Electronic Press Kit
ADAM MICHAEL CASTILLO
Foreign Policy, Myanmar & Southeast Asia Analyst | Leadership Expert | Former U.S. Marine Officer | Founder of AGS Myanmar
BIO
Adam M. Castillo is a leadership expert, former U.S. Marine officer, and founder of AGS Myanmar, a security and risk advisory firm operating in one of the world’s most complex geopolitical environments. For more than twelve years, he has lived and worked in Myanmar, navigating civil conflict, economic sanctions, and political upheaval while advising international businesses and organizations operating in the region.
Following Myanmar’s military coup in 2021, Castillo remained on the ground as the country entered a period of widespread instability. During this time, he has authored or edited more than 1,760 analytical reports through AGS Myanmar, including five comprehensive year-end conflict assessments exceeding 100 pages each. His work represents roughly 8,300 pages and nearly three million words of original analysis focused on security, conflict dynamics, and the intersection of geopolitics and commerce in Myanmar.
Castillo’s leadership and regional expertise have earned international recognition. He has received the APAC Rising Star of the Year Award, was named one of White Page International’s 100 Inspirational Leaders of Asia, and was included in AsiaOne Magazine’s Top 40 Most Influential Young Leaders in Asia.
Drawing on firsthand experience during a national crisis, Castillo now speaks and writes about leadership under pressure, geopolitical risk, and the strategic consequences of institutional failure. He divides his time between Southeast Asia and Riverside, California.
COMPANY BIO
AGS Myanmar is a security services firm supporting international businesses operating in Myanmar and Southeast Asia. Founded by Adam M. Castillo, the company has also provided guidance on market entry, geopolitical risk, regulatory navigation, and operational strategy in complex environments.
BOOK INFO
Finding Our Voice is a firsthand account of leadership, resilience, and civic responsibility during one of the most turbulent periods in modern Southeast Asian history.
Drawing on more than a decade living and working in Myanmar, Adam M. Castillo chronicles his experience navigating the country’s political collapse following the 2021 military coup. As civil war escalated and institutions unraveled, Castillo remained on the ground, witnessing how leadership emerges when formal systems fail.
Through personal stories and on-the-ground insight, Finding Our Voice explores what it means to lead in moments of uncertainty, how communities respond when stability disappears, and why individual responsibility becomes essential during national crises.
Part memoir, part leadership study, the book offers a rare perspective on crisis leadership, geopolitical risk, and the human side of institutional collapse.
WEBSITES & SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
- WEBSITE: adammcastillo.com
- COMPANY WEBSITE: agsmyanmar.com
- LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adammcastillo
- FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/findingourvoicebyadamcastillo
- INSTAGRAM: adam.m.castillo
- TWITTER: adam_m_castillo
- TIKTOK: adam.m.castillo
STORY ANGLES & QUESTIONS
(For Interviews & Articles)
INTERVIEW Qs
• You were an American business leader living in Myanmar when the military coup happened in 2021. Most people would have left immediately. Why did you choose to stay, and what responsibility did you feel in that moment?
• Your book Finding Our Voice is framed around twelve speeches you gave during the crisis. Why speeches? What role did communication and leadership messaging play when institutions were collapsing around you?
• You’ve described leadership in crisis as something very different from leadership in stable environments. What does real leadership look like when there is no playbook and the system around you is breaking down?
• From your vantage point in Myanmar, you’ve watched China’s influence expand in the region while Western institutions stepped back. What should Americans understand about the geopolitical stakes there that most people miss?
• Your story takes you from being an unemployed Marine veteran to leading the American business community in Myanmar and eventually briefing leaders in Washington. Looking back, what prepared you for that level of responsibility?
TALKING POINTS
• Leadership is forged in crisis, not comfort.
The core theme of Adam’s story is that leadership only truly reveals itself when institutions fail and uncertainty is everywhere.
• Myanmar is a warning about geopolitical power vacuums.
When democratic institutions collapse and the world disengages, other powers fill the vacuum. China’s influence in Myanmar is a real example of this shift.
• The American spirit abroad.
Adam’s story is ultimately about Americans operating overseas under pressure, and how values like responsibility, courage, and leadership still matter globally.
IN THE PRESS
