Straits Advisory Group maintains a vetted network of U.S.-based senior advisors — former diplomats, trade negotiators, economists, defense and intelligence alumni, and regional executives — who counsel American institutions on the geopolitics and economics of Singapore and Southeast Asia. We are now accepting applications for the 2026 cohort.
"We are not assembling a speaker's bureau. We are assembling the people our clients call before they decide."
Careers in diplomacy, trade negotiation, economic policy, defense or intelligence, regional banking and industry — with genuine Singapore or ASEAN fluency, not a passing posting.
Our clients are executives, investors, and boards. Advisors who can compress a career of context into a thirty-minute call — candidly, without hedging — are worth ten analysts.
Most engagements are confidential. Advisors who treat confidentiality as a professional obligation — not a suggestion — fit here.
Whether you are fully retired, semi-retired, or still serving where obligations permit, we match the cadence to your calendar — and you confirm every engagement.
Highest-demand expertise, 2026
Thirty to sixty minutes with a client team on a live decision. Context arrives in advance; you bring the judgment. Often the highest-value hour of our clients' month.
Multi-week counsel embedded in a defined workstream — a market entry, a diligence, a tariff strategy — with a Singapore-desk analyst at your side.
Two-to-six page memos on a named question, drafted on your schedule with research support from the desk. The form our clients forward to their boards.
Board and C-suite briefings, and — for those who travel — delegation programs in Singapore and roundtables with regional operators.
Advisors select the tiers that suit them and may move between them. Compensation is agreed before every engagement, invoiced monthly, and paid on time.
| Tier | What it looks like | Typical commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Consulting Advisor | Advisory calls and short consultations, matched to your expertise. The natural starting tier for most new advisors. | A few hours per month |
| Project Advisor | Named on a defined client workstream for its duration, working alongside a Singapore-desk analyst. | Multi-week, episodic |
| Retained Counsel | An ongoing relationship with a small number of clients — a standing call, first sight of the morning brief, quarterly depth. | By arrangement, quarterly cadence |
Engagement letters, scope and fee negotiation, invoicing and collections, conflicts checks, and compliance — the unglamorous machinery of advisory work, run from the Singapore desk so your time goes to the counsel itself.
Your independence, your calendar, your voice. Advisors may hold board seats, teaching posts, and other commitments — subject only to the conflict standards described in the FAQ below.