Ely Ratner Keynote Speaker

Principal at The Marathon Initiative and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs (2021–2025)
Senior national security policymaker across the Pentagon, White House, State Department, and U.S. Senate
Leading voice on U.S.-China and Indo-Pacific strategy, featured regularly in Foreign Affairs, the Financial Times, the Washington Post, and the New York Times

Ely Ratner's Biography

Dr. Ely Ratner is one of America’s leading authorities on U.S.-China relations, Indo-Pacific security, and the future of American strategy in an era of great-power competition. As a Principal at The Marathon Initiative and Senior Advisor at Clarion Strategies, he brings the rare perspective of a policymaker who has shaped national security at the highest levels of government.

From 2021 to 2025, Dr. Ratner served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, the Pentagon’s top civilian official for the region, where he guided U.S. defense strategy across the world’s most consequential theater. Earlier, he served as Deputy National Security Advisor to then–Vice President Joe Biden. His government career also includes roles at the State Department’s Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs and as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Beyond government, Dr. Ratner has been a defining voice in the foreign policy community. He served as Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security, Senior Fellow for China Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Associate Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation. His analysis regularly appears in leading outlets and shapes debates in Washington and allied capitals worldwide.

Dr. Ratner holds a B.A. from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

The U.S.-China Contest and the Future of American Power

Defending the Indo-Pacific: Deterrence in the World’s Most Dangerous Region

Taiwan and the Potential Path to Great-Power War

Allies as America’s Edge: The Network that Outmatches Beijing

Making Sense of Trump’s China Strategy: Competition or Accommodation?

Inside the Pentagon: How National Security Decisions Really Get Made

He has shaped American strategy at the highest levels of government, serving as the Pentagon’s top civilian official for Indo-Pacific security during a period of intensifying competition between the United States and China.
He translates complex geopolitical, security and economic developments into clear strategic insights that help leaders understand the implications of a rapidly changing global order.
He has advised senior policymakers across the White House, Department of Defense and U.S. Senate, bringing first-hand perspectives on how governments assess risk, build alliances and respond to emerging threats.
He combines deep expertise on China, the Indo-Pacific and national security with practical policy experience, helping audiences navigate the realities of great-power competition and geopolitical uncertainty.
His briefings help executives, investors and policymakers anticipate global shifts, understand strategic risk and make more informed decisions in an increasingly contested international environment.