Talking Supply Chain: Navigating today’s geopolitical world (2025)

The world is changing, and supply chains are at the front lines of that change. Whether it is trade winds blowing in new directions, tariffs on imported goods, product bans, or political leadership changes, the supply chain is expected to handle these changes smoothly and with ease, without adding cost.

How does it do that?

Courtney Rickert McCaffrey, EY’s Global Geostrategic Business Group Insights Leader, joined the Talking Supply Chain podcast to talk about the geopolitical challenges facing supply chains and how they can prepare to navigate an uncertain future.

“A lot of C-suite leaders really want predictability and certainty in the environment they face,” she said. “That's actually more important … than maybe some of the specifics of what that environment is. Going forward, what we’ve seen is because of that uncertainty. A lot more C-suites and boards as well are turning to scenario analysis and tabletop exercises and other kinds of strategic foresight methodologies to try to … get their arms around it [that uncertainty].”

McCaffrey went on to explain the role scenario planning plays in this, and why, even though companies can’t plan for every scenario, there are ways to leverage what they can plan for to benefit the organization when the unexpected occurs.

She also dives into some the skills that are changing in leadership and how some non-traditional skills are now in demand at the CEO level.

Listen today.

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