Building Resilience for Uncertain Tomorrows.

Like a silent tide, Artificial Intelligence (AI) began to sweep through companies, influencing processes and operations, sometimes without management even noticing.

Economic tremors rippled through markets, shaking the foundations of established industries. Political storms brewed as law itself was weaponized, casting shadows over trade and stability. Geopolitical currents surged as economic tools were used to achieve strategic goals, creating targeted waves of disruption.

For companies, this became a new reality. The familiar maps no longer guided the way. Planning became a tightrope walk, each step fraught with the risk of the unknown. The future, once a clear horizon, dissolved into a swirling mist of possibilities.

Many companies found themselves adrift, tossed about by forces they no longer understood. Some clung to old strategies, hoping the storm would pass. Others panicked, reacting impulsively to each new wave of crisis.

But a new kind of business began to emerge – the resilient business.

These were not businesses that simply weathered the storm. They were the ones that learned to dance with it. They understood that uncertainty was not an obstacle, but a constant companion.

They developed a new kind of strength, a core of adaptability that allowed them to bend without breaking. They built agile structures, fostered innovative thinking, and cultivated a culture of collaboration. They sought out expert guidance, not for traditional advice, but for a new discipline that applies law and strategy to master the challenges of geoeconomics and geopolitical risks.

Their story is one of transformation, of embracing change, and of finding opportunity within chaos. It’s the story of “Building Resilience for Uncertain Tomorrows.”

Because in this new world, the businesses that thrive will be the ones that don’t just survive, but flourish, fueled by resilience and guided by a vision of a stronger, more adaptable future.

This unique perspective is not just theoretical. It is forged from a career that bridges the gap between the world’s most demanding environments: from the foundational rigor of a top-tier law firm like Hengeler Mueller to the pragmatic, high-stakes reality of serving as in-house counsel for global leaders in the biotech, pharma and medtech sectors like Merck and BD. This practical experience, honed by past contributions as a formally appointed expert to the German Bundestag and Federal Ministries, is continually sharpened by my ongoing academic role as a lecturer at institutions including the University of Oxford.

The name of my methodology, Argent Sejant Counsel, is a deliberate choice rooted in heraldry that reflects its core philosophy. In heraldry, the domestic cat is a rare symbol of foresight, freedom, and vigilance. The name begins with Argent, the formal heraldic term for silver, which is visually depicted as white in the logo. It symbolizes clarity and integrity. The posture, Sejant Erect, describes the cat sitting upright — a position not of rest, but of alert deliberation. It symbolizes watchful counsel from a position of strength, always ready to act. This is the embodiment of my mission: to provide sovereign, clear-headed guidance and actionable strategies in an era of conflict.

An intensive analysis that synthesizes complex geopolitical, technological, and legal dynamics into clear, actionable foresight. This mandate is designed to provide boards and C-suites with a robust foundation for high-stakes decisions.

A collaborative mandate to design and implement the bespoke legal, governance, and strategic frameworks that ensure your organization’s autonomy in the face of systemic shocks. This is where we turn foresight into a defensible structure.

An ongoing partnership providing boards and C-suites with the continuous foresight and strategic counsel required to navigate the evolving threat landscape with confidence. I act as your permanent strategic sparring partner.

Our modern systems depend on PNT data (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing), but this data becomes unreliable during hybrid warfare. My research presents LLLC (Lightweight Low Latency Consensus), a new class of consensus algorithms designed to solve this problem for both civil and military applications.

This key technology idea was recognized by the German Federal Ministry of Defence and is built on three core principles:

#1: Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC): Secures the technology against future threats from quantum computers, ensuring its long-term integrity.

#2: Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT): Ensures distributed systems can reach a reliable consensus even when some components are compromised.

#3: Low Latency: Drastically reduces the time needed for these systems to make decisions, which is crucial for real-time tactical operations.

Risk is a widely misunderstood concept, particularly in the context of AI. To fulfill the requirements of the EU AI Act and beyond, a more fundamental understanding is necessary. My master’s thesis, awarded the highest possible grade (1.0), provides this foundation by developing two core innovations:

#1 A methodology to systematically assess risks, in particular AI-specific risks.

