Michael Cunningham Email & Phone Number

Washington Dc-Baltimore Area

Washington Dc-Baltimore Area

Arlington, Virginia, United States

Shanghai City, China

» Manage complex research projects related to geopolitical, security, regulatory, and operational developments in Greater China, Japan, and the Koreas. Recent projects have included: -An in-depth analysis of Beijing's geopolitical interests in Southeast Asia and the region's role in the Belt and Road Initiative -An assessment of the likelihood of cross-Strait conflict, based on the interests driving the activities of Beijing, Taipei, and Washington in the region -Multiple threat assessments examining legal, reputational, sanctions, detention, and other risks arising from Hong Kong's new national security law» Publish analytical briefs on political developments in Northeast Asia for Control Risks' subscription services. Frequent topics include: -International relations of China and other Northeast Asian countries -Taiwan's domestic and international politics and cross-Strait relations -China's social credit system -Beijing's anti-corruption campaign -Crime and public security trends across Northeast Asia» Present my research to clients and at public events» Supervise/mentor junior staff and interns» Build networks of contacts throughout Northeast Asia, including diplomats, academics, journalists, and business personnel and draw upon these networks in my work» Mid-2019 - present - When mass protests broke out in Hong Kong, I took responsibility for managing and leading all Hong Kong requests, including monitoring reports delivered 7 days/week, an influx of bespoke client work with competing deadlines, and calls/workshops with clients from all global regions and industries.» Feb-May 2020 - Embedded in the COVID-19 crisis management team of a large US tech company, where I managed research, monitoring, and reporting of security, regulatory, operational, and political risks to the client's business throughout Asia, while working together to develop solutions to these challenges as the pandemic unfolded.

Beijing City, China

» Led research and reporting on political and policy developments in China. Key projects included: -In-depth reporting on major political events (e.g. annual Two Sessions, 19th Party Congress), delivering bespoke reports to different clients according to their industries and areas of focus -Regular in-depth tracking of Belt and Road projects throughout the world and analysis of trends» Advised leading multinationals across sectors on their government relations programs for China» Took sole responsibility for all macro research/analysis, including domestic and intra-party politics, US-China and other international relations, China’s foreign policy, and Belt and Road Initiative» Managed a months-long project developing and refining the internal and external messaging for a leading OECD country's cooperation program with China's Belt and Road Initiative

Beijing, China

» Head analyst for China, despite being part-time» Delivered weekly and monthly briefings on geopolitical and security developments in China» Conducted due diligence on individuals and companies in Greater China» Authored marketing materials, including: -A 19th Party Congress (Nov 2017) preview, complete with projections, most of which were correct -An overview of the Belt and Road Initiative that the company still uses to attract clients today

Taipei, Taiwan

» Helped dozens of businesses establish entities in Taiwan and navigate the region’s policy and regulatory environment» Served as firm's chief advisor for multinational and cross-Strait clients in Taiwan, developing business and managing all relationships with these clients, while contributing to firm's double-digit growth each year» Managed projects for multinational clients across service lines and sectors» Represented firm management at internal and external conferences and negotiations in Taiwan and abroad» Developed and maintained relationships with diplomats, business elite, academics, policy experts, and a large cohort of ordinary Taiwanese citizens, which I continue to draw on in my research and analysis» Gained an intimate understanding of sentiments, perceptions, and challenges in Taiwanese society that is rare among China specialists

Washington D.C. Metro Area

» Conducted triage, translation and reporting of Chinese-language primary source material, distilling massive quantities of data into succinct, actionable reports» Advised personnel on political, cultural, and business-related topics» Provided Chinese-English and English-Chinese Interpretation

Washington, Dc

» Conducted investigations of Chinese entities and individuals, presenting key findings in succinct due diligence reports to help multinational clients mitigate risk related to mergers/acquisitions and executive recruitment» Served diverse clientele consisting of large multinational corporations in China and Taiwan» Occasionally assisted Europe and Latin America teams with Portuguese and Brazilian investigations

Washington, Dc

» Led organization, management, and promotion of events and conferences for AU’s ASEAN Studies Center (ASC) and Kogod Global Management Institute (KGMI)» Managed marketing, advertising, and recruitment for ASC and KGMI» Represented ASC and KGMI in establishing and maintaining relationships with diplomatic, political, academic, and business figures in DC and throughout Asia» Served as the public’s main point of contact with the two organizations» Received superior feedback from supervisors and program participants

Beijing, China

» Promoted corporate social responsibility and overall reputation of Fortune 500 companies in China» Prepared press releases, talking points and other public relations documents» Helped plan and execute press conferences, media interviews, and product launches» Gained understanding of the processes and interests driving Chinese media

Beijing City, China

» Managed groups of 20-30 VIP guests, consisting of top executives of client and partners» Accompanied guests to Olympic venues and cultural sites, arranging transportation to and from these sites, interpreting for guests and company representatives as needed, and providing other linguistic, cultural, and logistical support as appropriate» Dynamic, high-pressure role required maturity, self-discipline, and the ability to think and act quickly under ever-changing circumstances and to make critical decisions with little guidance from a supervisor» Gained trust of client's security team, which requested that I accompany highest-profile groups

Fresno, California Area

» Carried-out door-to-door sales on a seasonal basis during the summers of 2006 and 2008» Regularly exceeded personal and team sales goals

Vancouver, Canada

» Researched and reported on political and economic issues influencing U.S.-Canada relations» Participated in meetings with U.S. and Canadian government, business, and civic leaders» Liaised with representatives of other U.S. government agencies on research areas of mutual interest» Participated in diplomatic networking events

Provo, Utah Area

» Trained new representatives of a multinational organization in interpersonal relations and direct marketing tactics» Prepared and delivered inspirational lessons to motivate trainees» Provided trainees with regular one-on-one performance- and goals-based feedback» Conducted regular interviews with trainees to encourage success and compliance with a strict code of conduct» Managed a live call center used for training purposes

Ma, International Affairs

Education record

Visiting Student of International Relations; Language of Instruction: Mandarin

Ba, International Relations