In a world where global events shape our daily lives, understanding the complex web of geopolitics has become more important than ever.
Hagai M. Segal is a multi-award-winning academic and internationally renowned consultant, commentator, and keynote speaker whose mission is to demystify the ever-evolving landscape of global political events and crises.
Hagai's expertise spans geopolitical issues, strategic risks, the Middle East, and counter-terrorism.
But what truly sets him apart is his unique ability to look beyond the obvious headlines and superficial news analysis, pinpointing pivotal connections between international scenarios as they unfold.
His talent has made him an invaluable asset to corporations, financial institutions, business groups, NGOs, police forces, and security agencies worldwide.
In this article, we'll explore Hagai's story, how he became interested in politics and geopolitics, and how he developed his unique approach to explaining complex events. We'll also examine how he has built his reputation as a trusted expert in his field and how he navigates the complexities of the modern world.
Through his insights, we'll understand the significance of critical thinking, education, and nuance in decision-making and how we can all become more informed and active participants in shaping the world.
The Unexpected Path of a Geopolitical Expert
Hagai M. Segal's path to becoming a renowned geopolitical expert was not a predetermined route but an organic evolution driven by passion, family influence, and a series of pivotal global events.
Growing up in a family where politics mattered deeply, Hagai was immersed in an environment that valued active citizenship and engagement with world affairs.
His grandfather, a trade union activist who played a role in organising the Anti-Fascist marches in London in 1936, set a powerful example of political involvement.
This family background instilled in Hagai the importance of not being a passive observer but an active participant in understanding and shaping the world around him.
When it came time for university, Hagai found himself drawn to politics, not out of a clear career plan but simply because it fascinated him most.
As he puts it, "I just did what I was passionate about." This decision to follow his interests rather than a predetermined path would prove crucial in shaping his future expertise.
The real turning point in Hagai's career coincided with one of the most significant geopolitical events of the 21st century: the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The global crisis thrust Hagai into roles he hadn't anticipated, from giving government briefings to flying around the world to advising corporations suddenly grappling with the impact of political events on their businesses.
This baptism by fire accelerated Hagai's transition from pure academia to the real-world application of geopolitical knowledge.
He found himself in demand not just for his academic credentials but for his ability to explain and contextualise rapidly unfolding global events.
Hagai's expertise was further honed and recognised through his appearances on major news networks like CNN, BBC, and Sky News.
However, he was careful not to let these high-profile platforms overshadow the value of building genuine, long-term credibility.
He consciously decided to develop relationships with agencies and organisations based on trust and neutrality, rather than seeking security clearances or insider status.
Throughout his journey, Hagai has maintained a commitment to continuous learning and humility.
He surrounds himself with people he can learn from, always seeking contrarian viewpoints and new perspectives. This approach has deepened his expertise and reinforced his integrity as an analyst and educator.
Today, Hagai's expertise is not just about geopolitical knowledge but about his ability to make that knowledge relevant and actionable for a wide range of audiences.
Whether addressing students, corporate boards, or government agencies, he strives to empower people with the tools to understand and engage with our complex global landscape.
The Strategies for Building Credibility in a Sceptical World
For Hagai M. Segal, building a personal brand in the complex world of geopolitics has been a journey of self-discovery, careful positioning, and continuous adaptation.
As he transitioned from pure academia to a multifaceted career as a consultant, commentator, and keynote speaker, Hagai faced unique challenges in defining and promoting his expertise.
One of the first hurdles he encountered was the cultural reluctance, particularly in Britain, to self-promote.
He recalls the initial discomfort of writing about himself in the third person for his website, stating, "I'm allowed to say that about myself." This hesitation to claim expertise publicly is a common struggle for many professionals, especially those from academic backgrounds.
Hagai also had to navigate the delicate balance between leveraging his academic credentials and avoiding the potential pitfalls of being perceived as too "ivory tower."
He notes, "For many people, the word academic is boring... it suggests that you live in this world of research, where you might write interesting papers sitting in an office, but have you ever seen the real world?"
To counter this perception, Hagai created a dynamic brand that emphasised his ability to operate effectively in the real world, speaking to boards and banks with a practical understanding of their issues.
As his career progressed, Hagai recognised the need to broaden his brand beyond just geopolitics.
He worked to position himself as a catalyst for change, using geopolitical insights to help businesses understand and adapt to global events.
This broader positioning has allowed him to remain relevant and valuable to various clients, from corporations to NGOs and government agencies.
