George Friedman is a New York Times bestseller and geopolitical forecaster with more than two decades of experience in intelligence consulting and publishing. He is the founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Futures and is highly sought after at industry events as an expert strategist and speaker on international affairs.
Geopolitical Futures, founded in 2015, is an online publication that focuses on analysing and forecasting global events as a guide to navigate the future. With George’s stellar reputation and expertise, the publication is used as a driving force to predict geopolitical events. Prior to Geopolitical Futures, George founded a private forecasting and intelligence publishing company called Stratfor. The company, based in Texas, USA, was founded in 1996, and he served as the CEO and Chief Intelligence Office until his resignation in 2015.
George is a well-established author who has published several books, including The Storm Before the Calm (2020), which outlines the challenges the United States will face in the 2020s in what would be described as a ‘crisis decade’. He correctly forecasted Russia’s re-emergence in Flashpoints (2015) and in his book The Next Decade (2011) he outlined the skills that future leaders would require and the United States need to create regional power balances. His most engaging and fascinating work is the 2009 acclaimed New York Times bestseller titled The Next 100 Years, where he outlines the political and economic crisis in the EU and China’s economic decline. One of his earliest publications was a book he co-authored titled The Coming War with Japan (1991), where he forewarned a potential conflict between Japan and the United States following the dismantling of the Soviet Union.
In a quest to share his knowledge and expertise, George has been featured in many publications and online media, including Bloomsberg, Daily Pioneer, Forbes, CNBC and Business Insider.
George obtained his PhD in government from Cornell University in 1970, and prior to that, he received his BA Honors in political science from The City College of New York.
Hungarian-born and immigrating to the United States as a child, George is an admired and well-respected speaker who is internationally recognised as a pioneer and is celebrated for his ability to analyse and portray the geopolitical landscape strategically.
The next 100 years will see political powers rise and fall, but the basic matrix remains the same. Russia and China will weaken, as Japan, Turkey, and Poland fix their internal issues and rise. The United States will maintain its position as the primary global force.
The current trend of population decline in the developed world will spread globally, leading to cheaper land as demand decreases. For the first time in centuries, labor will be the expensive commodity as capital seeks to augment the shrinking workforce. Global GDP may fall, but per capita GDP will rise. Subsequently, the main technological breakthroughs must be in medicine, making people more productive as their lives extend toward 100 years.
The ability to produce highly-educated workers from the lower levels of society will define the status of nations. Policies that support the efficient use of labor are the key. The surge of the educated and informed class will pose challenges to regimes. The regimes can suppress the challenge and weaken geopolitically; or, they can allow the regime to evolve and strengthen geopolitically. This is the key choice.
Discover how change management expert April Rinne transforms personal crisis into organizational resilience through proven strategies.
Read MoreDiscover why laughter and humor are vital for navigating challenges with insights from motivational corporate comedian Greg Schwem.
Read MoreLearn keynote speaker Dorie Clark’s approach to career strategy, balancing short‑term wins with long‑term vision in this episode of The Keynote Curators Podcast.
Read MoreFrom emotional storytelling to keynote speakers who spark brand identity and loyalty, discover the real drivers behind brand obsession.
Read MoreKeynote speaker Dan Pink reveals why regret follows life stages—not generations—and how understanding this curve helps you seize today’s opportunities.
Read MoreWhy are top female speakers some of the most transformative voices on stage? Because leadership today isn’t about titles. It’s about impact.
Read More