John L. Petersen's professional involvements include long-range strategic and product planning and helping leadership design new approaches for dealing with the future. He has led national non-profit organizations; worked in sales; manufacturing; real estate development; and marketing and advertising, mostly for companies he founded. A graduate electrical engineer, he has also promoted rock concerts; produced conventions; and even worked as a disc jockey--among other things.
Mr. Petersen's government and political experience include stints at the National War College, the Institute for National Security Studies, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council staff at the White House. He was a naval flight officer in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve and is a decorated verteran of both the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. He has served in senior positions for a number of presidential political campaigns and was an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1984.
John Petersen is considered by numerous influential leaders to be one of the most informed futurists in the country. He is the leading futurist who writes and thinks about high impact surprises--wild cards--that are global in scope, potentially disruptive, and intrinsically out of control.
In 1989 Petersen founded The Arlington Institute (TAI), a non-profit, future-oriented research institute. Arlington operates on the premise that effective thinking about the future is impossible without casting a very wide net. The think tank serves as a global agent for change by developing new concepts, processes and tools for anticipating the future and translating that knowledge into better present-day decisions. Using advanced information technology, a core group of bright thinkers and an international network of exceptionally curious people along with gaming events and simulations, modeling, scenario building, polling and analysis, Arlington helps equip leaders from many disciplines with tools and perspectives on probable futures.