Michelle DiGruttolo Profile Picture

Keynote SpeakerMichelle DiGruttolo

Former White House Intelligence Briefer, Strategic Foresight Advisor, Founder of Sage Raven

Michelle DiGruttolo, MBA, MA, is a trusted strategist, former White House intelligence briefer, and sought-after keynote speaker who helps global leaders navigate the geopolitical forces shaping the future of business. A former U.S. Army intelligence officer and presidential briefer to Barack Obama, Michelle has spent more than 30 years at... Read more

Biography

Michelle DiGruttolo, MBA, MA, is a trusted strategist, former White House intelligence briefer, and sought-after keynote speaker who helps global leaders navigate the geopolitical forces shaping the future of business.

A former U.S. Army intelligence officer and presidential briefer to Barack Obama, Michelle has spent more than 30 years at the intersection of geopolitics, security, and strategy. She has advised decision-makers at the highest levels of government and industry on risks spanning terrorism, cyber threats, climate disruption, and great power competition.

As the founder of Sage Raven Advisors, Michelle works with C-suite executives, boards, and investment leaders to translate global complexity into clarity. Her clients include Fortune 100 corporations, major private equity firms, asset managers, global foundations, and multinationals operating in high-risk markets. She is especially adept at helping organizations future-proof talent, strategy, and supply chains in a world of mounting uncertainty. Michelle is a dynamic and engaging keynote speaker who brings energy, insight, and a storyteller’s touch to every stage. She has delivered keynotes and strategic briefings for organizations across industries and sectors of all sizes.

Her signature thought leadership platform, Geopolitigal’s Kaleidoscope, combines intelligence tradecraft with real-time geopolitical analysis to help business leaders decode what’s coming next and act with confidence.

She holds an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and an MA in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is currently completing a Master of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. From briefing the President in the White House to guiding boardrooms across industries, Michelle equips leaders to think ahead, act wisely, and build resilience where it matters most.

"In the dynamic arena of institutional investment, understanding the nuanced tapestry of global political affairs is paramount. Michelle DiGruttolo's unparalleled expertise in geopolitical matters makes her an invaluable asset in this context. What sets Michelle apart is not just her robust analytical capabilities and depth of experience as the Daily Intelligence Briefer to President Obama but her exceptional talent in conveying complex geopolitical dynamics in a concise and accessible manner. This skill is crucial for institutional investors, portfolio managers, and anyone keen on navigating the intricacies of global markets effectively. Michelle's presentation at the AIF Global Southwest Investors' Forum was a testament to her unique abilities. This forum is renowned for gathering institutional investors, investment consultants, and asset management firms, to share best practices and promote thought leadership in investment strategies for pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, and endowments. Michelle's insights, delivered with clarity and depth, illuminated the geopolitical landscape, providing attendees with actionable intelligence to inform their investment decisions. We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to benefit from Michelle's expertise and strongly endorse her to any entity aiming to improve their decision making with deep geopolitical insights." Andrew Messer, Executive Director, AIF Global and the AIF Institute
"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for your recent presentation at ARB Trading Group. Your unique vantage point on current global affairs is both informative and insightful. Your ability to deconstruct complex dynamics and relationships, and present them in a way that can be easily understood, is much appreciated. The merit and legitimacy of your knowledge base, born out of years of service and learning, are undeniable. Having you distill and impart some of that knowledge on to our members was a valuable experience. The feedback was unanimous: our members felt they had gained an understanding, and were better able to relate global events to market dynamics. Among the feedback we got, we'd like to highlight what members appreciated most. The concise nature of your presentation, the preparedness, the focused approach, and your communication skills are all elements that stood out. We thank you again Michelle, and we look forward to more thought-provoking exchanges in the near future." ARB Trading Group
“Liliuokalani Trust first met Michelle after her speaking engagement at a conference in Austin, TX, where she expertly broke down the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its effects on the global economy in a short period of time for a group of investors. Impressed with her background, expertise, and insight, Michelle was invited to speak at an organization-wide event about the Geopolitics of Climate Change. Michelle's captivating presence, coupled with her eloquent and passionate delivery, resulted in a thought-provoking presentation that left our audience of youth-serving professionals eager to learn more. Her ability to connect with a range of audiences on both an intellectual and emotional level was truly remarkable. I highly recommend Michelle as a speaker whose expertise and charisma create an unforgettable and educational experience for all.” Investment Manager, Liliuokalani Trust
“Talking Hedge creates conference content designed to help global hedge funds and institutional investors optimize their investment outcomes. Understanding geopolitical risk is key, and Michelle DiGruttolo is our go-to authority. We have been privileged to have Michelle share her unique views on the geopolitical landscape and the potential impacts on global markets numerous times. Her remarkable background, knowledge, and deep understanding of complex geopolitical dynamics are positively riveting. Michelle's ability to captivate us with dense information and actionable content is truly remarkable. She has an uncanny talent for making intricate topics accessible and relevant to our audience. We love how she connects the dots, reveals hidden relationships, and provides unique insights that leave our attendees with a deeper understanding of the geopolitical forces causing markets to roil. Whether discussing global risks, strategic intelligence, or geopolitical trends, Michelle consistently fascinates our audiences with her valuable perspectives. Our conference delegates hold her in high esteem, and we are honored to know her! I highly recommend Michelle DiGruttolo for any event planners seeking a compelling and insightful geopolitical speaker. She is a true professional, a joy to work with, and a singular sensation!" Founder, Talking Hedge Inc.

