A frantic series of US policy announcements ushered in a new period of global economic disruption as the new administration, led by President Donald Trump, took office in January 2025. While some of the initial jitters and panic have subsided, the outlook remains, at best, uncertain.

For leaders of large international businesses, this disruption and uncertainty present some of the biggest challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic. What do the changes mean for global supply chains, customer demands, manufacturing footprints, the energy transition, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives? What sort of strategies are needed to thrive in this new “post-globalization” era?

To shed light on these critical issues, Arthur D. Little (ADL) organized a series of interviews with 39 senior business leaders from different industries across the US, Europe, and Asia to explore their perspectives on the challenges and how they were adapting. We talked with them about:

• Global markets and regionalization
• Tariffs and supply chains
• Regulation, ESG, and the energy transition
• Shifts in customer needs
• Technology and AI implications

Our discussions, attended by more than 550 live participants, including over 60 CEOs and non-executive directors, yielded fascinating insights that encompassed both shared views and notable differences across industries and regions. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the leaders who participated.

While the discussions were under the Chatham House rule, which encourages open and inclusive dialogue under anonymity, we are pleased to provide some anonymized highlights to a broader audience in this special Prism report.