Barton urges CEOs to embed geopolitics into core strategy amid rising global volatility

Dominic Barton, strategic counselor at Eurasian Group and chair of Rio Tinto, told one outlet that the expanding list of geopolitical shocks—from surprise tariffs to tech bans—requires CEOs to move beyond occasional after-dinner briefings and make geopolitics a core part of corporate planning. He referenced the recent 50% U.S. tariffs on Canadian autos, dairy and alcohol, and the president’s use of social media to announce a three-day delay, illustrating how quickly policy can shift.

Barton urged leaders to spend more time in government relations, pointing to figures like Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, Tim Cook and Elon Musk as models of this approach. He argued that companies must consider balance-sheet resilience, supply-chain security, data location, and incorporation choices in light of geopolitical risk. In Rio Tinto’s case, the miner is increasing purchases from China, accepting higher costs for longer-lasting components. The broader message was that the era of stable, rules-based trade is ending, and firms must adapt accordingly.