Arne Elias Corneliussen.

Arne Elias Corneliussen – Geopolitical Analyst, Explorer and Keynote Speaker on Geopolitics, Global Risk and Strategy

Arne Elias Corneliussen is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of NRCI, a geopolitical advisory firm he formed in 2010. A Norwegian geopolitical analyst and explorer, he has traveled to 130 countries and conducted 24 overland expeditions by public bus and train across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America, mapping the geopolitical, strategic and economic landscape on the ground.

Originally from Oslo, he received his bachelor of arts in political science from Wittenberg University in Ohio, studied at the American University in Cairo, conducted research at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., and completed a Master of Arts in International Relations and a Master of Public Administration at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in New York. He served as an officer in the Norwegian Armed Forces during NATO's operation in Kosovo from 2001 to 2002.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of London and is regularly invited as a keynote speaker at international conferences and corporate events on the geopolitical landscape, international relations, the global economy and strategic issues. He has lectured at St Antony's College at the University of Oxford and at Peking University in Beijing.

🏆 Notable Achievements

• Founder, chairman and CEO of NRCI, a geopolitical advisory firm (2010)

• Traveled to 130 countries; 24 overland fact-finding expeditions across five continents

• 13 expeditions to 42 African countries, including a public-bus journey across 28 countries in western, southern and eastern Africa

• In 2017, expedition from Shanghai across China, Central Asia and the Caucasus to Istanbul along the One Belt One Road – the New Silk Road

• In 2025, a 12,000 km solo overland expedition across the Middle East – from Amman through Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Türkiye to Istanbul – the longest expedition ever conducted across the Middle East

• Program chair, keynote speaker and moderator of the Norwegian Risk Forum, Oslo's annual geopolitical conference (2010–2024)

• Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of London

Languages:

• English
• Norwegian

🧭 Key Themes & Expertise:

• The Geopolitical Landscape: Global Power Shifts and What They Mean for Business
• Geopolitical Risk, Strategy and Decision-Making for Leaders
• The Global Economy and Emerging Markets: Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America
• China, the New Silk Road and the Future of Global Trade
• Leadership, Resilience and Operating in High-Risk Environments
• Geopolitics, Leadership and AI

Arne Elias Corneliussen combines the perspective of an intrepid practitioner, an insightful academic and a dynamic business leader. His keynotes give executives a clear, on-the-ground understanding of geopolitical and strategic dynamics – and a global strategic outlook for businesses, governments and international institutions.