#2 A methodology to visualize and communicate these risks for risk management decisions.

A Timely Response to Evolving Security Needs (9 March 2025). Download

The 2024 incident involving the cargo ship RUBY demonstrated deep flaws in disaster management. My analysis based on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) identified a cascade of shortcomings in institutional coordination, risk calculation, and communication.

Lesson #1: The ability to build a sovereign, data-driven situational picture is the foundation for moving from a position of dependence on chance to one of strategic control.

Lesson #2: Communication is a twofold imperative. Internally, to ensure effective coordination between actors. Externally, to maintain public trust and prevent a loss of control.

My empirical study on how top-tier U.S. law firms reacted to political pressure in 2025 revealed a sobering pattern with two key lessons for any leadership team:

Lesson #1: A robust risk assessment must transcend short-term economic interests. It must consciously integrate long-term, systemic risks to provide a true basis for sovereign decision-making.

Lesson #2: Systemic risks, like the erosion of the rule of law, are not external factors to be managed. They are a core leadership responsibility.

The doctrine of shareholder value maximization is one of the most powerful and persistent dogmas in modern business. My historico-legal analysis of its origins reveals that this concept, largely based on flawed US economic theories from the 1970s, stands in direct conflict with the law.

Lesson #1: The relentless focus on short-term shareholder interests is not a legal obligation, but an ideological choice. It often leads to value-destroying decisions and neglects the board’s actual fiduciary duty, which is to the long-term stability and well-being of the company itself.

Lesson #2: Adherence to this flawed doctrine creates significant, often overlooked, personal liability risks for board members and executives. Decisions justified by “shareholder value” can be legally challenged as a breach of duty, especially when long-term systemic risks are ignored.

In times of crisis, authorities often operate under the assumption that the public will react with panic to open communication. My analysis of risk communication during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the face of new epidemic threats proves the opposite: It is not the threat itself, but contradictory and insufficient official communication that is the primary trigger for panic.

Lesson #1: The belief in a “panic risk” leads to a counterproductive withholding of information by those in charge. This creates a vacuum that is filled by disinformation, which in turn erodes trust in institutions.

Lesson #2: Genuine panic arises when people perceive a serious threat but feel they are losing control because official information is conflicting or inadequate. Sovereign leadership in a crisis, therefore, does not mean managing information; it means creating trust through maximum, comprehensible transparency.

My risk analysis of the HPAI A(H5N1) situation, based on continuous OSINT monitoring, revealed two critical lessons for leadership, typical for an age of uncertainty:

Lesson #1: Official and actual risk levels often diverge, as the true nature of a threat remains unknown in the early and middle stages. The higher the individual risk, the more important is an individual risk assessment and management.

Lesson #2: Uncertainty must be communicated and addressed openly. This is not a sign of weakness, but the very foundation of building trust and enabling timely preparatory measures.

Ongoing since 2025: Founder and Curator of AI Risk Literacy A public educational platform dedicated to providing clear, scientifically-grounded, and actionable insights on AI risk and regulation for a global audience.

November 2024: Successful campaign and commitment to the continuation of wastewater surveillance in Germany in order to have sufficient data for public health purposes and promote (digital) health solutions

November 2024: Digital Health Week 2024 – Free AI Literacy training course “AI Risk Assessment: First Steps,” presented alongside experts from the OECD and Johns Hopkins University.

September 2024: Geneva Digital Health Hub – Training course: “A Look into the Future of AI powered Digital Health: A practice-oriented introduction to the new EU AI Act”

May/June 2024: Space and Global Health Hackathon with partner ESA on 31 May and 1 June 2024; designing and leading the challenge “EO-ISLAIS”

April 2024: German Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2024 organized by German Red Cross and German Federal Office for Foreign Affairs: Initiator and leader of the workshop on the liability of public officials and volunteers

1. Space and Global Health Network (UNOOSA, Geneva Digital Health Hub)
2. Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) – GCSP Alumni Network
3. German Space Agency at DLR, INNOspace: Space2Health Network
4. Transparency International e.V.

1. LinkedIn (@cotinheidelberg)
2. Bluesky (@claudiainthesky.bsky.social)