Adam Hammer is Counselor at Schmidt Futures. Previously, he was Managing Director and Head of Strategy. In that role he oversaw evaluation, design, and development of the Schmidt Futures portfolio. He also led Schmidt Futures’ geopolitical initiatives, including directing the International Strategy Forum, a program that identifies and invests in emerging national security leaders and ideas.

Prior to Schmidt Futures, Adam worked for Goldman Sachs in their Structuring and Financing group where he advised sovereign and corporate clients in energy- and industrial-related acquisitions and restructurings. During his time at Goldman, Adam worked on an execution team focused on developing innovative commodity-linked financing transactions.

Prior to his tenure at Goldman, Adam spent fifteen years abroad, living in Libya, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, China, and Singapore. His international experiences culminated in a 2014 fellowship to conduct research in Syria and Jordan on the Syrian civil war’s ramifications for U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Adam graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Wake Forest University where he majored in Politics and International Affairs and was elected student body president. He earned his graduate degree from the Yale Jackson School for Global Affairs where he served as a Teaching Fellow, instructing Intelligence, Espionage, and American Foreign Policy, Ethics and Public Leadership, and a consulting course for United States Special Operations Command.