Hagai emphasises the importance of continuous learning and humility in maintaining his brand.
He surrounds himself with people he can learn from and actively seeks contrarian viewpoints. This approach deepens his expertise and reinforces his reputation for providing balanced, well-informed analysis.
Hagai has learned that building a personal brand in geopolitics is not just about promoting oneself.
It's about consistently delivering value, maintaining integrity, and adapting to the changing needs of clients and the world at large.
As he puts it, "I'm more passionate than ever... about continuing to ensure that people are informed and they make informed decisions."
The commitment to informed decision-making in a complex world continues to be the driving force behind Hagai Segal's enduring and respected brand in the field of geopolitics.
The Role of an Educator in Today's Complex World
In an era where global events shape our daily lives, and information overload is the norm, Hagai Segal sees his role as an educator as more crucial than ever.
Far from being a mere disseminator of information, Hagai views education as a powerful tool for empowerment and active citizenship.
"One of the things that I try and challenge a lot in my work is that many people think that the world today is too complicated for them to understand," Segal explains.
This perception, he argues, is dangerous because it leads to disengagement from critical decision-making processes, from boardrooms to ballot boxes.
Hagai's mission is to counter this trend by making complex geopolitical issues accessible and actionable for a wide range of audiences.
For Hagai, education goes beyond the traditional classroom setting. Whether he's addressing students, corporate boards, or government agencies, his goal remains the same: to provide people with the tools and confidence to engage with global issues.
"I'm helping use knowledge to get people to a more informed place, where they have the confidence to then think about these issues and even talk about them to other people," he says.
Hagai emphasises that his aim is not to tell people what to think but how to think.
He challenges the notion that geopolitics is too complex for the average person to understand, arguing instead that with the right approach, anyone can develop the skills to analyse and engage with global issues. This democratisation of knowledge is at the heart of Segal's educational philosophy.
Hagai also sees education as a catalyst for change in the business world. He helps organisations understand that engaging with geopolitics isn't just about risk mitigation; it's about identifying opportunities and future-proofing their businesses.
"When they embrace this idea that they can begin to engage in political events and understand them, rather than it scaring them off, it does the opposite," he explains. "It creates their ability to take advantage of opportunities because they're no longer scared."
In his role as an educator, Hagai also strives to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application.
He challenges the notion that engaging with geopolitics requires extensive academic study, instead promoting a mindset shift that allows organisations to incorporate geopolitical thinking into their everyday operations.
Perhaps most importantly, Hagai sees his educational role as a safeguard against the simplification and polarisation of complex issues.
By providing depth, context, and nuance, he aims to counter the trend towards reductive, black-and-white thinking that can lead to dangerous political outcomes.
Reputation, Values, and the Ethics of Geopolitical Expertise
For Hagai M. Segal, building and maintaining a reputation in the complex world of geopolitics has been marked by careful navigation of ethical considerations and a steadfast commitment to his core values.
Hagai underscores the importance of developing genuine credentials rather than relying on what he calls "fake credentials."
He notes, "Real credentials are not magically created, you can't just come up with a good marketing paragraph and put it on your website."
Instead, Segal has focused on building trust and integrity over time, prioritising these qualities over quick gains or superficial recognition. This approach has led Segal to make some unconventional choices in his career.
Navigating values in a professional context isn't always straightforward. Hagai acknowledges that being too rigid about values can sometimes limit opportunities.
"If you're too strong on values, it can lose your work," he admits. This realisation has led him to adopt a nuanced approach, carefully considering each opportunity and its alignment with his principles.
Hagai's commitment to his values has occasionally led him to turn down lucrative work. "I have regularly turned down work," he says, "I tend to politely say I can't do it in my schedule, or find a way to do it, rather than telling people I think that their work is immoral." This tactful approach allows him to maintain his integrity without burning bridges unnecessarily.
The geopolitical expert also stresses the essence of due diligence when considering new opportunities or partnerships.
He's learned to be "very careful" about who he shares platforms with, having experienced situations early in his career where he found himself alongside individuals whose views he strongly opposed.
In today's "post-fact" world, where the concept of expertise itself is under attack, Hagai sees his devotion to knowledge-based analysis as more important than ever.
He positions himself as an educator rather than just an expert, helping people navigate the complexities of global events and make informed decisions. This focus on empowering others through knowledge has become a central pillar of his personal brand and professional ethics.
Hagai's approach to reputation and values extends to his interactions with clients and audiences.
