Ellen Wasylina Keynote Speaker

Thought leader in International Affairs, Security and Sustainable Development
Best selling author and podcast producer
President and founder of the Trocadéro Forum Institute

Ellen Wasylina's Biography

Ellen Wasylina is a Franco-American thought leader in international affairs, security, and sustainable development. A respected scholar-practitioner, she advises governments, boardrooms, and NGOs on the shifting nexus of geopolitics, energy, and ESG. Her insights draw on family roots across Europe and Eurasia and two decades spent working at the fault lines of peace and security.

In 2011, she founded the International Geostrategic Maritime Observatory in Paris and launched its flagship Geostrategic Maritime Review. Her 2014 bestseller on Ukraine seeded a series of bilingual books and monographs now held by more than 150 leading libraries worldwide, from the Library of Congress to the UN in Geneva, cementing her reputation as a best-selling author and trusted voice on regional flashpoints.

During the pandemic, she created the bilingual “Mediterranean Sustainability Partners” podcast, interviewing global decision-makers; today it reaches listeners in 88 countries across five continents. Her legacy project—the Trocadéro Forum Institute in southern France—trains the next generation of sustainable leaders, supported by the Sustainable Diplomacy Circle and its namesake review.

In 2025, Ellen delivered a keynote titled “Inspiring Sustainable Leaders” at the ESG & Friends Forum in Sofia, Bulgaria, and led a workshop on implementing alternative sustainable business models. She also served as an honorary chair at the 11th Green Energy & Environmental Engineering Conference in Hammamet, Tunisia, and spoke at the European Institute of Asian Studies in Brussels on strategic opportunities along the Middle Corridor.

Educated in California and Paris, Ellen holds a BA in International Relations and Master’s degrees in Strategic Studies and Policies in Defence, and Sociology of Conflict Resolution. Fluent in English, French, German, and Italian, she marries data-driven analysis with vivid storytelling, equipping audiences to navigate risk and seize opportunity in an era of accelerating change.

The implications of climate change on global security

Sustainable investments in Azerbaijan

Skills for the Green Transition : Challenges, Opportunities and Best Practices for the Youth

Zero Waste : designing and creating a green future

Biodiversity investments : global security, agricultural resiliency, enhancing the value chain

Hybrid threats : Security, Stability, Solidarity

A new Cold War is brewing : equity and vulnerability in a warming world

The pivotal role of universities in fostering sustainability

Green infrastructure practices and alternative & renewable energy initiatives

Meeting sustainability requirements: Sustainable business models in a circular environment

Green Diplomacy : the soft power axis of Turkey’s public diplomacy

Green Diplomacy in the Black Sea : steps towards peace, growth and prosperity

She connects geopolitics, energy security and ESG strategy into a single decision framework, helping boards and policymakers anticipate risk and build resilience in an era of accelerating disruption.
She brings two decades of scholar-practitioner experience at the fault lines of peace, security and sustainable development, translating global instability into clear priorities for leaders and institutions.
She founded the International Geostrategic Maritime Observatory in Paris and its Geostrategic Maritime Review, equipping audiences with a maritime lens on trade, energy routes and strategic competition.
She is a best-selling author on regional flashpoints including Ukraine, delivering evidence-based insight that helps organisations stress-test assumptions and act decisively under uncertainty.
She pairs data-driven analysis with multilingual storytelling and global convening through her Mediterranean Sustainability Partners podcast and leadership training initiatives, leaving audiences with practical tools to lead sustainable transformation.