William Duff
William Duff is the managing director of a boutique geopolitical risk advisory company providing small and medium-sized companies with economic, political, emerging technology, and due diligence services that draw upon his background in diplomatic, the U.S. military, and politics. Prior to starting Hyperion Strategic Advisors in 2022, Bill held senior U.S. government positions abroad and in Washington between 1997 and 2022. He led U.S. geopolitical analysis teams with responsibility for reporting and forecasting on Indo-Pacific and European political, economic, and security affairs via open source and classified means. He has served in similar roles for the Department of State, the White House, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. National Guard, and NATO.
Bill’s overseas assignments include the Chief of Staff to the U.S. Ambassadors in China, Japan, and Switzerland, and Economic and Political Section Chief in Shanghai, Bern, and Tokyo, where he led geopolitical and geo-economic risk assessments for the U.S. National Security agencies. He has also held flag rank positions with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, and U.S. National Guard, leading Sailors, Soldiers, and Airmen in overt and classified exercises, operations, and missions to build Indo-Pacific alliances, deter Chinese aggression, and build European resilience against China and in the face of Russian aggression.
In Washington, Bill served in the White House as a Presidential Fellow as well as working for the United States Trade Representative in the Office of the President and for the State Department’s Economic and Business Affairs Bureau on World Trade Organization negotiations, the Asian Financial Crisis, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits, and Asian state visits to Washington, D.C.
Bill has received numerous U.S. government and State Department awards in recognition of his two decades of public service, including the State Department’s Hardship Award for his two-tours of duty with the U.S. Army in Iraq, the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award for his leadership in the Indo-Pacific, the Army Superior Civilian Service Award for his combat service during Operation New Dawn, and the Department of State and Department of Defense’s Senior Foreign Policy Advisor Award for his service with the U.S. Navy.
Bill is fluent in Japanese, Chinese, and German, and spends his free time surfing with his son along the California coast, training in Karate, and mentoring USC students.