Events

Mr Peter Schwartz

Geopolitics, technology, rising demands for greater citizen participation, the environment. The pace of change has accelerated in all these areas, and more. They all present new challenges for governance. We appear to be at the cusp of major, paradigm-changing shifts, arising from a confluence of rapid new developments in the geopolitical, economic, technological and social arenas. What are some of these trends, and what are the dynamics driving them? What are the implications of these changes for us – as a society and as a government?

In this New Insights Lecture, Peter Schwartz, one of the world's leading futurists and business strategists, talks about the global shifts that will have far-reaching impact on the way societies develop and on the way we govern. Schwartz is the co-founder and chairman of Global Business Network, which is internationally acclaimed for its leadership role in the development and application of scenario planning and strategic conversations.

Peter Schwartz is cofounder and chairman of Global Business Network, a Monitor Group company, and a partner of the Monitor Group, a family of professional services firms devoted to enhancing client competitiveness. An internationally renowned futurist and business strategist, Schwartz specializes in scenario planning, working with corporations, governments, and institutions to create alternative perspectives of the future and develop robust strategies for a changing and uncertain world.

From 1982 to 1986, Schwartz headed scenario planning for the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies in London. His team conducted comprehensive analyses of the global business and political environment and worked with senior management to create successful strategies. Before joining Royal Dutch/Shell, Schwartz directed the Strategic Environment Center at SRI International. The Center researched the business milieu, lifestyles, and consumer values, and conducted scenario planning for corporate and government clients.

Schwartz is the author of Inevitable Surprises (Gotham, 2003), a provocative look at the dynamic forces at play in the world today and their implications for business and society. His first book, The Art of the Long View (Doubleday Currency, 1991; audio tape, 1995; paperback, 1996), is considered a seminal publication on scenario planning and has been translated into multiple languages. He is also the co-author of The Long Boom (Perseus, 1999), a vision for the world characterized by global openness, prosperity, and discovery; When Good Companies Do Bad Things (Wiley, 1999), an examination of, and argument for, corporate social responsibility; and China's Futures (Jossey-Bass, 2001), which describes very different scenarios for China and their international implications. He publishes and lectures widely and served as a script consultant on the films "The Minority Report," "Deep Impact," "Sneakers," and "War Games." Schwartz received a B.S. in aeronautical engineering and astronautics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.