Tom Standage is Deputy Editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual, The World Ahead. He joined The Economist as science correspondent in 1998 and was subsequently appointed technology editor, business editor and digital editor. He is the author of seven history books, including “Writing on the Wall” (2013), “The Victorian Internet” (1998) and the New York Times bestsellers “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” (2005) and “An Edible History of Humanity” (2009). His latest book, “A Brief History of Motion”, was published in 2021. Tom studied engineering and computer science at Oxford University and has written for other publications including the New York Times, the Guardian and Wired, taking a particular interest in technology's social and historical impact.

Bjørn is Chief Analyst in Macro Research at Danske Bank, with previous experience at the Danish Ministry of Finance, Danmarks Nationalbank, and the ECB. He follows the Danish and global economy and financial markets, including the UK and the Nordics. 

Tina Fordham is a Geostrategist, Author and Advisor to board and C-Suite executives on a mission to transform how senior leaders navigate the changing global environment.

Her signature theses on the Geopolitics Supercycle, PQ (Political Quotient) and Vox Populi Risk have entered the business lexicon, while the tools developed by Fordham Global Foresight have demonstrated how geopolitics can be integrated into business strategy.

Fordham was Wall Street’s original Chief Global Political Analyst, spending 17 years at Citigroup. She created Eurasia Group’s financial markets research business; was appointed to the United Nations’ first High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment, and has served as a Senior Advisor to the U.K. Prime Minister and 2- and 3-star Generals.

Tina is a member of the International Advisory Boards of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, her alma mater, and Cambridge University's Centre for Geopolitics. She hosts “The Navigator”, produced in collaboration with the London Stock Exchange, and is a frequent guest on CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Monocle Radio.

Her forthcoming book, Mad World: A Geostrategy Survival Guide for Leaders, will be published in September 2026 by Whitefox.

Giles Wilkes splits his time between Flint Global, a fast-growing business advisory specialising in politics, economics and regulatory affairs, and the Institute for Government where he writes about business and economic policy. His qualifications for doing so depend on his previous experience as a special adviser to a prime minister (Theresa May, 2017-19) and to the Business Secretary Vince Cable (2010-14), with the time in between spent at the Financial Times writing editorials and the Lex Column. He has previously worked in financial markets with IG Group, in other think tanks, and even the publishing industry, and along the way completed Masters courses in Global Economic History and in Business Administration.