Resilience for a Rainy Day: Spotlight on Geopolitical Issues

Businesses face a complex set of shifting considerations, and this is especially true for a board of directors when overseeing management’s business strategy against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical challenges. In executing their corporate governance, boards must consider the potential impact of these challenges and weigh them against concrete actions that can be taken.

As 2020 unfolds, the 2019 BDO Board Survey reveals that weighty geopolitical forces—including a potential slowdown in the global economy, ongoing trade tensions and the war for talent—are very much on the minds of public company directors.

It’s difficult to strategize against uncertainty. However, while they can’t control geopolitics, directors can ensure the company prepares to respond in a way that minimizes risk. With an eye toward sustaining a company’s long-term value, public company board directors can assess and balance the numerous competing priorities impacting their companies that will allow them to make crucial decisions with both responsiveness and foresight.