Executive Power and Trade Wars in a Trumpian World and their impact on Geopolitics and the Rule of Law.
Despite the many changes borne out of populist and strongmen governments, we continue to live in an interconnected world with trade policy, US Executive power and geopolitical events increasingly affecting and shaping our everyday lives. Our guest speaker this month is Rob Macaire who from positions at the highest levels of the Diplomatic and Security Services in the UK has borne witness to so many of the seminal and defining geopolitical events of the 21st century. Rob is the UK's former Ambassador to Iran and Kenya. He has held senior positions at the British Embassies in New Delhi and Bucharest and he was in Washington at the time of the terrorist attacks on the US in September 2001. He contributed to the Oslo Accords aimed at achieving a UN backed peace treaty between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation. In Tehran, Rob negotiated for the release of UK detainees, he led the UK's role in multilateral nuclear talks with Iran and for a brief period he was unlawfully detained by the Iranian authorities. Farsi-trained and steeped in the region's dynamics, he offers a unique ground level perspective on risk, escalation and engagement: attributes which increasingly are in demand in international commercial risk management.
Following 9/11, Rob ran the Foreign Office's global consular services, directing crisis response for UK nationals worldwide and worked intensively on counter-terrorism as Head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Counter-Terrorism Department. He has advised two FTSE top-10 companies: BG Group and Rio Tinto on political risk, strategy and international affairs with briefings which transpose complex geopolitics into clear, actionable insight for boards and global teams.
Rob serves on the Council of Chatham House, is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Atlantic Council's Iran Strategy Project and continues to brief audiences at leading forums including an Asia House roundtable in July 2025 on Iran's regional dynamics. He is a trustee and director of The Thunderbird Project and supports life-saving drone use by emergency services. Rob is married to Alice Macaire a much admired member and former Board member of KCWC. We are honoured that Rob has agreed to address us at this month's Guest Speaker Address and he is uniquely qualified to do so.
Tentative schedule for the day:
9:30am - 10:45am - Registration, tea/coffee, Activity Leader and vendor tables
10:50am - Members to take their seats in the auditorium
11:00am - Introductions
11:10am - Guest Speaker
12:05pm - Q&A
12:30pm - Meeting conclusion
For any queries, contact Katy Cooke at programmes1@kcwc.org.uk
© 2025 KCWC. All Rights Reserved
