Who we are

Shirin is a scenario architect and has worked on numerous international scenarios projects.

She has worked and researched risk subjects as diverse as risk and society, AIDS in Africa, uninsured losses from natural hazards, the future of the intellectual property system and the impacts of the financial system, so bringing to her work an unparalleled breadth of experience. Her clients include EDF, European Patent Office (EPO), Lloyds TSB, Shell International Ltd, TSUNAMI initiative, UK Health and Safety Executive and UNAIDS.

Shirin originally trained and worked internationally as an architect before obtaining her masters degree in Environmental Psychology. Her interests led her to specialise in risk, scientific uncertainty and trust – key elements of scenario building. She has interviewed hundreds of global experts in their fields, facilitated numerous workshops and lectured on the use of scenarios in management at the Said Business Centre, Oxford University and HEC, Paris, on natural hazards at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg and Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre, UCL, London, on risk at the Ministry of Science and Technology, Moscow and World Economic Forum, Geneva and on intellectual property at the Center for Nanotechnology in Society, Arizona State University. She has published widely on risk, management of uncertainty and change.

Shirin grew up in South Africa in a multicultural background and she now lives in London with her two daughters. Her personal interests are varied, and include all the creative arts – theatre, classical music, opera and salsa as well as skiing and outward bound activities in the bush.

Selected publications include:

• Elahi, S (2010) Here be Dragons...exploring the 'unknown unknowns'. Futures
• Elahi, S (2009) Privacy and Consent in the Digital Era. Information Security Technical Report 14:3
• Elahi, S (2008) Conceptions of Fairness and Forming the Common Ground, in Ramirez, R, Selsky, J.W and van der Heijden (eds) Business Planning for Turbulent Times. Earthscan, London
• Elahi, S et al (2007) Scenarios for the Future. European Patent Office, Munich
• Elahi, S & Petak, W (2000) The Northridge Earthquake, USA and its Economic and Social Impacts. IIASA, Laxenburg
• Karachalios, K and S Elahi (2009) Transparency, trust, and the patent system. Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, 2009
• Linnerooth-Bayer, J, Quijano-Evans, S, Lofstedt, R & Elahi, S (2001) TSUNAMI project: The Uninsured Elements of Natural Catastrophe Losses. IIASA, Laxenburg and University of Surrey, Guildford
• Lofstedt, R & Elahi, S (2001) Trust: Building for the Long Term. Elements, p 17-19
• Neppel C, Rutz B, Carmichael G, Karachalios K, Elahi S, McGinley C. (2009) The Future of IP in Europe, in: The Future of the Patent System, IIP Japan
• Wilkinson, A, Elahi, S and Eidinow, E (2003) Special Issue: Riskworld. Journal of Risk Research 6:4-6