Ireland
I cover the places and systems most analysts write about from a distance — MENA, APAC, Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa — having reported, operated, and built institutions inside them. Over three decades, that field presence has run alongside a parallel track in high-security operational environments: global compliance and contract execution for military-grade surveillance systems (FLIR), data protection leadership under ITAR, EAR, and GDPR, and crisis intelligence work across jurisdictions that rarely appear in the same paragraph as "journalism." The combination is deliberate. Geopolitical risk looks different when you have covered a conflict zone and built the compliance architecture that governs the technology deployed inside it. Currently: independent geopolitical journalist and analyst · author · founder of The UnBound World, a strategic dialogue platform operating at the intersection of culture, media, and conflict de-escalation. Twice nominated, Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award · Bellagio Residency nominee · IFJ member · Authors Guild member. Prior outlets and clients: AP, ANSA, Middle East Review, Action Global Communications, FLIR Systems, Verbio Group, Human Rights Center. Unfazed Human in an AI world.
Independent Geopolitical Journalist & Analyst Freelance | Global / Remote Aug 2019 – Present *Delivers geopolitical analysis, political risk intelligence, and long-form field reporting for international audiences — translating complex events into decision-relevant narrative for editors, policy teams, and general readers. *Field reporting and analysis across APAC, MENA, Europe, and the United States *Twice nominated, Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award; Bellagio Residency nominee *Prior contributors: AP, ANSA, Middle East Review, Action Global Communications Member: International Federation of Journalists · Authors Guild Specialties: investigative research · geopolitical analysis · narrative framing · editorial leadership · political risk *Author: "Beyond The Prompt-The AI That Spoke Back"
Featured & Syndicated Political Columnist BIZCATALYST 360° | Freelance | US / Remote May 2021 – Present WOMENZ STRAIGHT TALK® | Part-time | Remote Mar 2022 – Nov 2023 Syndicated political and current affairs commentary focused on power, policy, and social impact. Published to a consistent readership built on long-term geopolitical context and an identifiable editorial voice across two platforms.
Collaboration & Narrative Architecture The UnBound World · Remote Jun 2024 – 2026 *Conceived and launched a neutral, independent platform connecting artists, media professionals, think-tanks, and community leaders across borders — using culture and narrative as strategic tools for conflict de-escalation and systems reframing. *Built a lean, high-impact model free from political, religious, or corporate alignment *Convened cross-sector collaborations in media, strategic dialogue, and community leadership Core strengths: global strategy · narrative intelligence · cross-sector convening · founder operations*
Senior Advisor | Strategy, Innovation & Operations The ZooKeeper Consulting · Freelance | EU, MENA, USA Aug 2019 – Sep 2023 Senior advisory to organisations navigating growth, regulatory complexity, and cross-border operations in distributed environments. *Led process analysis and systems alignment across multi-regional teams *Delivered cross-cultural training and international brand repositioning *Trusted operational advisor in high-pressure, ambiguity-dense environments
Director, Global Operations & Strategy Verbio Group · Freelance | US / EU / LATAM Apr 2016 – Jun 2019 Brought in to internationalise a language services firm operating in regulated, technical, and compliance-sensitive markets — and to make it structurally defensible as it expanded. *Led the company to become one of the first US localisation firms to achieve GDPR registration — ahead of the 2018 enforcement deadline, before most competitors had begun the process *Held dual role as Data Protection Officer and content director, overseeing both the legal architecture and the editorial voice of the company's international communications *Built compliance frameworks across GDPR, ISO, ITAR, and EAR — positioning the firm to serve clients in defence, aerospace, and restricted-export sectors *Launched new service lines that expanded operational capacity by 80%; market repositioning drove approximately 90% client growth across Europe and Latin America