Jonathan Blanchard Smith

Jonathan is a Fellow and Director of SAMI Consulting, where he heads the Government consulting business. Jonathan is leading the GO-Science Futures Toolkit refresh project. He led SAMI’s work with the European Trade Union Institute to develop scenarios and roadmaps for the Future of Trade Unions to 2030. He leads SAMI’s work on the implications of the UK’s departure from the EU; is the regional specialist for on Russia and Central Asia, and on the Middle East, notably in a project for EC Research and Innovation Directorate. Jonathan has lectured at APEC, at the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System, and in Europe on topics including futures and foresight.
Jonathan started his career in foresight and futures in the year 2000, when, having been London Managing Director of the New York Institute of Finance, he was drafted to their head office in New York as a corporate troubleshooter, He was subsequently appointed to a Board role.
Jonathan lectures on a range of subjects using foresight and futures techniques, including on change management; geopolitics, and cross-border merger and acquisitions. He has spoken at, amongst others, European Strategy and Policy Analysis System, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, The Institute of Risk Management and the Austrian Competition Authority.
Jonathan has held chairmanship roles in the private and third sectors, including Chairman of the Reform Club, London; chairman of trustees of a national patient advocacy charity, senior partner of a Soho-based branding agency, and chairman of a technology company specializing in asset discovery. He is chairman of the Natural Resources Forum.
As Chairman of the Natural Resources Forum, he has led seminars on subjects including alternative fuels, ESG, green energy and the energy transition.
He founded his first firm, a publishing company specializing in government and defence, when he was 26, and has remained engaged in both sectors.