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The Situation Room

Geopolitical intelligence for technology leaders who cannot afford to guess

“Before we have learned to deal with things in a given position, they have already changed several times.”Anne Robert Jacques Turgot
Geopolitical and technology intelligence operations
TTFB + Gatehouse Advisory Partners

Built for Uncertainty

In a 24-hour news cycle, the challenge for business leaders is not access to information. It is knowing which information matters. We have partnered with Gatehouse Advisory Partners, a geostrategy consulting firm that helps businesses and governments navigate geopolitical risk and uncertainty.

Together, we deliver something that does not exist in the market: confidential, off-the-record advisory forums that bring senior technology executives, their partners, and world-class subject matter experts together to pressure-test strategy against real geopolitical signals.

What Makes This Different

No vendor agendas. No media exposure. No competitive posturing. Structured dialogue among peers facing the same pressures, under the Chatham House Rule.

The Problem

The Challenge

Geopolitics and technology are now inseparable. Trade policy, sanctions, and military tensions cascade into supply chain disruption within weeks. Memory and chip pricing fluctuates with export controls. AI regulation varies by jurisdiction. Quantum computing timelines are reshaping long-term security strategy.

Yet most organisations lack structured frameworks for decisive action amid uncertainty. No single analyst can predict major geopolitical outcomes, but structured collaborative intelligence-testing among stakeholders creates clarity that no individual briefing can match.

The Situation Room exists because executives need a space where they can share challenges candidly, without vendor agendas, media exposure, or competitive posturing. A place to think clearly about what matters, and what does not.

How It Works

The Format

Sessions run under the Chatham House Rule: participants can use the information, but cannot attribute it to any individual or organisation. This creates genuine candour.

Each session is curated for a specific vertical or line of business. Expert-seeded discussions feature subject matter leadership from former intelligence leadership, quantum risk specialists, AI policy advisors, and geopolitically-focused cybersecurity experts.

Sessions are intentionally small, 15 to 25 participants, to ensure genuine dialogue. Not a conference where you get talked at. A working session where you pressure-test your strategy against peer experience and expert insight.

Session Themes

Topics We Cover

TOPIC 01

Quantum Computing Timelines and Enterprise Security Readiness

Quantum computing is no longer theoretical. The question is not if quantum breaks current encryption, but when. This session explores credible timelines, the implications for your data security strategy, and what enterprises need to do now.

TOPIC 02

AI Regulation Divergence Across US, EU, and Asia-Pacific

The regulatory landscape for AI is fragmenting fast. The EU has the AI Act. The US is moving toward sector-specific rules. China and Asia-Pacific countries are charting their own paths.

TOPIC 03

Supply Chain Resilience in an Era of Strategic Decoupling

Strategic decoupling between the US and China is reshaping global supply chains. Memory, semiconductors, and advanced materials face new restrictions.

TOPIC 04

Technology Stack Denial Scenarios and Contingency Planning

What if you suddenly could not access a critical vendor or tool? Many enterprises depend on US or China-based technology that could face restrictions or sanctions overnight.

TOPIC 05

Geopolitically-Driven Cyber Warfare and Attribution Challenges

Nation-state cyber attacks are increasingly sophisticated and politically motivated. Understanding the geopolitical context driving them and attributing attacks accurately is the new front line.

TOPIC 06

Export Controls, Semiconductor Restrictions, and Second-Order Effects

Export controls on advanced semiconductors and chip design tools are now a primary foreign policy lever.

TOPIC 07

Energy Transition Politics and Data Center Infrastructure Risk

Data centers are massive energy consumers, and energy policy is increasingly geopolitical.

TOPIC 08

Digital Sovereignty and Cross-Border Data Flow Restrictions

Russia, China, India, and Europe all have data localisation rules. This creates real complexity for global technology platforms.

Audience

Who This Is For

CIOs and CISOs navigating supply chain geopolitical risk who need to prepare for scenarios like advanced chip denial or forced technology swaps, not just react when they happen.

Technology VPs responsible for vendor and partner strategy who face questions about geographic exposure, regulatory risk, and partner reliability that have no clean answers.

Enterprise leaders planning geographic expansion who need to understand geopolitical risk, not just market opportunity.

Security leaders assessing quantum and AI threat timelines who need credible scenarios from subject matter experts.

Senior executives who need structured peer dialogue, not vendor pitches to think clearly about what changes and what stays stable in your business.

Outcomes

What You Get

Clarity on Strategic Priorities

Leave knowing the 3 to 5 critical capabilities to develop versus 100+ competing demands.

Peer-Validated Strategies

Learn from fellow executives who face the same pressures, in real time, under confidentiality.

Early-Warning Intelligence

Emerging threat dynamics 6 to 12 months before they become mainstream concerns.

Ongoing Relationships

Confidential relationships with peer CIOs, CISOs, and security leaders for collaboration beyond the session.

Actionable Frameworks

Tools and mental models for translating geopolitical signals into business decisions.

Leadership

The Team

Nick Greenstock

Co-founder and CEO, Gatehouse Advisory Partners

Background in banking, management consulting, and corporate affairs including senior roles at Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest. Built a practice around scenario planning and strategic advice for global clients navigating complexity and risk.

Nikhil Kalanjee

Founder, Time to First Bite

Fractional CMO and growth consultant with 20+ years of experience, including a decade at HP in global, EMEA, and worldwide roles. Co-chaired Chatham House’s first off-the-record conversation exploring how geopolitics and technology shape risk, security, and enterprise strategy.

FAQ

Common Questions

Senior technology executives (CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, VPs), their strategic partners, and curated external experts. Sessions are invitation-only and limited to 15 to 25 participants.
Quarterly, with ad-hoc sessions when significant geopolitical events demand immediate sense-making.
The format was designed for technology leaders, but the methodology applies to any sector with significant geopolitical exposure: financial services, energy, logistics, pharmaceuticals, and defence.
Get in touch to discuss your organisation’s needs. We assess fit and, if appropriate, extend an invitation to the next session.

Ready to join?

Let’s talk about how geopolitical strategy can shape your competitive advantage. Sessions are invitation-only and limited to ensure genuine, actionable dialogue.

Get in touch