The Chief Geopolitical Officer: Guiding Business in a Polarised Global Era

Key points

• The influence of geopolitics increasingly permeates every facet of business activities, shaping business organisations’ daily operations and requiring the development and effective deployment of strategic foresight as a key mechanism to manage with this influence.
• Growing polarisation and the ever-increasing complexity of the international system are forcing companies to develop an understanding of geopolitical developments, which present at least six different types of risks for businesses: operational, reputational, financial, security, and those related to market access and sanctions compliance. Geopolitical disruption can also lead to a seventh type of risk for some businesses: existential risk.
• Amid an array of executive roles designed to tackle specific challenges, instituting a position of chief geopolitical officer (CGO) would significantly elevate a business organisation’s comprehension of the profound impact that geopolitical dynamics have on its daily operations and longer-term strategy.
• The CGO position should be on par with other C-suite roles such as chief risk officer and chief security officer.
• The CGO’s portfolio should focus primarily on international affairs and strategic foresight and anticipation rather than the economic or financial aspects of a business.
• The CGO should also develop communication channels and maintain a network of high-level relations with key officials from government and international and non-governmental organisations.