Popular Talks by Michelle DiGruttolo

  • Strategic Shocks: What Comes Next and How to Stay Three Moves Ahead

    In a world where predictability is cracking, the greatest advantage belongs to those who prepare before the headlines hit. In this keynote, Michelle DiGruttolo outlines five strategic shocks already visible on the horizon: from coordinated cyberattacks and terrorist resurgence to climate collapse and nuclear proliferation. Michelle shows how these forces...

  • Penetrating the Economic Fog of War: Investing Through Geopolitical Obscurity

    Sanctions, tariffs, weaponized trade, and fractured alliances have created a new kind of conflict that lives in the grey space between diplomacy and war. Michelle breaks down how the fog of economic warfare is reshaping trade routes, regulatory risk, and the flow of capital.

    For executives and investors trying to...

  • The Private Equity Paradox: Why Dealmakers Need a Geopolitical Lens

    Private equity thrives on timing, insight, and leverage. But geopolitical volatility is reshuffling risk in ways spreadsheets can’t catch. Michelle shows how secondaries, tail-end funds, and cross-border deals are now exposed to new forms of regulatory, cyber, and jurisdictional shock and how to build geopolitical intelligence into your investment thesis.

    ...
  • Geopolitical Geometry: What Markets Miss About Geopolitical Risk

    Markets reward pattern recognition, but geopolitics doesn’t follow straight lines. Michelle reveals how unseen alignments, covert signals, and indirect pressure points create “geopolitical geometry” that shapes risk far from the surface.

    In this mind-bending talk, she shows how to decode risk not as dots on a map, but as interconnected...

  • The Death of Predictability: What Comes After the Geopolitical Playbook Breaks

    What happens when none of the old models work? Michelle explains why we’ve entered a post-predictability era defined by broken institutions, collapsing consensus, and emerging power vacuums.

    This keynote offers a strategy-forward approach to navigating uncertainty, helping organizations trade their forecast models for adaptive frameworks.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Understand the...
  • How a Dot Becomes a Line: Turning Intelligence into Insight Before It’s Too Late

    Every geopolitical shock starts as a dot: a tariff tweak, a border skirmish, a speech. But some dots turn into lines. In this keynote, Michelle teaches leaders how to read the early indicators, connect the dots, and act before patterns become crises.

    This is a masterclass in foresight, intelligence tradecraft,...

  • The Tariff Gambit: Trade Wars, Cold Wars, and the New Strategic Chessboard

    Tariffs aren’t just trade tools anymore; they’re geopolitical signals. In this riveting keynote, Michelle explores how trade policy has become foreign policy and why tariffs today are used to reshape alliances, weaponize supply chains, and destabilize rivals. With stories ripped from global headlines, this talk helps leaders understand how trade...

  • Thinking Through Policy Uncertainty: Planning in the Age of Wildcards

    Governance is becoming unpredictable — not just in emerging markets, but in established democracies. In this keynote, Michelle dissects the collapse of institutional predictability and outlines how executives and investors can plan for policy volatility, regulatory risk, and the unthinkable becoming normal.

    This is a roadmap for leading through the...

  • Forecasting in the Fog: Navigating Geopolitical Uncertainty

    Forecasting doesn’t work when the rules are changing. In this session, Michelle equips audiences with the frameworks, mental models, and practical tools to lead through ambiguity.

    From scenario planning to strategic signposts, this talk is a masterclass in navigating the unpredictable with intelligence and poise.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Rethink forecasting...