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.

Erik Peterson sits at the intersection of global economics, geopolitical changes, and future trends. His riveting presentations are eye-opening glimpses into how we can and should address some of the most challenging global issues of our time. He maps the key long-range trends transforming the opportunities and risks and traces the simultaneous and significant global shifts in the areas of population, resources, technology, economy, security, and geopolitics. He untangles these complex trends for audiences and examines the real-world implications—both present and future.

Norman T. Roule is the Chief Executive Officer of Pharos Strategic Consulting, LLC and served as the National Intelligence Manager for Iran (NIM-I) at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence from November 2008 until September 2017. As NIM-I, he was the principal Intelligence Community (IC) official responsible for overseeing all aspects of national intelligence policy and activities related to Iran, which includes IC engagement on Iran issues with senior policy makers in the National Security Council and the Department of State.

Gregory Treverton just completed service as chairman of the National Intelligence Council, which provides both strategic intelligence and more immediate intelligence support to the senior foreign policymakers in the U.S. government. Earlier, he directed the RAND Corporation’s Center for Global Risk and Security, and before that its Intelligence Policy Center and its International Security and Defense Policy Center.

Tim Shipman has been a national newspaper journalist for sixteen years and has more than a decade of experience reporting on British and American politics and international relations. Currently the Political Editor of the Sunday Times, Tim was previously the Deputy Political Editor of the Daily Mail, Washington Correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph and held several posts, both Political and Foreign, at the Daily and Sunday Express. Tim’s experience is diverse and has seen him coordinate a wide range of news, from the war in Kosovo to Bill Clinton's impeachment, as well as writing extensively on security issues

Fatima Bhutto, born and raised in Pakistan, is an acclaimed poet, writer, columnist, and journalist. With a steep family history in politics, she is also a renowned activist and has undertaken work for women’s rights and humanitarian issues, as well as broader world politics.

Gen. Allen, the former Presidential Special Envoy to Counter ISIL and Ken Pollack, a former CIA official and senior fellow at the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institute deliver a detailed presentation on the challenges in the Middle East and what it means for business in America. Their perspectives, a meld of military, diplomatic, intelligence, and policy points of view, allow them to deliver a uniquely well-rounded analysis that helps audiences breakdown the current environment and think about the short-, medium-, and long-term risks and rewards.

Dr. Benn Steil is senior fellow and director of international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He is also the founding editor of International Finance, a scholarly economics journal, the lead writer of the Council’s Geo-Graphics economics blog, and creator of three web-based interactives tracking Sovereign Risk, Global Monetary Policy, and Central Bank Currency Swaps. Dr. Steil has written and spoken widely on international finance, monetary policy, financial markets, and economic and diplomatic history. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed book, The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War, as well as the previous book, The Battle of Bretton Woods: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the Making of a New World Order.

George Friedman is an internationally recognized geopolitical forecaster and author of bestselling books. As Founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Futures, a new online publication dedicated to forecasting the course of global events, Friedman combines his passion for writing and publishing for his readers worldwide who follow international affairs. Prior to founding Geopolitical Futures, Friedman guided the intellectual vision of Stratfor, the geopolitical intelligence publishing and consulting firm he founded in 1996.

Leslie Ireland served as the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis. In this role, Ireland lead the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, which is responsible for the receipt, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence related to the Department's mission to safeguard the international financial system from abuse and to combat threats to U.S. national security. Ireland was a career intelligence officer for 25 years and has held a variety of positions in the analytical, collection, interagency and policy communities. Most recently she was intelligence briefer to President Obama.

Michael K. Farr, the founder and CEO of Farr, Miller & Washington, LLC, is the Chairman of their Investment Committee and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day activities of the firm. Michael is the longest-running paid contributor for CNBC television and appears regularly on The Today Show, Good Morning America, NBC’s Nightly News, CNN, BloombergTV, Reuters, and the Nightly Business Report. He can be heard on Associated Press Radio, CBS Radio, and National Public Radio, and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, The Washington Post, Businessweek, USA Today, and many other publications. Michael is a highly sought-after speaker who covers topics such as investing, retirement, the current economic situation, the Federal Reserve, and much more.

Mr. E. William (Bill) Priestap is a recognized thought leader in national security, with a particular expertise in the growing threats posed by certain foreign nations, especially Russia and China. After twenty-one years, he concluded his FBI career in April 2019. For the last three years, he was responsible for all aspects of the FBI’s counterintelligence mission as Assistant Director, including the development and implementation of the agency’s global strategy to counter foreign nations’ intelligence efforts. Under his leadership, the division also conducted the Hillary Clinton email and Russia election influence investigations. Priestap provides audiences an in-depth overview of the current threats posed by nation-states today. His presentations also include a description of the gravity and complexity of these intelligence and counterintelligence threats as well as an easy-to-understand explanation about why every American should be concerned about them.