{"id":71,"date":"2015-02-24T15:15:14","date_gmt":"2015-02-24T23:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/?p=71"},"modified":"2026-03-16T11:58:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T18:58:38","slug":"david-m-darst-delivers-annual-brinson-distinguished-lecture","status":"private","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/business.wsu.edu\/edividend\/2015\/02\/24\/david-m-darst-delivers-annual-brinson-distinguished-lecture\/","title":{"rendered":"Private: Brinson Distinguished Lecture Features David M. Darst"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"David<\/a>
David Darst<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“You can effect change,\u201d was keynote speaker David M. Darst\u2019s take-home message to Washington State University students who attended the annual Brinson Distinguished Lecture Series in September. Darst shared insights from his multi-decade career as an independent investment consultant and former managing director and chief investment strategist of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.<\/p>\n

His address, \u201cAsset Allocation and Investment Strategy for 2015 and Beyond,\u201d focused heavily on the need for structural reform to ensure the health of financial markets. He incorporated four themes: what happened, what is happening, what may happen and what to do.<\/p>\n

World events impacting U.S. financial prosperity<\/h2>\n

Darst presented an overview of world events \u2013 including terrorism – that have affected and continue to impact the United States\u2019 financial prosperity. He spoke from personal experience, having survived 9\/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, and used recent examples of terrorism targeting women such as Pakistani activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, who barely survived after she was shot by the Taliban for attending school.<\/p>\n

\u201cKey paths to the success of our future are energy revolution and the removal of repression of women in Asia, Africa and the Middle East,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He discussed demographic trends pointing toward a population explosion of 1.3 billion people living in 10 countries on China\u2019s southern rim and 1.2 billion in Africa over the next 40 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe population growth of the countries to the south of China will essentially equal another China,\u201d he said. \u201cAfrica\u2019s population increase will essentially equal another India. These trends are going to affect the uses of water, food and land in the United States, and Washington State University will also be impacted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He urged students to consider the big stories of the 21st<\/sup> century\u2014the rise of China, the Arab Spring<\/a>, the redefinition of Europe<\/a> and the bridging of America<\/a> – when, as investment professionals, they will be contributing to economic growth and making critical investment decisions for clients.<\/p>\n

Suggestions for finance professionals<\/h2>\n

Darst said successful finance professionals should consider investing in companies that are \u201cglobal gorillas\u201d\u2014prepared to sell to future global markets, careful about fluctuating interest rates and currencies and aware of rising global markets, such as Japan.<\/p>\n

In addition, he listed the following personal and professional advice:<\/p>\n