Thought Leader and Influencer Interview with George S. Mentz, Founder & CEO, Global Academy of Finance & Management (GAFM®)

At a Glance

George S. Mentz, Founder & CEO, Global Academy of Finance & Management (GAFM®) Focus Areas: AI Governance, Economics, Education, Finance, Project Management Thinkers360 In-Depth Profile & Portfolio: George S. Mentz Social Media: LinkedIn | X Book: The Crown and the Shadow : Mastering Power, Wealth, and Self-Realization Laws of Power Highlighted Content: The 12 Best Countries for Retirees – Affordability & Taxation, The Probability of a Stock Market Correction is Very Low in 2025. Thinkers360 Awards & Recognition : Recognized contributor in Finance, Education and Leadership.

 

Thought Leader and Influencer Interview

Thinkers360 thought leader interviews profile prominent members of the Thinkers360 community who embody the power of ideas in their work. In this edition, we speak with George S. Mentz, international attorney, economist, professor, and Founder & CEO of the Global Academy of Finance & Management (GAFM®).

With more than 25 years of experience spanning law, finance, public policy, and professional standards, George has developed executive education and certification frameworks operating in approximately 40 countries. His work focuses on global credentialing systems, ISO-aligned governance models, leadership strategy, and cross-border institutional partnerships designed to strengthen professional credibility and competency worldwide.

A public servant, prolific author, and advocate of what he describes as “credibility capital,” George emphasizes disciplined leadership, ethical governance, and measurable institutional impact. In an era defined by artificial intelligence and accelerated transformation, he calls for global perspective, structured excellence, and the responsible stewardship of knowledge. He is also recognized among the Thinkers360 Top 100 B2B Thought Leaders, Analysts & Influencers You Should Work With in 2026 (North America).

Brands, Organizations & Startups: Sign up to find and work with advisors, analysts, authors, influencers and speakers in your niche and to amplify your own executives, thought leaders, and content among our opt-in B2B decision maker, analyst and influencer community with 100M+ followers on social media combined! We specialize in B2B thought leadership marketing, B2B influencer marketing, B2B strategic marketing, and B2B analyst and influencer relations putting your brand in front of active B2B buyers, analysts and influencers worldwide. Our enterprise clients average 10X ROI on amplification! – Explore membership today!

Thought Leaders, Analysts & Influencers: To join the world’s largest opt-in B2B thought leader community and influencer marketplace, participate in our thought leadership leaderboards, earn our world-renowned digital award badges and credentials, blog on the #1 thought leadership blog on the Web, and build, amplify and monetize your professional brand – Sign-up today!

Readers & Writers: To contribute your own content and to browse amazing content – including articles/blogs, books, interviews, podcasts and videos, from our opt-in B2B thought leader, analyst and influencer community – Join Thinkers360 today!

Thinkers360: Tell us a bit about your background and areas of expertise.

GM: I am an international lawyer, economist, professor of wealth management, and founder/CEO of the Global Academy of Finance & Management (GAFM®) and the International Board of Standards (IBS). I hold a Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD), MBA, and multiple chartered credentials, and I have taught hundreds of graduate-level courses in law, finance, and executive leadership over the last 25 years.

Over the past two decades, I have built certification and executive education platforms operating in approximately 40 nations, cultivating distribution partnerships, academic alliances, and professional networks around the world. I believe there are business and educational opportunities in nearly every sector globally—finance, FinTech, AI, project management, wealth management, risk management, education technology, risk management, and beyond—if one approaches markets with discipline, compliance, and cultural intelligence.

My companies have recently received recognition and engagement from institutions and government-linked bodies in India, Arab League Nations, and China which is about 1/2 of the worlds population, further reinforcing our global footprint in executive education, skills certification, and professional standards.

My areas of expertise include:

• Wealth management and global macro strategy

• Economics and public policy having authored hundreds of articles for Newsmax, Jobs in the Money, National Underwriter and others.

• Executive education systems and ISO-aligned standards

• Certification frameworks and professional governance

• Leadership psychology and performance optimization

• International business development and institutional partnerships

I have authored more than 150 books, courses, audio books, and professional papers focused on finance, leadership, economic systems, and success psychology.

Thinkers360: What are your current responsibilities and what does a typical day look like?

GM: Currently, I serve as:

• CEO of GAFM® / IBS (overseeing global standards and certifications)

• Law Professor of Wealth Management

• Commissioner (Civil Service Commission and now Airport Commission roles) 2022-Present

• Author, researcher, and media contributor

In addition, I have served in multiple government capacities, including:

• Former Presidential / White House Commissioner appointment for Presidential Scholars Commission

• Civil Service Commissioner Chairman overseeing law enforcement systems

• Airport Commissioner overseeing major transportation infrastructure

• Recipient of a government-sanctioned Datuk Seri title for international charity works which is akin to a Count/Earl Title in Europe.

• Awarded an Colonel Commission and Honorable Status from a Commonwealth Governor for extraordinary service.

A typical day is structured around strategic execution:

Morning:
Global communications across time zones, market analysis, writing, research, and executive strategy.

Midday:
Teaching graduate programs, curriculum development, certification governance meetings, international marketing, or advisory sessions.

Afternoon:
International partner calls, accreditation oversight, brand collaborations, legal analysis of agreements, interviews, and civic governance responsibilities.

My workflow is mission-driven and highly disciplined. I focus on measurable outcomes and scalable frameworks.

Thinkers360: What’s your favorite part of your current role?

GM : My favorite aspect is building systems that elevate professionals worldwide. I have been able to allocate $100 million for benefits, courses certification scholarships over the next 20 years.

Whether it’s helping an executive in Asia earn a chartered designation, advising leaders on governance frameworks, or developing standards that improve industry credibility, I enjoy enabling upward mobility through education and structured excellence. Further, I have had the good fortune of cultivating several international brands such as:  CWM Chartered Wealth Manager®, MPM Master Project Manager®, and ChFM Chartered Financial Manager ®

I also value the diplomatic and cross-cultural dimension of global partnerships. Responsible leadership requires global thinking.

Thinkers360: How do you utilize Thinkers360?

GM: Thinkers360 is a strong ecosystem for verified thought leaders and builds personal and business brand in various excellent ways

I use it to:

• Share research-based insights

• Publish articles on finance, AI, governance, and leadership

• Engage with fellow global experts

• Collaborate on interviews and panels

• Expand visibility for professional standards initiatives

• Boost our INTERNET presence of articles, ideas, business innovation, and services and products

It provides credibility-centered engagement rather than algorithm-driven noise.

             Editor’s Note: See George S. Mentz’s profile to work with him directly. 

GM: I prefer structured, long-term strategic collaborations.

Ideal engagements include:

• Sponsored research and whitepapers

• Executive articles, interviews, briefings and webinars. Writing is still a passion for me personally and if it helps others, that gives me great joy.

• Advisory board roles as I have served various national and local universities as a board member or committee member.

• Certification integrations – With expansion of technology we introduce new programs in areas such as AI, FinTech, and EdTech.

• Global distribution partnerships – This is where international law and contracts are important to create win-win relationships.

Brands that work with me should value ethics, compliance, standards, and measurable impact. I am selective because reputation is cumulative capital.

Thinkers360: What’s your main advice for upcoming thought leaders?