CASE STUDY 4 LATC: Bolstering a proactive approach with its own “house view” LATC has felt the impact of growing geopolitical uncertainty, notably in its retail branch. The company initially found itself in firefighting mode, but quickly activated and strengthened its geopolitical capabilities to coordinate a response. This was reflected in an organizational shift to embed geopolitics more directly into the strategic core. A chief trade officer role was added to the responsibilities of the chief strategy officer, reporting directly to the CEO and sitting on the executive committee. This team, comprising seven professionals, also includes a dedicated Geopolitics and Market Intelligence unit. This pivot has allowed LATC to shift from a reactive posture to a more proactive stance, developing its own “house view” on geopolitical developments and using it to shape conversations with regulators, trade bodies and multinational partners. Source: Interviews, company analysis You can talk endlessly about what is happening, but the real question is the ‘so what’. Geopolitics matters when you bring it back to the business: how we navigate it, what it means and what we do next. Head of Global Affairs at a chemical company2.2 Activating the radar and sonar The first line of information comes from local offices and management teams. They are closest to clients, regulators and local news sources, uniquely positioned to highlight weak signals, regulatory developments or political shifts that might later scale into major disruptions. A competitive advantage arises from the combination of: 1 The ability to source first-hand information directly from the field 2 The organizational capability to aggregate and exploit that intelligence across the group To sustain this connection, some companies organize field visits or site rotations for central teams, ensuring proximity to local contexts and perspectives. Others conduct quarterly or semi- annual risk scans to structure information flows between the periphery and headquarters. Developing local leaders’ geopolitical awareness is also critical. One interviewee recalled a country manager declining to meet the local finance minister, asking, “Why would that be relevant for us?” – a reminder that (geo)political sensibility must become part of leadership skill sets at every level. Beyond “farming” internal data, leading firms actively “hunt” for external insights across three broad categories: –Professional services, data and software providers: These help move beyond headlines by grounding analysis in hard data, provide rapid assessments and plug short-term capacity or expertise gaps. –International events: Active or passive participation in forums and panels raises awareness among executives. –External experts and think tanks: The most effective muscles rely on niche expertise (former trade negotiators, sanctions lawyers or regional specialists). Collecting intelligence is only the first step. Turning it into strategic insight requires structured assessment. Companies interviewed typically operate along three levels of maturity: –Qualitative scenarios: Issues are categorized as high, medium or low risk. Teams develop narratives, assess triggers and identify business implications to build internal awareness. –Tiered financial thresholds: These add quantification by linking risks to company metrics. Some firms use defined tiers to ensure prioritization and escalation discipline – for example, creating a task force for any risk exceeding $500 million operating profit impact. Building Geopolitical Muscle: How Companies Turn Insights into Strategic Advantage 15

Building Geopolitical Muscle 2026