Why Geopolitics and AI, Should Be on Every Executive Hiring Agenda

CGC

Global business is shifting. Fast. Whether it’s geopolitical tension reshaping markets or artificial intelligence disrupting the way work gets done, the ground under senior leadership is moving and staying still is no longer an option.

McKinsey recently published “Multinationals at a Crossroads”, a timely reminder that companies need to rethink how they operate in an increasingly fragmented world. But just as relevant if not more urgent is the parallel revolution happening in AI, particularly in the rise of agent-based AI systems that do more than generate content. They act.

At CGC, we’re seeing firsthand how both trends are redefining what clients look for in executive talent and how leadership roles themselves are evolving.

The Geopolitical Shift

From U.S.–China, UK, EMEA, tensions and sanctions regimes to supply chain fragility and local regulatory complexity, geopolitics is no longer just a risk register item, it’s a strategic planning issue.

Boards are asking harder questions:

• What happens if we need to exit a market quickly?

• Are our capital structures globally agile?

• Do we have senior leadership who can navigate cross-border disruption?

The ability to manage through these challenges is becoming a core competency not just for CEOs, but for CFOs, COOs, and even CHROs.

The AI Disruption

Generative AI has grabbed headlines. But the next wave Agent-based AI is already here, and it’s changing how companies operate.

According to Gartner, by 2028 more than 50% of enterprise tasks will be handled by autonomous agents that can initiate actions, interact with systems, and even negotiate decisions without direct human control. Financial services and consulting are at the forefront of this shift.

How Agent AI Is Being Used -

In Financial Services:

• Trading assistants that auto-execute based on live data and internal models.

• Risk and compliance bots that monitor transactions and client comms, then escalate or file reports.

• Client onboarding agents that gather KYC documents, initiate checks, and trigger alerts without human input.

In Consulting:

• Research copilots that build decks from internal IP and external sources.

• Workflow agents that chase actions, update dashboards, and manage project timelines.

• Knowledge agents that extract learnings from legacy reports and chat history for reuse across projects.

These tools are powerful, but they also introduce new risks.

What C-Suite Leaders Need to Know,

The benefits are clear:

• Massive time savings on manual and repetitive tasks.

• Faster insight generation across silos.

• Better client responsiveness, at scale.

But the challenges are real:

• Autonomy creep: Systems making decisions without oversight.

• Black box behavior: Difficult-to-audit processes in regulated environments.

• Data security: Agents accessing multiple internal systems create new vulnerabilities.

• Governance gaps: Many companies haven’t yet clarified who’s accountable when an agent fails.

According to Gartner’s 2024 Board Priorities Report, over 70% of board members say AI governance is now a top three concern. Yet most leadership teams still lack executives who can confidently assess AI risks and opportunities from a business, not just technical perspective.

Where Executive Search Comes In

These shifts are already changing how we advise our clients:

• We look for geopolitically fluent leaders those with international exposure, cross-border problem-solving experience, and strong stakeholder agility.

• We screen for AI literacy: Can this leader understand, guide, and govern the use of AI? Not just write the code, but challenge the use case, interrogate the model output, and spot where the risk lies?

• We prioritize resilience and foresight, executives who’ve led through disruption, not just scaled in stable times.

Whether we’re hiring a CFO, COO, Head of Risk, or regional MD, the expectations have changed.

Hiring is no longer about filling gaps. It’s about future proofing.

If your leadership team isn’t equipped to deal with the reality of agent-based automation or shifting geopolitical ground, then it’s time to rethink the brief.

At CGC, we help clients find senior talent that can lead through uncertainty, drive transformation, and navigate complexity across borders and across systems.

Let’s talk if you're looking to build a team that’s ready for what’s next.

Chris Graham

Founder, C Graham Consulting

https://www.cgrahamconsulting.com/