Alastair Newton has been Senior Political Analyst at Nomura International plc since October 2008, having first joined Lehman Brothers International in that capacity in August 2005. He is responsible for identifying, tracking and analysing political events worldwide likely to impact on

financial markets. In addition to his signature periodical Issues Which Keep Me Awake At Night on political and geopolitical risk, he is the co-author of major studies on China and on India, as well as numerous shorter papers. He is a frequent commentator on current politics on

television and radio and a regular speaker at conferences

and other events worldwide.

Prior to Lehman, Alastair spent 20 years in the British Diplomatic Service. He served in sub-Saharan Africa, Paris (at the OECD) and the United States. In London, he worked in intelligence co-ordination (including during the 1990/91 Gulf War), policy planning and economic relations,

as well as running the Prime Minister's G7/8 team from 1998 to 2000. He was on secondment from the Diplomatic Service to Lehman Brothers from 2000 to 2002.

Alastair is an active participant in Track 2 discussions aimed at enhancing economic and political stability across the MENA region; and he is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Middle East. He is also a member of the Supervisory Board of African Development Corporation, and of Beetle Capital Partner’s Advisory Panel; the Lisbon Council’s Climate Change Action Group; the Practitioners’ Advisory Board of the journal Global Policy; and the Advisory Board to

Bournemouth University Business School.

January 2009