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Board series: Armed conflict in the boardroom: Planning for a year of geopolitical flashpoints

In 2026, geopolitics no longer simmers in the backdrop; instead, it should be considered a design constraint for growth, capital allocation, and operational continuity. As opposed to thinking about which conflict is most likely to erupt, leaders will have to understand which stack of pressures will compound fast enough to break our assumptions. The World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Risks Perceptions Survey puts geoeconomic confrontation (e.g., tariffs, investment restrictions, resource leverage) as the top short-term risk, now overtaking armed conflict. The central question worth exploring – can your firm absorb shocks without halting growth?

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Audit committee growing pains—and the pressure it’s putting on your team

Audit committees have long been the mandated nexus of corporate financial reporting, internal controls, and risk management. Even though these committees face a full slate of topical oversight and compliance – financial, internal audit, AI, cyber, ESG, Sustainability, DEI – 2025 has also brought forward a new suite of risks. Namely, trade and tariffs, and geopolitical conflict. With so much responsibility across a broad spectrum of issues, have audit committees become the “kitchen sink” of corporate boards?

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The CEO confidence gap – How can boards step up in a context of global uncertainty?

With multinational businesses stretched by intensifying geopolitical conflict, macroeconomic shocks, and global trade tensions, CEOs will need expert counsel from their corporate boards more than ever. Yet, new data shows that only one-third of CEOs say they are highly confident in their board’s ability to help them navigate the challenges facing their organization. What’s missing? What are CEOs not getting from their boards and how can the confidence gap be overcome?

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Telesto CEO & Founder Alex Kruzel releases new book, The Courage to Continue, at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs

“Has Sustainability failed . . . ?”

A provocative and critical question that was raised in last week’s public launch of Alex Kruzel’s, CEO & Founder of Telesto Strategy, book The Courage to Continue at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Patrick Shewell, Director of Global Packaging Sustainability of Mondelez, provided the expert moderation to an at-capacity audience full of public and private sector leaders. Watch full discussion: Securing a Sustainable Future in a Polarized Era

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From Corporate Strategy to Global Policy: The New Book The Courage to Continue Explores The Rationale For Corporate Sustainability in Support of President Trump’s Whole-of-Government National Security Agenda

As global trade and security challenges continue to escalate as President Trump begins his second term, an insightful and compelling new book, The Courage to Continue, calls for a non-partisan approach to evaluate how businesses can effectively advance their environmental sustainability agendas and support America’s national security priorities. Authored by Alex Kruzel, founder of Chicago-based management consulting firm Telesto Strategy, the book prompts decision-makers across all industries and sectors with crucial questions and considerations for leaders to advance their corporate sustainability goals.

From Corporate Strategy to Global Policy: The New Book The Courage to Continue Explores The Rationale For Corporate Sustainability in Support of President Trump’s Whole-of-Government National Security Agenda Read More »

2025 Energy outlook – preparing for a turbulent year

Central to the health of the domestic and global economy, business executives have a responsibility to understand the dynamic energy landscape both in the U.S. and globally. 2025 will bring tensions of oversupply, price increases, deregulation, and restructured incentives for renewables. This will lay on top of an already complex web of geopolitical conflict, tariffs, trade restrictions, export bans, and more. With the climate crisis intensifying, an increased focus for all corporates should be on decarbonization, energy security, and system resilience. Perhaps most succinctly put, the headline on energy in 2025 is that there is no easy headline.

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Takeaways for management teams – Apple’s playbook on how to beat China tariffs and export restrictions

With the U.S.-China trade simmering as Trump begins his second term, Apple will be vulnerable to the proposed China tariffs and export restrictions of critical minerals. Since Apple makes majority of its +100 products in China, it must deflect what otherwise would amount to hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes. Although Apple has shifted some production to India with the iPhone 15 (2022), Apple has yet to start fabrication in the U.S. With Trump proposing a 60% tariff on goods imported from China and a 20% levy on things made elsewhere, Apple will have to use every lever to contain costs, sustain demand, secure mineral inputs, and gain policy exemption. So, with so much at-stake, what will Apple do?

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How AI and Machine Learning will leapfrog real estate into a green future

AI and machine learning are revolutionizing the real estate industry’s path to decarbonization by enabling large-scale, cost-effective strategies that optimize energy efficiency and reduce emissions. Odyssey, Telesto’s machine learning-driven platform, exemplifies this transformation, offering tailored roadmaps for portfolios that prioritize both environmental impact and financial return.

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