief and "Lexington" columnist of The Economist from 2012 to 2018. Before that he was UK political editor and "Bagehot" columnist of The Economist and before that he was EU correspondent and "Charlemagne" columnist of The Economist. No other journalist at the magazine has written all three of those columns. The postings have given David a front-row seat as economic woes and populist political forces have upended the global world order that some had thought was settled. Over the years David has interviewed heads of state, heads of government, cabinet secretaries, and countless elected politicians and newsmakers, and reported from more than 50 countries.