Heightened geopolitical fragmentation, driven by factors such as great-power competition, regional conflicts, trade disputes and shifting alliances has made geopolitics a focus for investors. Asset owners and investment managers are increasingly embedding geopolitical analysis into strategic asset allocation, risk management frameworks, and scenario planning.
Risks include those posed by sanctions regimes, supply chain disruptions, regulatory shifts and currency instability, along with trade wars and military conflicts. As a result, institutional investors are assessing portfolios against geopolitical scenarios and reassessing diversification to mitigate exposure to geopolitical risks. At the same time, geopolitics is generating opportunities through structural shifts such as ‘friend-shoring’ and the reshaping of sectors like defence, energy transition and critical minerals.
The integration of geopolitics into investment decision-making is also influencing how investors approach company stewardship and corporate engagement. Many institutional investors are evolving toward a more holistic model where geopolitics is embedded alongside economic, environmental, governance, social and technological factors, recognising that geoeconomic developments are now a persistent and transformative force shaping global markets.
RIAA and AIIA members are invited to join leading academics, geopolitical risk analysts and investment industry leaders in a thought-provoking discussion on the current geopolitical risks investors must consider, how geopolitics is reshaping investment decisions and practical tools and frameworks investors can use to understand and map geopolitical risks.
A light lunch will be served.
EVENT PARTNER
Co-CEO
,
RIAA
With a distinguished 20-year career at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Estelle Parker brings crucial expertise in government relations, policy-making, and themes important to responsible investors, including human rights and the SDGs. As a leader driving RIAA’s research, certification, policy, standards, and working group programs, her leadership has elevated these initiatives to achieve heightened levels of professionalism, impact, and value delivery for our members, aligning seamlessly with RIAA’s strategic objectives.
Beyond her organisational impact, Estelle is a respected figure in the responsible investment landscape, serving as a strong advocate on influential global and government committees, including the Principles for Responsible Investment’s Global Policy Reference Group, the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (as a Board member) and the Australian Government’s Natural Capital Working Group. Additionally, she serves as the Convenor of the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures official Consultation Group for Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and the Steering Committee for the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute. She is also the Vice President of the Council of the Australian Institute for International Affairs (Victoria).
President of AIIAV and Founder of Long Street Advisors
,
Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria
Mohammad is the Founder and CEO of Long Street Advisors. He has shaped connectivity and digital infrastructure industry reforms and growth plans across 80+ countries. He has served as an advisor in several nations including the UK, Australia, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Brunei, Oman, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Kenya, Egypt, the UAE, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Ethiopia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Mohammad served as a Senior Partner at PwC leading the firm’s Telecom, Media and Technology practices across India, SE Asia and Australia. He held executive roles in IBM and Vodafone Group and was worked with the World Bank based in Washington, D.C. earlier in his career. His clients include Federal and several State governments in Australia, the UN Broadband Commission, the World Bank, GSMA and World Economic Forum, as well as major global and regional telcos, technology and solutions companies. He served as National Telecommunications Adviser to the Government of Myanmar in the lead up to democratic elections.
Mohammad is a Visiting Fellow at University of Technology, Sydney, served as a Trustee of the UK’s Institute for the Future of Work and on the Council of Economic Advisors for Melbourne, and sits on the Council of the Australian Institute of International Affairs (VIC). His book, Border Crossings: My Journey as an Outsider was published in the UK, Asia and Australia and will do so in the Middle East in 2025.
Group Chief Investment Officer
,
Challenger Limited
Damian was appointed Group Chief Investment Officer in January 2026. Prior to this, Damian was Chief Investment Officer at Aware Super for 10 years. Damian has also held investment leadership roles at StatePlus, Macquarie Group and J.P. Morgan
Head of Asia Risk Insight
,
Verisk Maplecroft
Reema Bhattacharya is Head of Asia Risk Insight at Verisk Maplecroft, where she leads a regional team delivering data-driven intelligence on geopolitical risk, resilience, and sustainability. With more than 13 years of experience advising governments and multinational corporations, she specialises in political and regulatory risk analysis, market entry strategies, and supply chain resilience. Her expertise spans global trade, conflict dynamics, and U.S.–China decoupling, with a proven record of guiding senior executives and policymakers through complex regulatory and geopolitical environments. Reema is also highly experienced in strategic stakeholder engagement, cultivating relationships with senior government officials, diplomats, and industry leaders to align commercial and policy objectives. Recognised as Verisk Maplecroft’s spokesperson in Asia, her commentary has appeared in leading outlets including CNBC, Bloomberg, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal. She is a regular contributor to international forums such as the OECD and PDAC, where she drives public dialogue on critical global risk issues.
Professor of International Relations
,
The University of Melbourne
Andrew Walter is Professor of International Relations at the University of Melbourne. His current research includes the politics of wealth, investment and national security, and finance in the energy transition. He has degrees in economics, politics and international relations from the University of Western Australia and Oxford University. He worked for JP Morgan (London) over 1987-1990. His previous academic positions were at Oxford University and the LSE. He has taught in MBA and government training programs in Asia, Australia, and Europe.
