Answer: masterminds

AnswerCrossword Clue
MASTERMINDSStrategists
MASTERMINDSAtomic scientists, for instance.
MASTERMINDSBehind-the-scenes brains.
mastermindsA person with an outstanding intellect
mastermindsSomeone who plans and directs an ingenious and complex scheme or enterprise
mastermindsMASTERMIND, to originate, think out, and direct