John Kampfner
Gain strategic clarity on geopolitical risk and global trade with John Kampfner, foreign correspondent and international affairs keynote speaker. John equips business and policy audiences to navigate geopolitical tensions, European politics, and Russia-Ukraine dynamics. Bestselling author of eight books and Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI.
London, United Kingdom
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John Kampfner is an award-winning author, journalist, and foreign affairs specialist who draws on four decades of experience at the frontline of international politics to help organisations make sense of a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.
As Berlin and then Moscow bureau chief for the Daily Telegraph in the early 90s, John reported on events from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the war in Ukraine. He went on to work at the BBC across the Today programme and Newsnight, before becoming Editor of the New Statesman from 2005 to 2008, taking the magazine to its highest circulation in 30 years.
John is the author of eight books, including the Sunday Times bestsellers Why the Germans Do It Better and Blair's Wars, and Freedom for Sale, shortlisted for the Orwell Prize. A Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, he writes regularly for the Guardian, Foreign Policy, and Politico, and continues to make programmes for BBC Radio 4 and the World Service.
John combines firsthand reporting with deep political analysis across Europe, Russia, the UK. His experience in journalism, diplomacy, cultural leadership, and policy gives audiences a practical understanding of geopolitical risk, democratic change, populism, trade tensions, and shifting global alliances. He explains complex issues clearly, linking political developments directly to business strategy, investment decisions, and institutional resilience.
Audiences leave his sessions better equipped to read the international environment, more confident in connecting global developments to their own strategic context, and with a clearer framework for anticipating what comes next.
Book John Kampfner to gain a sharper understanding of where geopolitical tensions are heading and what they mean for trade and investment.
John brings four decades of frontline reporting from Berlin to Moscow, translating geopolitical shifts into trade and investment implications that matter now. He offers exactly the kind of informed, independent perspective that boards and leadership teams need.
Topics, Sessions And Talks
In his keynote, John Kampfner tackles the urgent challenges leaders encounter today, such as geopolitical instability, climate change, and artificial intelligence. He highlights that conventional responses fall short and advocates for courageous leadership. Drawing insights from his research in "Braver New World," John illustrates that innovative solutions frequently arise from nations under pressure rather than the wealthiest. Attendees will learn why outdated thinking is no longer sufficient and explore practical models for effective leadership in complex environments.
John Kampfner maps the intentions of China, Russia, and other hostile actors, examining what their next moves are likely to be and what Western governments and institutions can realistically do in response. He also explores the growing influence of non-aligned powers like India, Brazil, and South Africa and what their positioning means for organisations operating across borders
Germany has long been the engine of European prosperity, admired for engineering precision, export strength, and R&D investment. But the country is now grappling with a digital deficit, a rapidly changing security environment, and the need to spend tens of billions upgrading its armed forces. John Kampfner draws on years of living and reporting in Berlin to take audiences inside a country reconfiguring its national identity and strategic priorities at a pivotal moment in European history.
In 2004, John Kampfner sat through a four-hour encounter in which Putin set out, at length, his grievances towards the West. Drawing on that experience and decades of reporting on Russia, John traces the ideological roots of Putin's obsession with great-power status and his determination to deny neighbouring Slavic nations, particularly Ukraine, their sovereignty. He sets out what Putin's likely next moves look like, and what leverage, if any, exists to contain him at home or abroad.
The second wave of populism looks different from the first. Donald Trump's return, Giorgia Meloni's governance in Italy, and the rising influence of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella in France signal a movement that has grown more professional, more institutionally astute, and less dependent on individual charisma. John Kampfner examines how the political landscape of 2025 differs from the Brexit and Trump era of 2016, and what the new shape of populism means for democratic norms, international alliances, and the organisations that operate within them.
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