Top Risks to Australian Business 2024-25 (KPMG)
We wrote this report, the second in our KPMG Top Geopolitical Risks series, to highlight that risk isn't about discrete disconnected shocks, it's interconnected. Looking at risk scenarios tells us more about where we're vulnerable, and how we can be better prepared for the future.
Engaging China: Developing risk-informed board strategies
In this session, experienced chair and director Vivienne Yu, GAICD CEW FCPA, and I talk about how boards can understand business engagement with China as a set of distinct dimensions, what a robust China strategy looks like in practice, and the specific levers boards can use to maintain oversight while still positioning for opportunity.
NB, recording is free via AICD for members and non-members.
Iran, markets, and meaning: separating signal from noise
The US–Israeli strikes on Iran have generated a flood of information for business leaders to absorb. Oil prices have moved sharply.
Populism, and why it matters to Australian business
Populism is reshaping the global business environment and Australian companies can’t afford to ignore it.
Geopolitics and Family Offices: vulnerabilities and actions
Across recent global surveys, family offices consistently rank geopolitics among their most significant risks, particularly over the medium term. What matters now is how this growing geopolitical volatility actually manifests for mid-size family offices, and what they choose to do to manage risk and build resilience.
China's Two Sessions - building resilience in a hostile world
China’s 2026 Two Sessions policy conference confirmed a shift that has been building for many years. This article explores how Beijing now reads the international environment, how it is adjusting its development model in response, and what this means for Australian businesses.
2027 or not 2027, that is the (my) question
It seems to be that there are two parts to the conclusion that China is preparing to invade Taiwan in 2027, neither of which are a Xi Jinping directive.
The South Australian election shows how Australian politics is moving away from the centre. Business should pay attention.
In the 2026 South Australian elections, Labor was returned with a strong majority, but the real story lies in the scale of the One Nation vote. For Australian business, moves away from the political centre increase business risk in several ways.
Why the geopolitics of Japan’s February 2026 election matters for Australian investors
The February 2026 election result in Japan matters for investors in how it clarifies the policy environment in which market conditions will evolve.
The ‘mother of all trade deals’ is about more than just trade.
This article I wrote for KPMG unpacks the historic EU-India trade agreement, why it's so geopolitical, and explores some of the ways it impacts businesses here in Australia.
AICD Boardroom Confidential
Now more than ever, geopolitics is shaping organisational planning, investment and risk management. In this discussion, Merriden breaks down what the present and future ‘polycrisis’ world means for directors, and highlights the global megatrends reshaping board agendas.
The ‘Donroe Doctrine’ and Why It Matters for Australian Businesses
Australian businesses are operating in a more complex geopolitical environment, and the ‘Donroe Doctrine’ is part of that story.
Populism and business - with Evan Lucas
In this episode of Exchanges with Evan Lucas, we unpack how populism’s anti-establishment sentiment and ‘us versus them’ mentality are driving a new wave of protectionism, reshaping global politics and economic policy.
Navigating populism: Strategic imperatives for Australian business
This report I authored for KPMG on 'Global populism and Australian business – shifts and implications' provides business leaders with a clear understanding of how populism is influencing global markets and institutions, and what strategic actions they can take to stay resilient and competitive. The report offers strategic guidance for business leaders navigating political volatility and global disruption.
The geopolitics of climate change
The geopolitical implications of climate change and our unpreparedness for the disruption it will bring.
Leading Through Fog: Trust, Truth, and the Role of Business in 2025
One of the key geopolitical themes we identify is the rise in mistrust of political institutions and the status quo around the world, and why that matters to Australian business (spoiler alert: it really does).
Back to the Future, in Reverse? Trump’s ‘Reverse Kissinger’ Play
You may have heard recently that Donald Trump is attempting a “Reverse Kissinger”, but what exactly does that mean?
Global Geopolitics from an Australian Perspective
This chapter of the ‘Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Geopolitics’ examines who Australia thinks it is, and how that national strategic identity affects Australia’s understanding of regional and global geopolitics.
Geopolitical disruption: the new state of play for Australian retail
Increased competition and mistrust between countries means that the ‘new normal’ for Australian retailers is a highly volatile business environment.