He strives to challenge simplistic narratives and encourage deeper understanding, even when it might be more comfortable to offer easy answers.
"I don't give myself more credit than I deserve," he says, emphasising his role as part of a larger process of continuous learning and improvement.
Throughout his career, Hagai has learned that maintaining a strong reputation and staying true to one's values doesn't mean avoiding all controversial topics or clients.
Instead, it's about carefully considering each engagement, being transparent about one's position, and always striving to contribute positively to the conversation and the broader field.
How Geopolitical Insight is Transforming 21st Century Business
In today's interconnected globe, Hagai Segal sees geopolitics not just as a subject of academic interest but as a powerful catalyst for business transformation.
His unique approach bridges the gap between academic knowledge and practical application, helping organisations steer the complex global landscape and adapt to rapidly changing political realities.
"Thirty years ago, companies could have pretended that they're not going to be affected by global events," Hagai observes. "Today, any organisation that is seeking change, any organisation that is seeking to say, 'How are we future-proofing our business?' cannot pretend they're not living in this world."
Hagai challenges the notion that businesses are helplessly tied to a geopolitical "roller coaster."
Instead, he argues that understanding geopolitics can be empowering. This perspective shift is at the heart of Hagai's work with businesses.
He helps organisations see geopolitical understanding not as an academic exercise, but as a practical tool for decision-making, risk management, and opportunity identification. "This is about a mindset," he emphasises. "This is about an organisation collectively saying, how do we develop a focus, a conversation."
Hagai's approach goes beyond simply explaining current events. He works to integrate geopolitical thinking into core business functions, from risk registers to audit committees. This integration, he argues, is essential for businesses to truly operate in the 21st century.
One of the key challenges Hagai identifies is the outdated organisational structures many companies still maintain. "I still find myself in companies, for example, introducing the Head of Security to the Head of Information Security or the Head of IT, because they've never met each other," he reveals.
This siloed approach, he argues, leaves businesses ill-equipped to handle the complex, interconnected challenges of today's world.
By bringing geopolitical insights into the boardroom, Hagai helps businesses modernise their governance structures, communication lines, and reporting mechanisms.
The holistic approach he initiates ensures that organisations are not just reacting to geopolitical events but are structured to anticipate and adapt to them.
Hagai's work in this area extends beyond traditional geopolitical hotspots. He helps businesses understand how political events can impact everything from supply chains to regulatory environments, from market access to reputational risks.
In doing so, he enables organisations to see geopolitics not as a distant concern but as an integral part of their business landscape.
Through his work, Hagai is helping to create a new generation of businesses that are more resilient, more adaptable, and better equipped to thrive in an increasingly complex global environment.
By positioning geopolitics as a catalyst for business change, he's not just helping organisations survive in a turbulent world – he's enabling them to shape it.
The Importance of Continuous Learning and Mentorship
For Hagai M. Segal, becoming a renowned geopolitical expert is not a destination, but an ongoing process of growth and learning.
Throughout his career, Hagai has underscored the critical importance of continuous learning and the value of mentorship in navigating the complex world of geopolitics and business.
"I recognised early on in my life how important it is to have the honesty that there are people who know way more about a particular way of doing something or even the knowledge on the information," Segal reflects.
This humility and eagerness to learn have been cornerstone principles in his approach to his work and personal development.
Hagai's commitment to learning is not just a personal philosophy but a professional strategy.
He actively surrounds himself with people he can learn from, creating what he calls "win-win relationships" where both parties benefit from the exchange of knowledge and ideas.
This approach has allowed him to stay at the forefront of his field, constantly challenging his own perspectives and adding to his wealth of information.
"I'm always looking from the contrarian viewpoint," Hagai explains. This willingness to seek out and engage with diverse perspectives has been integral in developing his nuanced understanding of global events.
It's a practice he attributes to the guidance of early mentors who encouraged him to look beyond the obvious and consider multiple angles of any given situation.
Mentorship has played a pivotal role in Segal's career development. He credits "three or four mentors 25 years ago" with shaping his approach to his work, including teaching him the value of humility.
"A couple of them kind of knocked me down a pedestal or two if I was progressing too confidently," he recalls. These experiences taught him the importance of balancing confidence with humility, a lesson he now passes on to his own students and mentees.
Hagai's mentorship process is rooted in the belief that a truly effective mentor should aim to be surpassed by their student. "There's a lovely idea that it is a poor mentor that is not exceeded by their student," he says.
