Accurately foretelling the future is Mary’s unique passion and skill. In 2000, soon after launching The Center for the Future of China at Peking University, and when she was still at The Institute for the Future in the Silicon Valley, she founded a new company focused on innovative and visionary strategies to navigate the future, Global Foresight.
While organized as a research-based think tank, Global Foresight was founded with the mission to additionally be an engaged ‘do tank.’ Like other forecasting organizations, Global Foresight’s methodology is rooted in deep and ongoing analysis. But unlike others, this unique ‘do tank’ differs in two fundamental ways.
First, Global Foresight is holistic. Its fusion-based approach is not limited to a single sector and focuses broadly as well as deeply, analyzing demographic, technological, economic, social and political forces. This fusion approach of founder Mary O’Hara-Devereaux then hones in on the specific trajectories to determine how these trends will intersect, yielding a far more textured and comprehensive portrait of the future.
Second, the core goal of the firm is what we call “foresight activation.” Its mission is not just to foretell the future, but to actively diffuse these insights into the operations of businesses, NGOs and other institutions as concrete, actionable strategies. A strategic “thinking partner,” Global Foresight not only helps you see what lies ahead, but also helps you develop a plan of action and the leadership skills necessary to guild you successfully into the future.