From Blind Spots to Insights 2025

The companies interviewed varied in the extent to which their geopolitical radar serve relevant parties within the organization. In some companies, the insights generated by their radar are well-integrated into sourcing, strategy, contingency planning and evaluation functions across business units and at the group level. In these cases, information and insights flow both ways between those managing the geopolitical radar and other executives. In other companies, tracking of geopolitical events is more siloed, driven by the specific needs of the unit responsible for the task. Few of the companies interviewed have invested in information systems that allow for inventorying and assessing geopolitical factors. This shortfall leads to a reliance on key personnel for contextualizing developments, which creates “key person risk”. Such individuals may become bottlenecks when handling requests from across the organization – or take their knowledge with them when they leave the firm. The absence of an inventory also hampers the identification of emerging patterns across markets, potentially overlooking risk mitigation opportunities. The departure of key individuals from a company further undermines institutional memory and the ability to navigate an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.3.2 The flow of insights and “key person risk”experiential focus on high-profile events may leave limited bandwidth for understanding the underlying drivers of geopolitical circumstances. One interviewee mentioned that the quarterly reporting cycle for their publicly listed company reduces the appetite for considering emerging or foundational factors behind geopolitical disruptions. This focus on the “here and now” narrows both the identification of and response to relevant geopolitical risks, as well as the willingness to allocate resources and management time to understanding future dynamics. From Blind Spots to Insights: Enhancing Geopolitical Radar to Guide Global Business 16