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Don’t Do That: Don’t Ignore Your Instincts with Jack Devine, The Arkin Group
Manage episode 523897267 series 3650463
In this powerful and wildly insightful episode, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Jack Devine, former CIA spymaster, intelligence expert, and the man who helped shape some of the most pivotal moments in modern geopolitical history. Jack opens up about the guardrails of intelligence work, the chaos of today’s global landscape, how wealth managers can navigate uncertainty, and why, despite everything, he believes we are heading toward a more stable world.
He also shares stories from the field, what Hollywood gets wrong, what it gets surprisingly right, and the one operation he’s most proud of (hint: it changed the direction of the Cold War). And yes… we even find out how he feels about Jack Bauer.
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About Our Guest:
Jack Devine, founder and chairman of The Arkin Group, is a 32-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where he served as both Acting Director and Associate Director of the CIA’s operations outside the United States as well as chief of the Latin American Division, the head of CIA’s Counternarcotics Center and the head of CIA’s Afghan Task Force. He was awarded the CIA’s Meritorious Officer Award for this accomplishment and is the recipient of the Agency’s Distinguished Intelligence Medal and several meritorious awards.
Jack has written widely on intelligence including his two books, Spymaster’s Prism: The Fight Against Russian Aggression and Good Hunting: An American Spymaster’s Story, along with Op-Ed articles for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times. He has also made guest appearances on CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Fox News, and Bloomberg News, and is frequently called-upon to share his opinion on myriad geopolitical events. Jack is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
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Chapters
1. Opening: The chaotic state of the world and the speed of modern information (00:00:00)
2. Introduction to Jack Devine: Former CIA Director of Operations and his new intelligence platform for wealth managers (00:00:31)
3. Jack's career highlights: Chile, Iran Contra, Afghanistan, and the Stinger missile that helped end the Cold War (00:02:13)
4. The surprising connection between intelligence work and investment banking: It's all about risk management (00:04:48)
5. The hedge fund marble game and what it reveals about calculated risk-taking (00:07:00)
6. CIA culture and core principles: "You shall know the truth and it will set you free" (00:08:29)
7. Why candor and unvarnished truth are essential for wealth managers and their clients (00:10:54)
8. The problem of information overload and the danger of conventional wisdom (00:12:08)
9. Case studies: Ukraine offensive and October 7th Israel attack—when groupthink fails (00:14:41)
10. How Jack's intelligence platform delivers actionable insights to wealth managers (00:16:07)
11. The professionalization of wealth management and the mission-driven approach of top advisors (00:19:44)
12. Beyond intelligence: Comprehensive services including travel security, cyber protection, and crisis support (00:23:10)
13. What asset managers vs. wealth managers need from geopolitical intelligence (00:26:03)
14. The real "rules of the game" in intelligence work and why guardrails matter (00:31:44)
15. How to gather information ethically, legally, and effectively (00:33:01)
16. Why the world feels more chaotic than ever, and whether we're nearing a tipping point (00:36:05)
17. The black swan problem and why there may be 20, not three (00:37:13)
18. Optimism amid chaos: Historical patterns suggest we're heading toward more peace (00:38:30)
19. Why wealth managers want prosperity for everyone and could be a stabilizing force (00:40:41)
20. Why skepticism (not cynicism) is a top intelligence skill: Challenge every assumption (00:42:23)
21. The implications of social media and AI, especially for children and society (00:44:16)
22. Jack's coolest operations and what it means to "touch history" (00:46:27)
23. Afghanistan and the Stinger missile: How one decision helped end the Cold War (00:47:26)
24. What Hollywood gets right (and wrong) about spies: 24, The Americans, Homeland, Jason Bourne (00:49:20)
25. Dinner with Sean Connery (James Bond) and the truth about martinis (00:50:21)
26. Jack's "Don't Do That" Lesson #1: Trust your instincts (but make sure you have a well-developed gut) (00:53:09)
27. Jack's "Don't Do That" Lesson #2: Never underestimate people's egos (00:54:56)
28. Why wealth management is half psychiatry: The art of sizing up people (00:57:12)
29. The surprising parallels between CIA skills and wealth management excellence (00:58:12)
30. How to access Jack's intelligence products at The Arkin Group (01:00:24)
31. Closing remarks and sponsor message (01:00:26)
34 episodes
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