"You should be looking that someone helped you get one rung on a ladder, but that your job is to help them get rung after rung above you."
This philosophy extends to his work as an educator and consultant. Hagai sees his role not as someone who holds themselves above others, but as a facilitator in a process of continuous development.
"Terrible educators, terrible people who are academics are ones who think their job is to constantly hold themselves above other people, because their importance is what matters to them," he asserts.
Even at this stage in his career, Hagai continues to seek advice and learn from others.
He views this ongoing process of learning and self-improvement as essential to maintaining the integrity and relevance of his work. "I still to this day surround myself with people that I can learn from or that I can benefit from," he says.
The commitment to continuous learning also helps Hagai combat the "impostor syndrome" that many professionals face, particularly when dealing with high-stakes situations.
While he admits to having felt this earlier in his career, his dedication to ongoing education and mentorship has given him the confidence to speak authoritatively on complex global issues.
Challenges in the Modern Information Landscape
In today's rapidly evolving digital age, Hagai M. Segal finds himself at the forefront of a battle against misinformation and oversimplification of complex global issues.
The modern information landscape presents unique challenges that test the very foundations of expertise and factual analysis.
"We now live in a world where perception is more important than reality," Hagai observes, highlighting a dangerous shift in how information is consumed and processed.
"Truth is not what is going on. Truth is the person who sells it best." This erosion of trust in facts and experts poses a significant challenge for those dedicated to providing nuanced, knowledge-based analysis of geopolitical events.
The rise of social media as a primary news source for younger generations is a particular concern for Hagai.
He points out the potential dangers of unregulated and unfiltered information flowing through these platforms: "Is it properly regulated? Is it properly filtered? Is it just a manipulation and a propaganda exercise?" These questions underscore the complexity of navigating the modern information ecosystem.
Hagai draws attention to the deliberate manipulation of information for political gain, citing Russia's extensive efforts in this arena.
"Somebody like Vladimir Putin and in Russia today, a huge amount of their natural wealth and their political activity is being spent on manipulating information for political imperative," he explains.
This weaponisation of information presents a formidable challenge for those striving to provide objective analysis and foster informed decision-making.
The "post-fact" world, as Hagai describes it, has led to a situation where the very concept of expertise is under attack.
He recalls a prominent British political figure declaring during the Brexit debate that "the British public has had enough of experts." This dismissal of expert knowledge in favour of emotional appeals or simplistic narratives is a trend that deeply concerns Hagai.
In response to these challenges, Hagai highlights the value of maintaining integrity and a commitment to knowledge-based analysis.
He also stresses the need for a balanced approach to information consumption.
While he acknowledges the worth of diverse perspectives, he cautions against giving equal weight to all viewpoints, especially when some are not grounded in factual reality.
He advocates for critical thinking and the ability to discern credible sources from unreliable ones.
The challenge of combating misinformation while maintaining accessibility is another key focus for Hagai.
He strives to make complex geopolitical issues understandable without oversimplifying them, a delicate balance in an age of soundbites and viral content.
Despite these challenges, Hagai remains optimistic about the power of knowledge and education to combat misinformation.
He sees his work as more important than ever in a world where basic ideas of truth are being challenged.
By providing depth, context, and nuance, Hagai aims to equip individuals and organisations with the tools they need to navigate the complex global landscape of the 21st century.
In this challenging information landscape, Hagai commitment to promoting knowledge-based decision-making stands as a beacon of integrity and a call to action for those who value informed, active citizenship in our increasingly interconnected world.
The Ongoing Mission of a Geopolitical Educator
In conclusion, Hagai M. Segal's ongoing mission as a geopolitical educator is more than a career – it's a calling.
In a world where complexity often leads to disengagement, Hagai stands as a tireless advocate for informed decision-making and active citizenship.
His work reminds us that understanding geopolitics is not just for experts or academics but a crucial skill for anyone seeking to navigate our interconnected world.
As we face an uncertain future filled with global challenges, Hagai's mission to empower people with knowledge and understanding becomes ever more critical.
His story serves as an inspiration and a call to action for all of us to engage more deeply with the world around us, to seek out diverse perspectives, and to make informed decisions that shape our collective future.
In Hagai's own words, "We live in a world where knowledge is being attacked at a fundamental level."
His ongoing mission to combat this trend, to promote informed decision-making, and to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application stands as a beacon of hope in our complex, often confusing, global landscape.