Steering Risk and Governance Through Geopolitical Turbulence

How Boards Can Navigate Geopolitical Risk and Uncertainty

On 2 July 2026, the Global Advisory Alliance and the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA) hosted an executive briefing exploring how boards and governance professionals can strengthen organisational resilience in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment.

The discussion examined why geopolitical risk has become a board-level governance issue rather than simply another item on the corporate risk register.

Drawing on perspectives from corporate governance, political risk advisory and institutional investment, the panel explored practical actions boards can take to strengthen oversight, improve strategic decision-making and prepare organisations for a more fragmented global landscape.

The conversation focused on one central question: How can boards build governance practices that enable organisations to anticipate geopolitical change, manage uncertainty and identify strategic opportunities?

Watch the session replay

Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA) and the Global Advisory Alliance (GAA) exclusive executive discussion:

Our panellists:

• Funmi Ekundayo – Group Managing Director and CEO, STL Capital Group, and President, Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA)
Richard Howitt – Senior Advisor, Frank Bold. Former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and former CEO of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC)
• George Dallas – Head of Content, European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI). Former Policy Director, International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), Director of Corporate Governance at F&C Investments, and Managing Director at Standard & Poor's (now S&P Global)
• Claudine Fry – Geostrategic Advisory Partner, Control Risks. Claudine leads the firm's global issues team and advises clients on geopolitical developments, terrorism and regulatory risk. She has been recognised as a leading expert in Political Risk in the Chambers and Partners Crisis & Risk Management 2025 guide
Host: Keith Morrow – Non-Executive Director, board advisor and consultant specialising in strategy design and implementation, operational effectiveness and corporate governance. Founder of Kamolyn Ltd and founding advisor to the Global Advisory Alliance

Key takeaways

The discussion highlighted six practical actions boards and governance professionals can take to strengthen organisational resilience in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment.

1. Treat geopolitical risk as a board responsibility

"Geopolitical risk is driving every kind of risk you can imagine." — Claudine Fry

Geopolitical developments now influence strategy, supply chains, investment, regulation, technology and reputation. Boards should move beyond viewing geopolitics as a specialist risk function and embed it into strategic decision-making.

2. Make scenario planning part of board practice

"My main plug would be for scenario planning." — Richard Howitt

Rather than reacting to events after they occur, boards should regularly test strategic decisions against plausible geopolitical scenarios. Scenario planning helps organisations identify vulnerabilities, improve preparedness and make better long-term decisions under uncertainty.

3. Build geopolitical capability across the board

Directors cannot oversee risks they do not understand. Boards should invest in continuous education, bring in external expertise where needed and regularly assess whether they have the skills required to oversee geopolitical developments.

4. Give geopolitical risk clear ownership

Many organisations still lack a clear executive responsible for coordinating geopolitical intelligence across functions. Assigning ownership, supported by sufficient resources and board oversight, helps ensure risks and opportunities are identified before they become business issues.

5. Look beyond Europe and North America

"The traditional way in which many emerging markets looked to the West... is changing." — George Dallas

Boards should avoid viewing geopolitical developments solely through a Western lens. Markets across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America are becoming increasingly important sources of growth, investment and innovation, while also facing different political, regulatory and supply chain dynamics. Understanding regional perspectives is becoming a strategic advantage.

6. Turn geopolitical insight into competitive advantage

"Managing geopolitical risk means... identifying opportunity." — Claudine Fry

Effective organisations do more than manage risk. They use geopolitical intelligence to inform capital allocation, strengthen supply chains, identify new markets and anticipate changes before competitors. Resilience comes not only from avoiding disruption, but from recognising opportunity.

This briefing provides five practical recommendations:

Make geopolitical risk a standing board agenda item.
Use scenario planning to test strategic decisions against future uncertainty.
Strengthen board capability with specialist expertise and ongoing education.
Give one executive clear responsibility for geopolitical risk and resilience.
Turn geopolitical insight into competitive advantage by identifying both risks and opportunities.

Continue the conversation:

The Global Advisory Alliance is convening a series of invitation-only roundtables under the Chatham House Rule for board directors, governance professionals and senior executives.

These discussions will provide an opportunity to explore the governance implications of geopolitical change, share experiences with peers and discuss practical approaches to strengthening board oversight and organisational resilience.

If you would like to learn more or express your interest in joining a future roundtable, please contact: Keith Morrow
Founding Advisor
Global Advisory Alliance

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