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The world as we knew it is gone, and the velocity of change is unprecedented. We are navigating an era marked by seismic geopolitical realignments, a shift from globalisation to economic and political nationalism, continued conflicts and wars, scaled-back ESG commitments, and the rapid ascent of AI. Each of these trends is disrupting and challenging countries, organisations, and individuals alike.

Last week’s announcement of new tariffs by the US sent shockwaves through global financial markets, erasing so far nearly USD $5 trillion in value within days and igniting fears of inflation and economic recession.

Governments, businesses and consumers around the world are reeling. Many have yet to recover from the blows of the pandemic and recent economic turbulence, only to now face potential rising costs, further pressure on spending and austerity.

What does this mean for businesses? And how should boards and the CEOs chart a course through such volatility?

From my risk management perspective, the threats are substantial but so too are the opportunities. Below are five critical areas I believe board members, CEOs, and their C-suites should be actively reflecting upon and debating today:

1. Diversification

Diversification is a core principle of risk management, but it has often been deprioritised, outside Financial Services, in favour of leaner operations, just-in-time supply chains, and economies of scale. That calculus is no longer viable.

Diversification is now a strategic imperative. As world systems are shifting, businesses must rethink and re-engineer their operations through multiple dimensions of diversification. Diversify your:

• Supply chains: Explore alternatives and build resilience by sourcing from different suppliers, geographies or regions with more effective cost base, stronger political alignment and/or less painful tariffs.

• Market reach: Explore new and enter untapped international markets while also strengthening local presence to boost domestic demand and encourage local national consumption.

• Investments and assets: Reassess capital allocation and evaluate the viability of offshoring or on-shoring some manufacturing capabilities, to hedge against new and other potential tariffs if government negotiations fail now or in the future.

• Products and services: Adapt offerings to reflect shifting input costs, availability of materials and resources, or the needs of new target markets. Tailor design and specifications to local conditions or diversify your portfolio to remain competitive in a world of changing tariffs and trade barriers. For example, if practically possible, perhaps develop a cheaper version of the product and service, to maintain stable-ish pricing in foreign markets once tariffs are applied.

Diversification is no longer just a tactical lever; it is a strategic lifeline.

2. Innovation—reimagining the possible

As the adage goes, necessity is the mother of invention. There is no better time than now to think outside the box, re-invent your business and reimagine how it is done, accordingly be resilient, grow and thrive.

Today’s leaders have access to an arsenal of tools, automation, advanced analytics, and generative AI to help accelerate innovation. Leverage the array of technology advancements to your advantage, but remember technology alone is not enough.

You need a strategy, new creative ideas and people to execute. Actively optimise the multi-generational mix of skills and perspectives to generate new ideas. Break down internal walls, promote cross-functional collaboration, encourage dialogue, brainstorming and debates, and empower employees to make and learn from mistakes so they challenge conventional wisdom. Break down functional silos to unlock innovation, efficiency, and shared accountability. This fuels creativity and drives transformation.

• Reimagine your value chain: From procurement to product delivery, from design to sales and marketing, and from your warehouse, where applicable, to your points of sale, where can you innovate, simplify or radically transform?

• Rethink your resources: Champion AI – this is an opportune moment to trial and leverage the benefits of AI and other technology advancements to drive innovation, boost productivity, automate services and achieve efficiencies. Use AI to reinvent factories, re-route your shipping or redesign logistics and capabilities. Or perhaps use AI to assess how to enhance service, tailor offerings, or create new customer experience, etc.

• Revitalise internal processes: Redesign processes, workflows and systems to cut complexity, and reallocate talent and resources to where it delivers the most value.

History has shown us what’s possible. During World War II, the sheer pressure of necessity gave rise to a great number of innovations, such as radar systems, penicillin, jet engines, and early computing among them, and many are still used today. Why did this happen? Innovation thrived because of the necessity and pressure, allocation of resources and importantly collaboration, within and across borders.

Invest in innovation labs, in AI and in new ideas to give your business a competitive edge, ensure its continuity, fulfil your vision and mission, protect your employees and clients and create value to your community and shareholders.

