Recessions seem inevitable in all of the world’s major economies, with considerable pressure on the governors of those economies to take firm action in the national interest. These actions are rarely altruistic and often contribute to ever escalating international tension, and this invariably results in the law of unintended consequences having its day in the sun.

In short, we are in for a fairly rough ride and meticulous risk planning and management has never been more important to maintain the health of our businesses and the well-being of our people. We simply must make the very best use of the global risk intelligence that is available to us, carefully apply it to our own business universe to implement the best control measures with robust plans to maintain resilience should these risks become realities.

It is not uncommon for organisations to rely on a responsive or reactive approach to world events on the basis that they feel that they have little control over the factors which influence their fate. It is however, businesses that plan for events, put contingency in place, and have a robust early warning mechanism for recognising event triggers that thrive in such times.

So, please read on and take time to consider how the key themes in this report affect you and what measures you can take to mitigate global risk, enhance your resilience and plan to emerge safely into the better times to come.