OODA Global Risk Briefing

Panel Description

Drawn from our OODA Network of Experts, this global risk briefing will update you on the latest conventional and cyber threats and geopolitical considerations that should inform your decision making.

Panelists Biographies

Johnny Sawyer is the founder of The Sawyer Group, a consulting firm focused on partnering with organizations to deliver tailor-made practical defense, intelligence and strategic management solutions.

Following a distinguished 22-year military career as a U.S. Army officer, he joined the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2001 and served in multiple positions of increased responsibility during his 20-year tenure there.

In 2009, Mr. Sawyer was elevated to the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service. His senior executive assignments included principal deputy director for analysis; first director, Middle East/Africa Regional Center; chief, Middle East North Africa Office; chief, Defense Resources and Infrastructure Office; and senior expert for enterprise management. Mr. Sawyer’s last assignment at DIA was chief of staff. As the third-ranking officer at DIA, he was the Agency’s chief operating officer—overseeing sixteen thousand officers and a multi-billion-dollar budget and exercising broad responsibilities to ensure continued excellence while simultaneously developing plans, process improvements, and strategies to prepare the Agency for future success.

He is the recipient of the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive, National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, and the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Director’s Award. Mr. Sawyer’s formal education includes an MBA from the Florida Institute of Technology, an M.S. from the National War College, and a Master of Military Studies from the U.S. Marine Corps University. Mr. Sawyer resides in Accokeek, Maryland with his wife Regina. They have two daughters, Cordellia and Channele, and a son Johnny III.

Johnny Sawyer | LinkedIn

By or featuring Johnny Sawyer:

• OODA Salon: Examine The Future of Intelligence and Security

Jen Hoar  leads human source intelligence work as the Managing Director at Forward Risk. She specializes in — and loves — finding and interviewing smart people about any subject. A former journalist, Jen first honed investigative prowess at ABC News, National Journal, and CBS News, and later by working with former CIA operations officials and prosecutors, among others, in boutique corporate intelligence firms in the Washington, DC, area.  Jen was also a founding member of a Facebook investigative team, where she worked on election integrity and information warfare issues. A proud double Hoya, Jen is nonetheless endeared to Fordham, where her parents were longtime professors.  A fitness and travel fanatic, when Jen’s not strategizing her next trip to Tokyo, she’s teaching Pilates, which she injects with pop culture commentary.

Jen Hoar | LinkedIn

By or featuring Jen Hoar:

• Forward Risk Enhances Human Source Intelligence Offering with Senior Leadership Hire
• Jen Hoar Featured on NPR’s The Indicator
• Jennifer Hoar, Author at OODA Loop

Additional OODA Loop Resources

Globalization Transformed and the Global Chip IT Supply Chain Disruption: Further jagged transitions, strategies, binaries fractures, major developments, and crucial events are compiled here as globalization is transformed and The Global Chip IT Supply Chain Disruption continues astride as functions of the Global Polycrisis.

Geopolitical Futures: The Americas, The Northern Frontier of Mexico, The Arctic, and Africa:   In this era of global polycrisis, leaders are also reacting to the major macro economic trend of the last thirty years – the fundamental driver of the tetonic shifts in geopolitics and deep inside the economies of nation-states – which is that the BRICs global share of GDP May Overtake the G7 by 2028.  Further geopolitical players and regions of the global polycrisis (jagged transitions, strategies, binaries fractures, major developments, and crucial events) summarized here include: The Americas, The Northern Frontier of Mexico, The Arctic, and Africa .

The Global Polycrisis: The Middle East, China, The Indo-Pacific, Russia, Ukraine, and NATO: Polycrisis: A cluster of interdependent global risks create a compounding effect, such that their overall impact exceeds the sum of their individual parts.  The geopolitical players and regions of the global polycrisis (jagged transitiosn, strategies, binaries fractures, major developments, and crucial events) summarized here include: The Middle East, China and the Indo-Pacific, and Russia, Ukraine, and NATO.

Geopolitical Trends

Great power competition introduces new corporate risks, from supply chain disruptions to cyber threats. This competition extends to resources like food, water, and rare-earth elements, with heightened risks surrounding global computer chip supply.

Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Russia’s aggression against Ukraine prompts global repercussions on supply chains and cybersecurity. This act highlights potential threats from nations like China and could shift defense postures, especially in countries like Japan. See: Russia Threat Brief

Economic Weakness in China: China’s economy faces dim prospects exacerbated by disasters, COVID-19, and geopolitical tensions. Amid limited financial transparency, some indicators suggest China’s economic growth is severely stunted, impacting global economic stability. See: China Threat Brief

Networked Extremism: The digital era enables extremists worldwide to collaborate, share strategies, and self-radicalize. Meanwhile, advanced technologies empower criminals, making corruption and crime interwoven challenges for global societies. See: Converging Insurgency, Crime and Corruption

Food Security and Inflation: Food security is emerging as a major geopolitical concern, with droughts and geopolitical tensions exacerbating the issue. Inflation, directly linked to food security, is spurring political unrest in several countries. See: Food Security

Demographic Time Bomb: Industrialized nations face demographic challenges, with a growing elderly population outnumbering the working-age demographic. Countries like Japan and China are at the forefront, feeling the economic and social ramifications of an aging society. See: Global Risks and Geopolitical Sensemaking