The Hidden Hand: How Geopolitics Shapes Global Finance

Underneath business plans, innovation, and growth trends likes a powerful force that is forever guiding the markets—one defined not just by commercial priorities, but by alliances, conflict, and a shifting world order.

This session explores how geopolitics drives financial trends, from trade wars to real wars and beyond. You’ll learn how the decisions of nations ripple through stock exchanges and supply chains, and why understanding politics is key to anticipating the directionality of global investments and capital flows.

When: Monday, 17th November

Venue: The Spencer Hotel, Excise Walk, International Financial Services Centre, Dublin 1, D01 X4C9

Agenda:

18:50-19:00 Registration

19:00-19:05 Welcome by IE University

19:05-21:00 Masterclass and Q&A

About the Speaker:

Salena Lee has over 10 years of work experience in the financial industry. She currently works as Senior Director for Real Estate Investment Banking at JLL and is a part-time Finance professor at IE University.

Prior to that, she worked at Credit Suisse Madrid as Vice President Real Estate and worked for four years as a Real Estate Private Equity Manager at Macquarie, an Australian investment bank and financial services company. For two of those years she was on the principal renewable energy team, MacCap Green Investment Group. Before this, Salena spent three years working in foreign direct investment in the United States. Two of these years were spent working under the 48th Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence.