Senior Director, Communications
Communications, Global Biological Policy & Programs (NTI | bio), Global Nuclear Policy Program (GNPP)
Scott Nolan Smith serves as senior director of communications for NTI, where he leads strategic communications efforts to amplify the organization’s mission and policy priorities. He works closely with NTI’s program teams—particularly NTI | bio and the Global Nuclear Policy Program (GNPP)—to craft compelling narratives, engage key audiences, and drive impact. He also serves as co-editor of NTI’s blog, Risky Business.
Before joining NTI in 2024, Smith held senior roles at leading strategic communications firms including Global Gateway Advisors, Clyde Group, and Portland Communications. In these positions, he advised a diverse portfolio of global institutions, governments, and NGOs—among them the governments of Australia, Benin, France, and Qatar, the Corporate Council on Africa, UN Population Fund, Qatar Foundation, APEC, the Pacific Advancement for Diplomatic Leadership Program, the National Science Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, the Institute of International Education, and the UN Foundation. Earlier in his career, Smith served as Head of Digital at the British Embassy in Washington, where he helped shape the UK’s digital diplomacy efforts. He is also a co-founder of the Digital Diplomacy Coalition, a volunteer-led initiative that connected professionals across technology and foreign affairs to foster innovation and collaboration.
Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hawaii Pacific University and a Master of Arts in Diplomacy from Norwich University.
Disney Channel’s The Luck of the Irish reminds us that failing to safeguard a powerful asset—whether a magical lucky coin or advanced emerging technology—can lead to disaster. Strengthening AIxBio governance is about building guardrails to accelerate innovation and safeguards to prevent harm.
You might not expect a man in yellow tights eating syrupy spaghetti to teach you about global health security—but Elf offers surprisingly helpful lessons to understand the importance of addressing biological threats before they become global pandemics.
At NTI, we focus on the most complex, challenging global security risks, from those posed by nuclear stockpiles and bioweapons to pandemics and new and emerging AI-enabled threats that the world is only beginning to understand. Our refreshed blog will be a place where anyone can come to learn more about the global security challenges our world is facing.
Exploring how rapid advances in science and converging technologies are reshaping global security.
Improving epidemic and pandemic preparedness and strengthening biosecurity in Africa.
Building a critical mass of public support to eliminate nuclear weapons risks.
An assessment and benchmarking of health security and related capabilities across 195 countries.
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