Christopher Smart keynote speaker

Dr. Christopher Smart is the rare professional who has both advised U.S. presidents on global economic policy and delivered proven investment returns managing international portfolios. As founder and managing partner of the Arbroath Group, the strategy firm, his policy insider access and market success make him an unparalleled guide for navigating today’s complex geopolitical investment landscape.

As Special Assistant to President Obama (2013-2015), Dr. Smart advised on trade, investment and global economic issues from the White House Situation Room during major international crises. Earlier, as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, he led the U.S. response to the European financial crisis and managed economic engagement across Europe, Russia and Central Asia.

Dr. Smart’s investment expertise is equally distinguished. At Barings, he served as Chief Global Strategist and founded the Barings Investment Institute. Earlier, he managed top-performing emerging markets and international portfolios at Pioneer Investments. This rare combination of crisis management experience and investment success enables him to translate policy developments into actionable market insights.

A frequent guest on CNBC and Bloomberg TV, Dr. Smart writes Leading Thoughts, the popular Substack blog on geopolitics and markets. He also writes regular columns for Barron’s, Bloomberg Opinion, the Financial Times and Foreign Policy. He has been a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Harvard Kennedy School and Chatham House.

Fluent in Russian and French, he holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Columbia University, a B.A. from Yale, and the CFA designation.