Sophie Heading
About Sophie Heading
Sophie Heading serves as the Global Risks Lead at the World Economic Forum, where she has worked since 2022. She has extensive experience in geopolitics and management consulting, having held various roles at KPMG for nearly a decade.
Current Role at World Economic Forum
Sophie Heading serves as the Global Risks Lead at the World Economic Forum, a position she has held since 2022. In this role, she focuses on identifying and analyzing global risks that impact economies, societies, and the environment. Her work supports governments, businesses, and civil society in understanding and preparing for macro risks. She is recognized for her contributions to the Global Risks Report 2023, which provides insights into emerging risks and trends.
Previous Experience at KPMG
Sophie Heading has extensive experience at KPMG, where she held various roles over several years. She worked as a Senior Consultant in Management Consulting from 2014 to 2015 and later as a Manager in Management Consulting from 2015 to 2016. She progressed to become the Global Head of Geopolitics from 2019 to 2022, where she co-founded and led initiatives to assist corporations and investors in managing geopolitical impacts. Her roles included Associate Director of Geopolitics and Manager of the Global Brexit Centre of Excellence.
Educational Background
Sophie Heading holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Economics, both from The University of Queensland, where she studied from 2007 to 2012. She also completed a Masters in Behavioral Sciences with Distinction at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) from 2018 to 2019. Additionally, she participated in the Sustainable Leadership Program at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in 2018.
Advisory Work in Public Sector Policy
During her tenure at KPMG Australia, Sophie Heading advised on public sector policy and administration across local, state, and national levels of government. Her work in the Management Consulting practice involved providing strategic insights and recommendations to enhance governance and operational effectiveness within public institutions.