Christopher Smart

Christopher Smart Speaking Topics

• Managing Global Business Through Rising Geopolitical Risk

  How to think about geopolitical change and how to track the most important signals to protect capital and strategy in an uncertain world.

  The future is unknowable — but the risks from China, Russia, and the Middle East are not. Too often, executives and investors review their risks in detail, only to throw up their hands at the “dark cloud” called geopolitics. Drawing on experience from both the White House and the global investment world, Christopher Smart shows leaders how to separate signal from noise, focus on the decisions that matter, and anticipate shifts that will affect strategy.

  This talk provides a practical framework to narrow uncertainty so that business leaders can make better choices about where to deploy capital, how to adjust business strategy and when volatility creates new opportunities.

  Audience Takeaways:

  • A clear framework to distinguish real systemic risks from short-term noise.
  • Practical strategies for corporate boards and investors to act with confidence in uncertain times.
  • Lessons from both markets and policymaking to guide leadership decisions.

• Dollar Dominance and the Geopolitics of Crypto

  Stablecoin technologies can secure the dollar’s global status amid a scramble to find alternatives—but only if Washington convinces other suspicious governments to cooperate.

  The dollar’s dominance has survived de-pegging from gold, deteriorating fiscal discipline and the active efforts of criminals, terrorists and resentful foreign governments to find alternatives. Now this central pillar of U.S. geopolitical influence faces a fresh challenge from digital currencies that promise to move money and other assets with the ease of an email and the security of an armored truck.

  The Trump administration’s bet on U.S. dollar stablecoins could reinforce the dollar’s role as the world’s primary reserve currency, but success will require vigorous enforcement of the rules that govern this new form of money across what may soon become an unruly global community of dollar stablecoin issuers.

  Audience Takeaways:

  • Washington’s challenge in reinforcing the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency.
  • How dollar stablecoins will transform global financial flows for better – and worse.
  • How rules for moving money across borders are about to turn much more complicated.

• Venezuela, Greenland and the Return of the Great Game

  At the heart of U.S.-China competition in trade and innovation lies a far grittier struggle to control strategic lands and crucial resources. Investors and executives need to watch closely how the next chapter evolves.

  At the heart of U.S.-China competition in trade and innovation lies a far grittier struggle to control strategic lands and crucial resources. Investors and executives need to watch closely how the next chapter evolves as they parse the headlines ahead from the world’s newest hotspots. For all the focus on artificial intelligence and virtual work models, access to physical energy, rare earths and key transport routes will be as important as ever.

  Christopher Smart brings unique insights from both Washington and global markets to explain the forces driving U.S.–China relations, what business leaders should expect in the coming decade, and how companies and investors can adapt strategies to manage risk and seize opportunity in the new era of economic rivalry.

  Audience Takeaways:

  • Where will the contest for resources next flare up?
  • How will Presidents Trump and Xi try to contain the risks?
  • Practical steps organizations can take to manage exposure and capture opportunities.

• Can Markets Keep Rising When the World Is Falling Apart (Breakout / Fireside Chat)

  Why markets often surge in the face of grim headlines— and how to avoid costly overreactions.

  Markets often defy the headlines. War, sanctions, and political upheaval don’t always drive stocks and bonds the way we expect. This session unpacks why — and how investors and executives can avoid overreacting to the latest crisis. Christopher Smart draws on decades in portfolio management and policy to explain the counterintuitive forces that push markets higher when the news cycle is grim.

  Best Format: 45–60 minute interactive session or moderated fireside chat.

  Audience Takeaways:

  • Why markets often rise amid global crises.
  • Key indicators that matter more than headlines.
  • How to avoid costly overreactions to political shocks.

• How to Invest in a Trade War (Breakout / Workshop)

  Understanding the second-order effects of tariffs and sanctions — and building resilience into portfolios and supply chains.

  Trade wars are disruptive — but not always in predictable ways. This session explores the second- and third-order effects of tariffs, sanctions, and industrial policy on industries, supply chains, and asset classes. Participants gain a grounded view of where risks and opportunities lie in an era of economic nationalism.

  Best Format: 60–90 minute workshop with Q&A and audience interaction.

  Audience Takeaways:

  • Which sectors and regions are most vulnerable in a trade war.
  • How investors and businesses can build resilience into portfolios and supply chains.
  • Framework for scenario planning under prolonged trade tensions.