Full Audio:

The Johns Hopkins SAIS Global Risk Conference - The Janika Albers Memorial Roundtable in Political Risk

hosted by Professor Veronica Anghel


The Janika Albers Memorial Lecture on Political Risk is a yearly event in memory of our late SAIS Alumna supported by the Janika Albers Memorial Fund established and financed by her family and her SAIS Europe Class of 2006. The Lecture is part of the broader Johns Hopkins SAIS Global Risk Conference which has been made possible with the generous support of Mr. James K. Anderson, SAIS Europe Alumnus and Advisory Council member, and Johns Hopkins University Trustee.

On November 24, 2011, Janika Albers, SAIS Alumna (Bologna 2006/Washington DC 2007) from Germany, passed away. She was a person of tremendous energy and determination, a dedicated member of the SAIS Europe community and a much-valued member of Oxford Analytica, the advisory firm where she had worked since completing her SAIS degree. Over the years she not only spearheaded a number of important projects, but also collaborated closely with other SAIS alumni and members of the faculty. Political Risk was one of Janika's strongest interests, and her Bologna Class of 2006, together with her family, decided to undertake the project that she was working on with Professor Erik Jones at the time of her passing, by establishing and financing the Janika Albers Memorial Lecture on Political Risk. This initiative will contribute to keeping Janika's presence alive at SAIS Europe. Janika's family express their gratitude for this endeavor to honor Janika's memory.

For further information on this initiative please click here



OKSANA ANTONENKO
Oksana Antonenko is the Director of Control Risks in London. Antonenko is responsible for building strategic engagements with large corporate and investment clients as they evaluate and manage political risk and opportunity. She develops retainer-based client relationships at a senior level across Europe and Africa, drawing on many years of experience advising senior decision-makers – in public and private sectors – around the world. Prior to joining Control Risks, Antonenko held senior roles at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and was Visiting Senior Fellow at the Institute for Global Affairs at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Antonenko has particular expertise on Russia, Turkey, Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, European institutions and international financial institutions. She has also previously worked on conflict mediation, including mediating several high-level talks in the post-conflict situation in Eurasia in cooperation with EU institutions, the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Antonenko holds an Economics Degree from Moscow State University and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

JOAN HOEY
Joan Hoey is the Regional Director for Europe at Economist Intelligence, part of The Economist Group. She heads a team of analysts covering 50 European countries in the Country Analysis division. Her specialist areas are the Balkans, Greece, Democracy, East European transition economies and geopolitics. She has long experience in sharing her country and specialist expertise with clients and the media. Joan is the Editor of the flagship annual Democracy Index, one of the leading measures of the state of global democracy.

PRESTON KEAT
Preston Keat is a managing director and head of political and country risk at UBS. In this role he oversees the bank's political and country risk team, which analyzes a broad range of economic and policy themes, coordinates country rating and exposure limits, and contributes to stress-scenario development. He also leads the firm's internal "Economist Forum" and "Risk Think Tank." Prior to joining UBS, Preston worked for ten years at the political risk consultancy, Eurasia Group, where he was a research director, head of the Europe practice, and a member of the management committee. At the German Marshall Fund of the US in Washington DC, he worked on the Fund's programs for political and economic development in Central and Eastern Europe. He has also taught a courses in political risk (Columbia), political economy, statistics and game theory (UCLA). He holds a Ph.D. from UCLA, an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and a B.A. from the College of William and Mary.

WOLFANGO PICCOLI
Wolfango Piccoli is a Co-President with Teneo. He is responsible for co-managing Teneo's global political risk platform and for the specific coverage of Europe. As director of research, he ensures the relevance, timeliness, rigor, and accuracy of the firm's political risk advisory and consulting service. Piccoli has a long experience in advising financial institutions and corporations on political developments in Europe. Specifically, he focuses on the interplay between business and government, and the impact of legislative, regulatory, and electoral outcomes on clients' business and investment strategies. Prior to joining Teneo, Piccoli was the director of the London office and led the Europe practice at Eurasia Group. He often appears on major TV networks and is frequently quoted in the world's leading newspapers. Piccoli holds a Ph.D. in International Politics from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Bilkent (Ankara).