Michael Colopy

Mr. Colopy began his career as an aide in the US House and Senate interpreting complex international issues for Members of Congress in ways they could explain to their constituents. His effectiveness in foreign policy presentations to the US business community has established him as a respected voice in his field. Educated at Princeton University in history and international affairs, he studied in several countries including Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, the UK, and others before working in Washington DC on a variety of major international issues. These included SALT II, the Camp David Accords, the Philippine Bases Agreements, the Taiwan Relations Act, foreign aid, and arms control. Among other assignments, he was a communications advisor to many Members of Congress, a senior aide to Senator John Glenn, and assistant chief of staff for a presidential campaign.

Over the last several years, Michael Colopy has similarly assisted a broad mix of American business executives and foreign clients. In 1988, he co-founded International Commerce Consultants Incorporated (ICCI) in McLean, Virginia with affiliates in six countries, specializing in foreign policy and trade issues in East Asia with a special focus on the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, logging more than fifty extended visits to the region. In 1992, Colopy became a partner at the legislative and international trade firm, O'Connor & Hannan, becoming the first non-lawyer to be elected a general partner in a US law firm, as noted by the Wall Street Journal.

In November 2004, Michael Colopy was asked by Aristotle International to design and manage a communications strategy for the company's effective fraud monitoring effort in Ukraine in support of the pro-reform coalition opposed to the Russian-backed quasi-dictatorship in Kiev. The dramatic events the world saw on television as the populace rose up against the fraudulent presidential election produced eventual success for democracy, a stunning reversal Colopy assisted and witnessed firsthand.

Michael Colopy has advised several major US corporations such as GE, BellSouth, ECI, Corning, and many smaller enterprises on China's political and economic agenda, anticipating and interpreting events to advance success. Despite a long-standing preference for low profile advisory roles, he has become recognized in the US business community as a highly rated lecturer before executive conferences and general audiences. He is best known for his dynamic presentation style and ability to engage audiences with humor and insightful assessments. Colopy's accessible, erudite, and witty assessments of international issues and crises have brought him appearances at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, the National Press Club, keynote addresses at corporate meetings, and numerous business conference presentations. Besides television news appearances, he has authored opinion/editorial pieces in major publications such as The Chicago Tribune, the Christian Science Monitor, Japan's Nikkei Weekly, and ghostwritten many more for elected officials and business leaders.

Michael Colopy's outside interests include wildlife photography, spanning two decades of natural history documentary work for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and providing arresting images widely used by federal, state, academic, and civic organizations.