Geopolitics

    Sam Wilkin Speaker

    Sam Wilkin

    Leading Geopolitical Analyst and Author

     About

    Sam Wilkin author and geopolitical analyst is director of political risk analytics at Willis Towers Watson, a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that operates in more than 140 countries and markets. He is responsible for developing and implementing political risk analysis and management tools and solutions for Willis Towers Watson clients globally.

    Sam’s most recent book, History Repeating: Why Populists Rise and Governments Fall, published in April 2018, explains today’s tumultuous politics by showing that it has all happened before. It tells the stories of Argentina’s century of populism and decline, of the great American populist Huey Long, and of the divisive, populist billionaire who governed Thailand, among others - and in the process offers insight into what is happening now and what might happen next.

    Sam is also the author, co-author or editor of three additional books and of numerous articles and chapters in edited volumes. He previously served as head of business research at Oxford Economics, associate director of the consultancy practice at Oxford Analytica, head of political risk consulting for Aon Trade Credit and as director of country analysis for Marvin Zonis & Associates.

    He received his M.A. in international relations from the University of Chicago and B.A. in economics from Eckerd College, and was the 2004 alumni fellow for Eckerd College. In 2017 and 2018 he was a visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University.

    Bob Woodward Speaker

    Bob Woodward

    Legendary Pulitzer Prize-Winning Investigative Journalist, Author and Associate Editor, The Washington Post

     About

    Bob Woodward gained international attention when he and Carl Bernstein uncovered the Watergate scandal in 1973. Since then, he’s worked to shine a light on the inner-workings of secret government. Woodward’s factual, non-partisan revelations to readers and speech audiences provide a view of Washington they’ll never get elsewhere. Woodward has written about the last nine U.S. presidents and chronicled how the power of the presidency has evolved. He is author of 20 bestselling books – 14 went to #1 – more than any contemporary nonfiction writer. His bestseller, Fear: Trump in the White House, is the deepest dive ever made into the first months of any American president. His 20th book, Rage, went behind the scenes of the Trump presidency like never before. His 21st book will look at the final days of the Trump presidency and the early days of Biden’s presidency. In his speeches, Woodward looks at the expanding powers of the presidency and the important lessons that can be learned from the presidents he’s covered. He can also assess the role of the media and how well it is (or isn’t) doing its job. Audiences will be awe-struck by insights from this living journalistic legend. Currently associate editor for The Washington Post where he’s worked since 1971, Bob Woodward has won nearly every American journalism award including two Pulitzers.

    Former CIA director and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wished he’d recruited Woodward into the CIA, “He has an extraordinary ability to get otherwise responsible adults to spill [their] guts to him…his ability to get people to talk about stuff they shouldn’t be talking about is just extraordinary and may be unique.” Therein lays the genius talent of Bob Woodward.

    No one else in political investigative journalism has the clout, respect, and reputation of Woodward. He has a way of getting insiders to open up in ways that reveal an intimate yet sweeping portrayal of Washington and the political infighting, how we fight wars, the price of politics, how presidents lead, the homeland security efforts, and so much more. His work is meticulous and draws on internal memos, classified documents, meeting notes and hundreds of hours of recorded interviews with most of the key players, including the president. This is why Fear: Trump in the White House sold more than 1.1 million copies in its first week in September 2018 – breaking the 94-year first-week sales record of its publisher Simon & Schuster – and nearly 2 million copies in hardback, ebook and audio in the first four months.

    As a speaker, Woodward pulls the curtain back on Washington and its leaders to captivate audiences with stories that are sometimes surprising, at times shocking, and always fascinating. He blends stories that are both up to the minute and from the past (to provide historical context). Woodward speaks as he writes – crisp and concise – and helps people get behind the spin to understand what’s really going on in the halls of power in an age of 24-hour news, social media, and snarky politics.

    Professionally, Bob Woodward is currently associate editor for The Washington Post where he’s worked since 1971. He has won nearly every American journalism award, and the Post won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for his work with Carl Bernstein on the Watergate scandal. In addition, Woodward was the main reporter for the Post’s articles on the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks that won the National Affairs Pulitzer Prize in 2002.

    Bob Schieffer of CBS News said "Woodward has established himself as the best reporter of our time. He may be the best reporter of all time." Lloyd Green wrote in a review for The Guardian that Fear “depicts a White House awash in dysfunction, where the Lord of the Flies is the closest thing to an owner’s manual.” The Weekly Standard called Woodward “the best pure reporter of his generation, perhaps ever.” In 2003, Al Hunt of The Wall Street Journal called Woodward “the most celebrated journalist of our age.” In listing the all-time 100 best non-fiction books, Time magazine has called All the President’s Men, by Bernstein and Woodward, “Perhaps the most influential piece of journalism in history.”

    Woodward has co-authored or authored 14 #1 national best-selling non-fiction books. They are: All the President’s Men (1974) and The Final Days (1976), both Watergate books, co-authored with Bernstein; The Brethren: Inside the Supreme Court (1979) co-authored with Scott Armstrong; Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi (1984); Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-87 (1987); The Commanders (1991); The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House (1994); Shadow: Five Presidents and the Legacy of Watergate (1999); Bush at War (2002); Plan of Attack (2004); State of Denial: Bush at War Part III (2006); Obama’s Wars (2010); Fear: Trump in the White House (2018); and Rage (2020). Woodward’s other national bestselling books are: The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate’s Deep Throat (2005), The Choice (1996), Maestro: Greenspan’s Fed and the American Boom (2000), The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008 (2008), The Price of Politics (2012), and The Last of the President’s Men (2015). Newsweek magazine has excerpted six of Woodward’s books in headline-making cover stories; “60 Minutes” has done pieces on eight of his books; and three of his books have been made into feature films.

    In November 2017, the online learning portal MasterClass released “Bob Woodward Teaches Investigative Journalism.” In it, Woodward reveals the lessons he’s learned during his career, teaching students what truth means, how to uncover it, and how to build a story with it.

    Woodward was born March 26, 1943 in Illinois. He graduated from Yale University in 1965 and served five years as a communications officer in the U.S. Navy before beginning his journalism career at the Montgomery County Sentinel (Maryland), where he was a reporter for one year before joining the Post.

    Mark Zandi Speaker

    Mark Zandi

    Chief Economist of Moody’s Analytics and Speaker on International Finance

     About

    Dr. Mark Zandi is a speaker on international finance and economics. He is the chief economist of Moody's Analytics, where he directs research and consulting. Moody's Analytics, a subsidiary of Moody's Corporation - is a leading provider of economic research, data and analytical tools.

    Mark's research interests include macroeconomics, financial markets and public policy. His recent research has focused on the determinants of mortgage foreclosure and personal bankruptcy, analyzed the economic impact of various tax and government spending policies - and assessed the appropriate policy response to bubbles in asset markets. Mark also conducts regular briefings on the economy. He is often quoted in national and global publications and interviewed by major news media outlets. He is the author of Financial Shock, an exposé of the financial crisis, and Paying the Price, which provides a roadmap for meeting the nation's daunting fiscal challenges.

    A trusted adviser to policymakers and an influential source of economic analysis for businesses, journalists and the public, Mark has frequently testified before Congress on topics including the economic outlook, the merits of fiscal stimulus, financial regulatory reform - and foreclosure mitigation.

    Dr. Zandi received his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania, where he did his research with Gerard Adams and Nobel laureate Lawrence Klein, and received his B.S. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

    Peter Zeihan Speaker

    Peter Zeihan

    Geopolitical Strategist; Global Energy, Demographic, and Security Expert

     About

    • Peter talks about the future of energy, agriculture, finance, and the role America will play in the world to come post-pandemic.
    • Audiences leave with insights on global trade and everything that comes from it — cheap Asian goods, international energy markets, global agriculture, stable finance — is about to unravel. Out of all this the Americans — cast in both the role of disruptor and survivor — are making decisions that will shape both themselves and the rest of the world for decades.
    • Peter Zeihan is an author, the Former Vice President of Analysis at STRATFOR and Founder of Zeihan on Geopolitics.
    • Past clients include: Brasada Capital Management, CFA Society, CoBank, CVC Advisers, Industrial Asset Management Council, North West Farm Credit Services, and Rimrock Capital.

    Peter Zeihan is a geopolitical strategist, which is a fancy way of saying he helps people understand how the world works. Peter combines an expert understanding of demography, economics, energy, politics, technology - and security to help clients best prepare for an uncertain future.

    Over the course of his career, Peter has worked for the US State Department in Australia, the DC think tank community - and helped develop the analytical models for Stratfor, one of the world’s premier private intelligence companies. Peter founded his own firm - Zeihan on Geopolitics - in 2012 in order to provide a select group of clients with direct, custom analytical products. Today those clients represent a vast array of sectors including energy majors, financial institutions, business associations, agricultural interests, universities and the U.S. military.

    Peter is a critically acclaimed author whose books - The Accidental Superpower and The Absent Superpower - have been recommended by Mitt Romney, Fareed Zakaria and Ian Bremmer. Peter is also a highly sought after public speaker. With a keen eye toward what will drive tomorrow’s headlines - his irreverent approach transforms topics that are normally dense and heavy into accessible, relevant takeaways for audiences of all types.