Geopolitics, Tariffs, and Corporate Foresight with Drew DeLong

Drew DeLong works at the intersection of corporate strategy and national interest, where the boundaries between public policy and business have blurred. With a background spanning key roles at the State Department, FAA and White House, and now leading Kearney’s work in Corporate Statecraft and Geopolitical Dynamics, he brings deep experience from both sides of this evolving relationship.
In this episode, Drew examines three structural shifts converging on leadership teams: the unwinding of forty years of globalization, supply security across increasingly contested chokepoints, and an AI wave outpacing the organizations trying to absorb it. He makes the case that today’s disruption is systemic, not cyclical – and explores what that means for leaders navigating trade barriers, supply-chain risk and geopolitical uncertainty.
The conversation also examines what changes when companies become partners to nation states, why government affairs is becoming a board-level strategic capability, and how leaders can distinguish a deliberate pause from standing still.