Developed in partnership with Emergent Risk International, a US-based advisory firm specialising in business risk intelligence, the one-day programme brought together King’s world-leading expertise in intelligence and foreign policy with the insights of corporate practitioners in security, economic warfare and geopolitical analysis.
Participants included senior figures from more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies and non-governmental organisations. Together, they explored how intelligence can act as a strategic enabler in business, shaping decisions at the highest level, managing risk in uncertain times, and providing foresight in an era of geopolitical complexity.
The course was framed around interactive sessions that undertook the most pressing challenges facing businesses today:
- Polycrisis and uncertainty — navigating exposure in a shifting world order
- Geopolitical analysis — turning intelligence into a business advantage
- Alternative futures — using scenarios and foresight to think strategically
- Economic warfare — understanding risk and resilience in the financial sphere
Drawing on the expertise of Professor Sir David Omand, Professor John Bew, Tim Wilsey and Dr Paul McGarr, alongside leaders from government and industry, the programme combined academic depth with real-world experience.
Following the response from participants, plans are already underway to extend the programme. From early next year, Strategic Intelligence for Senior Executives will run several times a year and grow into a two-day format, allowing for more exchanges between King’s academics, intelligence professionals, and business leaders.