Geopolitical fluency can help you prepare for what’s next.
We live in noisy times. Or, to quote our Skills Horizon report, “a decade of disorientation”.
The ongoing Iran war is the sort of major global event that’s hard enough to process on a human level, let alone figure out how it affects different aspects of your business.
So far there’s been supply chain disruption, a surge in oil prices, and spikes in insurance premiums. What’s next? And how do you keep your operations as stable as possible amidst relentless developments?
In their article Iran, markets, and meaning: separating signal from noise, Jon Berry, Geopolitics Lead – KPMG South ASPAC, and geopolitics expert Dr Merriden Varrall, offer a clear reminder that it’s critical not to lose sight of the long-term while managing the immediate. That, despite the daily headlines, it’s important to keep the bigger picture in mind. In this case, how “the March 2026 US–Israel strikes signal a meaningful shift in how the acceptable use of power and force in the rules‑based order is interpreted in practice”.
“For Australian business, this stretching of the acceptable in how power is exercised and justified matters because our economy relies on a world of predictable rules, stable trade routes, credible commitments, and confidence that power is constrained rather than discretionary.”
When things get volatile, it pays to be geopolitically fluent. It’s critical to be able to separate signal from noise, understand the larger changes a shift in the world order might herald, and apply strategic tools that allow you to map and assess potential moves.
That’s what the Geopolitics and Business Sprint is designed to give you.
Created in partnership with the United States Studies Centre and KPMG (the sprint also features Jon Berry), this two-week, self-paced online course will help you:
- Develop a nuanced understanding of the global geopolitical order.
- Identify strategic opportunities in a complex landscape.
- Adopt a policy-maker mindset and tools for de-risking your business.
- Build practical strategies for navigating geopolitical tension.
The next cohort runs from 24 April – 8 May. Register now.