When you think of global risk, Ian Bremmer is usually the first name that pops up. He's the guy on every news network explaining why the world is falling apart or how the "G-Zero" world is changing everything. But there is a massive piece of the puzzle people often overlook. Behind the scenes of the Bremmer empire is a woman who is just as influential—if not more so—in the world of global finance. We're talking about Ann Shuman, the General Counsel of the DTCC.
Honestly, it’s kinda wild how little the general public knows about her. While Ian is out there tweeting to millions and running Eurasia Group, Ann is essentially helping keep the plumbing of the global financial system from leaking.
Who Exactly is Ann Shuman?
Let's get one thing straight: Ann Shuman is not just "the wife of a famous political scientist." Far from it. In the circles where trillions of dollars move every day, she’s a heavy hitter.
She currently serves as the Managing Director and General Counsel for the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). If you aren't a finance nerd, that might sound like a bunch of corporate alphabet soup. Basically, the DTCC is the backbone of the U.S. financial markets. They handle the "post-trade" stuff—the clearing and settling of trades. If they stop working, the stock market doesn't just dip; it breaks.
Ann joined the DTCC back in January 2014. She didn't just walk into the top spot, either. She started as the Deputy General Counsel and worked her way up to the General Counsel role in February 2017.
A Career Built on Precision
Before she was a fixture at the DTCC, Ann spent a long time—about 13 years—at the CME Group in Chicago. If you’ve ever looked at futures or derivatives, you know the CME. She was a senior executive there, handling legal and corporate development.
Her resume is basically a roadmap of elite legal training:
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- Education: She grabbed her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1996. Before that? A B.A. from Trinity University in 1990.
- Clerkship: She clerked for Judge E. Grady Jolly on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. That’s a "big deal" move for any aspiring lawyer.
- Private Practice: She cut her teeth at the legendary firm Sidley & Austin in Chicago.
Ian Bremmer and Ann Shuman: The Ultimate Power Couple
It’s rare to find two people in one marriage who both operate at such high levels of systemic importance. You have Ian, who advises world leaders on where the next war or trade dispute might break out. Then you have Ann, who ensures the legal and regulatory framework of the world's largest clearinghouse remains rock solid.
They aren't exactly a "red carpet" couple in the Hollywood sense. You won't find them in People magazine every week. But they do show up at the right places. For instance, back in 2015, they were spotted together at the book party for Ian’s book Superpower: Three Choices For America's Role In The World.
They live in New York, which makes sense given their respective careers. Ian’s Eurasia Group is headquartered there, and the DTCC has a massive presence in the New York/New Jersey area.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often assume that the spouse of a high-profile media personality is just "along for the ride." That couldn't be further from the truth here.
In fact, Ann was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business "40 Under 40" all the way back in 2005. At that time, she was already a "rising star" at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. She was known for her "sharp legal mind" and her ability to navigate the incredibly complex world of financial market infrastructures. While Ian was building the Eurasia Group into a global brand, Ann was already an architect of strategy for the nation's largest futures exchange.
Why Their Dynamic Matters in 2026
We live in a world where politics and finance are no longer separate. Geopolitics is market risk.
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Think about it. When a country gets sanctioned or a trade war starts, Ian Bremmer is the one explaining the "why." But the actual mechanical fallout—how those assets are cleared, settled, and regulated—falls into the territory that people like Ann Shuman oversee.
She deals with:
- Regulatory Relations: Keeping the government happy and the rules clear.
- Risk Management: Making sure a sudden market shock doesn't collapse the whole system.
- Digital Innovation: The DTCC has been looking hard at blockchain and tokenization.
It’s a high-stakes game. Ann is responsible for the legal, compliance, and government relations functions of a firm that processes quadrillions of dollars in transactions annually. Yes, quadrillions. With a "Q."
The Personal Side (What We Know)
Both Ian and Ann are pretty private about their home life. You won't find a "day in the life" vlog of them eating cereal. However, those who know them describe a partnership based on intellectual curiosity.
Ann is known for having great "people skills" and being incredibly energetic. Back in her Chicago days, she was known to travel extensively to Asia to pursue alliances with global exchanges. She isn't a "sit behind the desk" type of lawyer. She’s a dealmaker.
Key Takeaways for You
If you're looking at this couple as a model for success, there are a few things to notice.
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First, specialization wins. Ann didn't try to be a generalist; she became one of the world's leading experts in financial clearing and regulation.
Second, discretion is power. Despite Ian's massive public profile, Ann has maintained a level of professional privacy that allows her to work at the highest levels of the financial system without the distractions of "celebrity" status.
Third, academic rigor matters. Both have backgrounds rooted in deep study—Ian in political science and Ann in law at a top-tier institution. They didn't take shortcuts.
Next Steps for You
If you want to understand the world the way this couple does, you should start by looking at the intersection of where they work.
- Follow the DTCC's public reports. If you want to see what Ann Shuman is worried about, look at their white papers on systemic risk and market settlement. It’s the "boring" stuff that actually runs the world.
- Read Ian’s "Top Risks" report. Every year, Eurasia Group puts this out. It’s the perfect companion to understanding the "macro" environment that Ann’s legal frameworks have to survive.
- Watch the transition to T+1. The U.S. recently moved to a faster settlement cycle (T+1). This was a massive undertaking for the DTCC and Ann’s legal team. Understanding how that works will give you a better grasp of how modern finance actually functions.
The story of Ian Bremmer and Ann Shuman isn't a gossip column entry. It’s a case study in how two people can influence the world from two completely different, yet entirely complementary, angles. One explains the world; the other helps keep it standing.