Current projects include consulting and guiding businesses in various industries on the confluence of energy markets and geopolitics.  In October, 2017, I began an appointment as a Non-Resident Scholar at the Arabia Foundation, an independent D.C. think tank focused on the geopolitics and socio-economics of the Middle East. I am a contributor at Forbes.com and a columnist for investing.com where I write about issues in geopolitics, oil pricing, and energy markets.  I also teach Middle East history and policy at Jacksonville University.  

Upcoming Book:

“Saudi, Inc.” presents the history of Saudi Arabia through the central figure of Aramco, the oil company that brought riches, success, and regional dominance to the ruling family, al Saud.  It will be released in 2018, as Saudi Aramco prepares to launch its much-anticipated IPO, expected to be the largest in history with a possible valuation of up to $2 trillion. The book debut will also come amid the Kingdom’s massive investment in its Vision2030 plan for economic diversification; the rebirth of an economic and diplomatic relationship with the U.S. worth hundreds of billions of dollars in investment in both directions; and preparation by the next generation to take leadership positions in the Kingdom – transforming society, business, and the state.  Pre-order here:   

Bio:

I grew up just outside of Philadelphia.  I earned an A.B. magna cum laude in history from Princeton University with specialties in Near Eastern studies and creative writing.  As a graduate student at Boston University, I studied the American and Middle-Eastern energy industries with both an economist and a foreign relations specialist.  I have conducted significant research on geopolitics and energy markets at the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming, the National Archives, the British Petroleum Archives, and the British National Archives.  My dissertation was entitled, “The United States, Great Britain and the Middle-Eastern Oil Industry, 1945-1960.”