‘We’re all diplomats now’: managing political risk in the modern era

In this week’s episode of Sounds Strategic, Meia Nouwens is joined by John Raine, Senior Adviser for Geopolitical Due Diligence, and Dr Nigel Gould-Davies, Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia and Editor of the Strategic Survey, for a discussion on political risk and ‘corporate foreign policy’.

The economic instability caused by the COVID-19 crisis, coupled with the intensifying geo-economic rivalry between the US and China, has increased economic instability and dampened corporate prospects globally. 

John and Nigel argue that these factors have increased the need for robust ‘foreign policy’ among all public-facing organisations, from multinational corporations to universities. For them, good corporate foreign policy assesses, plans for and proactively addresses political risk in its many forms to better insulate companies and organisations from the highly politicised economic headwinds already gathering in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

John and Nigel also discuss the growing power of corporations within the international system and the underlying risks created by the intermingling of economic and defence concerns most clearly seen in the current US–China tech war.

We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Date of recording: 12 August 2020

Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.

Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks

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