Sebastian Valdivieso

About Me

I am a global macro strategist, writer, and founder of Valdivieso & Co. My work examines markets, institutions, and societies under uncertainty, with a particular focus on political economy, strategic judgement, human behaviour, and the long-term forces that shape economies and civilisations.

 

For more than fifteen years, I have worked across financial markets, investment strategy, macroeconomic analysis, and public commentary. My career has included senior roles as Chief Investment Officer and Chief Market Strategist, alongside independent research and extensive engagement with financial media. Over that period, I have contributed more than 300 broadcast and print interviews and have taken part in international economic forums and events in Davos, Doha, New York, and other international centres.

 

That experience has increasingly led me beyond the immediate movements of markets towards a broader set of questions: how individuals and institutions preserve strength under uncertainty; how incentives, narratives, policy, and institutional structures shape economic and social outcomes; how we make sound judgements when our knowledge is necessarily incomplete; and what knowledge, wealth, and power ought ultimately to serve.

 

My academic background reflects this multidisciplinary approach. I hold an MBA from the University of Oxford (Saïd Business School), an MA in International Political Economy from King’s College London, where my dissertation on household debt and the Great Recession was awarded a Distinction, a Master’s degree in Financial Management, and a BSc in Psychology. Together, these disciplines inform a broader view of markets and economies as human and institutional systems, shaped by behaviour, politics, and financial forces.

 

Today, I develop this work through Valdivieso & Co., an independent strategy and research practice, and through my writing. I write “The Long Arc”, a series of essays on markets, political economy, decision-making, institutions, and the deeper forces shaping economies and civilisations. My broader work spans independent research, strategic advisory, writing, speaking, and the development of frameworks for understanding complexity and navigating uncertainty.

 

Across these activities, the underlying purpose is the same: to understand complex systems more clearly, distinguish enduring forces from immediate noise, and contribute ideas that improve judgement, preserve freedom of action, and help individuals and institutions think more seriously about the future.

Latest Publications & Interviews

COP28: Hydro-Diplomacy and Water Resource Recommendations

Oxford Middle East Review

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Desde Davos, Sebastián Valdivieso habla de las dinámicas de los mercados globales

Radio Duna

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Sebastián Valdivieso analiza el mercado el máximos históricos

Radio Duna

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Sebastián Valdivieso, experto en mercados, analizó la situación financiera en Europa

Radio Infinita

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Sebastián Valdivieso, analista internacional, explica la crisis económica que atraviesa el Reino Unido

Radio Infinita

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Business

Valdivieso & Co.

Valdivieso & Co. is an independent strategy and research firm focused on understanding complexity, navigating uncertainty, and improving long-term judgement.

 

Founded by Sebastián Valdivieso, the firm brings together global macro research, political economy, strategic analysis, and systems thinking to examine the forces shaping markets, institutions, businesses, and societies.

 

Its work spans independent research, strategic advisory, and the development and publication of ideas and frameworks designed to help decision-makers see beyond immediate noise and think more clearly about the future.