3. Cultural and mindset shift

Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Today’s world demands a new leadership paradigm, a mindset shift and a new lens of ourselves, our organisations, the world. Our leadership responsibilities need to evolve and adopt to the challenges of now.

In addition to encouraging innovation, I believe this requires three deliberate shifts:

• Refocus on fundamentals: Get back to the basics of your business and focus on core priorities. Prioritise initiatives that protect, advance and grow the business. Let go of or pause low-value programmes that drain resources without addressing the challenges you now face.

• Reignite the entrepreneurial spirit with your board, your C-suite and across the organisation: The current business landscape requires bold, strategic thinkers, with grit, resilience and agility to steady the ship in choppy waters and sail ahead. Leaders who think outside the box, take initiative and carry the people with them. Leaders who can take calculated risks, drive innovation, and lead with courage and conviction.

• Embrace risk and opportunity management: No longer the ‘enforcer’ or ‘blocker’, risk management needs to be involved as a strategic business partner. One that works closely with the board and C-suite, to contribute to the out-of-the box strategic thinking, join the dots, assess implications and deliver strategic insights that equip the C-suite and board to take those calculated strategic decisions. A function that brings together insights from across governance, compliance, internal audit and strategy to illuminate interconnected risks, anticipate future scenarios and support sound decision-making. Risk management would not merely assess threats, but act as your lighthouse to opportunity.

4. Relationship building and alliances

We are entering a sea of change, one marked by higher waves of volatility, deeper complexity, and thicker fogs of uncertainty. In such conditions, relationships, dialogue and building bridges become critical. There is strength in connection. There is wisdom in dialogue. There is value in staying calm, elevating perspective and finding a new semantics and rules of engagements. Alliances, within and beyond your organisation, may well determine your ability to weather the storm and find your way to calmer waters.

• Partner collaboration: Reach out to the key players in your value chain vertically and horizontally, to unlock more innovation, explore opportunities, and work jointly to negotiate, as well as speed up and enhance the changes needed to steady the ship.

• Cross-industry alliances: Work with others in your sector, and beyond it, to tackle shared challenges, accelerate the innovation and co-develop solutions. Form a convoy and travel the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) sea together for mutual support and protection.

• Public-private partnerships: Engage with governments, regulators, and industry bodies. Influence policy. Shape the rules of the game to stay afloat and stay ahead.
Building strategic relationships isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s now more than ever a strategic necessity to navigate your way through choppy waters.

5. Long-term focus, short-term execution

As you diversify, innovate, and build alliances, one thing must remain constant: long-term value creation. The pace of adaptability, innovation and execution are critical in the short term to drive the change and stay afloat, but agility must never come at the expense of governance, ethics, or purpose in the long term.

Just as the political and regulatory landscape shifted suddenly, it can shift again in the other direction, and in a few years, you will be called again to demonstrate how you upheld laws and regulations, respected the environment and met your commitments.

Therefore, boards and executive teams need to continue to champion:

• Resilience and integrity: Ensure your operating model, risk posture, and culture are designed not just for surviving today, but for thriving in the future.

• Strong governance and controls: Regulatory and societal expectations may soften in the short-term, but they will return, especially those around ESG, because global warming, human rights and other risks have not gone away.

The ability to demonstrate environmental stewardship, ethical business practices, and legal compliance will remain critical to reputation and trust.

• Purpose-driven leadership: Ultimately, companies that have a clear vision, purpose and long term strategy, know how to re-prioritise stakeholders’ needs in times of pressure, and communicate well with with its employees, customers, communities and shareholders, are best placed to endure and thrive.

In conclusion, we are entering a new era, one that demands sharper foresight, faster adaptation, and deeper resilience. This is not the time to fear risk, but to lead through it. To think beyond the next quarter and seize the opportunities. And to ensure that your boardroom conversations rise to the moment. Uncertainty may be our new reality, but with it comes a unique opportunity to reinvent, reimagine and renew.

The question is: Are you asking the right questions in your boardroom?

Rania Bejjani is an international governance adviser to corporate clients and former chief audit and chief risk officer.

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