As the United States looks ahead to its 300th anniversary in 2076, a fundamental question is taking shape: What decisions today will define American power over the next 50 years?

Competition with China, wars in Europe and the Middle East, and advances in AI and cyber warfare are reshaping global security. Economic competitiveness and national security are increasingly intertwined, while longstanding alliances face new pressures.

For business leaders, policymakers, and organizations navigating geopolitical uncertainty, understanding these shifts has become essential.

Harry Walker Agency's military leaders, diplomats, and national security experts offer firsthand perspectives on the forces shaping America's future.

How Are AI and Cyber Warfare Changing National Security?

AI, drones, cyber capabilities, and autonomous systems are transforming how nations compete and prepare for conflict.

GENERAL MARK MILLEY, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, served as America's highest-ranking military officer during a period of intensifying great-power competition. Drawing on more than four decades of military leadership, Milley offers insight into deterrence, military transformation, and the future of national security.

GENERAL TIM HAUGH, former Commander of U.S. Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency, brings firsthand experience confronting cyber threats and the intelligence challenges posed by rapidly evolving technologies.

Former CIA Director WILLIAM J. BURNS brings another dimension to the conversation. Having led America's intelligence agency and served as U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Burns offers insight into how intelligence, diplomacy, and strategic judgment inform national security decisions.

Their experiences illuminate a defining challenge for military and business leaders alike: preparing for threats that evolve faster than institutions can respond.

Can Economic Statecraft Keep America Competitive?

Global competition increasingly depends on who controls critical technologies, energy resources, manufacturing capacity, and international trade.

Former National Security Advisor JAKE SULLIVAN helped shape U.S. foreign policy during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, intensifying competition with China, and conflict in the Middle East. His experience offers insight into the relationship between industrial policy, technological competitiveness, and national security.

AMOS HOCHSTEIN, who held senior U.S. government roles focused on energy and international investment, brings a perspective on how energy markets, infrastructure, and economic relationships influence diplomacy and global power.

Former National Economic Council Director and Federal Reserve Vice Chair LAEL BRAINARD offers insight into the economic forces shaping American competitiveness. Her experience across monetary policy, international economics, and White House economic strategy connects global financial developments with the decisions facing businesses and policymakers.

For corporate audiences, economic statecraft has direct implications for supply chain resilience, energy costs, investment decisions, and access to critical technologies. America's future competitiveness may depend as much on its industrial capabilities as its military strength.

What Is the Future of NATO and Transatlantic Security?

America's alliances have long extended its influence around the world. Their future depends on how partners respond to changing security threats and economic pressures.

Former Secretary of State HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON helped shape American foreign policy during a period of shifting global power and emerging security challenges. Drawing on her experience as America's top diplomat, Clinton offers insight into the role of diplomacy, international partnerships, and American leadership in an increasingly complex world.

Former Finnish Prime Minister SANNA MARIN led Finland as Russia's invasion of Ukraine transformed European security and prompted her country to pursue NATO membership.

Former Canadian Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU spent nearly a decade navigating changes in international trade, security cooperation, and relations with the United States.

Together, their perspectives illuminate what sustaining American leadership requires, both from Washington and from the allies whose cooperation remains essential to global stability.

Why Is the Indo-Pacific Critical to U.S. Foreign Policy?

Competition over technology, trade, investment, and security has made the Indo-Pacific central to America's global strategy.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan RAHM EMANUEL represented the United States in one of its most important regional alliances. His experience in Congress, the White House, and diplomacy offers insight into how domestic politics and international security intersect.

Former U.S. Ambassador to India ERIC GARCETTI worked to strengthen U.S.-India cooperation on technology, trade, defense, and investment. His experience across diplomacy, city leadership, and military service offers insight into the opportunities and complexities of American engagement in the region.

Japan and India have distinct priorities, but both are essential to America's Indo-Pacific security strategy. For business leaders, these relationships influence investment decisions, technology development, and geopolitical risk.

Why Does the U.S.-Mexico Relationship Matter to American Power?

America's global competitiveness is closely connected to the strength of its relationships closer to home.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico KEN SALAZAR has served as a U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Interior, Colorado Attorney General, and America's top diplomat in Mexico.

His experience offers insight into a bilateral relationship that touches trade, migration, manufacturing, energy, and security.

As companies pursue nearshoring and governments prioritize supply chain resilience, the U.S.-Mexico relationship has become increasingly important to North American economic security.

Salazar brings firsthand perspective on how domestic priorities, cross-border trade policy, and international diplomacy shape economic opportunity.

How Should America Understand Its Geopolitical Adversaries?

Military capabilities and economic influence tell only part of the geopolitical story. Effective strategy also requires understanding how other governments make decisions.

Iran expert KARIM SADJADPOUR, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has spent decades examining Iranian politics, U.S.-Iran relations, and the forces shaping the Middle East.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia JOHN J. SULLIVAN served in Moscow during a period of escalating tensions and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His experience offers insight into Russian strategic thinking, U.S.-Russia relations, and the diplomatic challenges of navigating conflict between major powers.

Their perspectives underscore a broader lesson for leaders navigating uncertainty: understanding another country's capabilities is not the same as understanding its intentions.

What Will American Global Leadership Require Next?

America's military, economic, and technological advantages remain formidable, but the conditions of global leadership are changing.

As the 42nd President of the United States, PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON led the country through a transformative period following the Cold War, overseeing an era of economic expansion, globalization, and evolving international partnerships. His perspective connects the decisions that shaped America's post-Cold War leadership with the challenges defining its future.

Today, cyber threats, economic competition, and emerging technologies are testing America's global influence. Alliances require continued diplomacy, and geopolitical risk management is becoming an essential part of corporate strategy.

The leaders who have confronted these challenges firsthand offer valuable perspectives on the decisions that will shape America's next 50 years.

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Harry Walker Agency's geopolitical keynote speakers, former military leaders, diplomats, and national security experts bring firsthand insight into U.S. foreign policy, international alliances, cyber warfare, and geopolitical risk.

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