Trade, Teams, and Leadership: Takeaways from Off the Grid 

Last week, Zero100 hosted more than 50 C-level supply chain and operations leaders in the Irish countryside to delve into what agility and resilience look like under the new rules of global trade – and what to do now. The takeaways were clear: we’re all playing the long game and both challenges and solutions transcend industries. And those solutions involve reconsidering design principles, a more expansive COO role, and fusion teams. 

Navigating Global Trade Upheaval  

While tariffs and their impact are still shaking out, the consensus among leaders was to presume tariffs would be around in perpetuity. And though some companies were making design decisions to move product manufacturing closer to customers even before the latest US tariffs, others consider such moves impractical, almost to the point of impossibility. Even for those transitioning operations to the US, it will take years.  

Yet a silver lining to the trade crisis has emerged in the form of scrutinising overly outsourced workflows, which can bring expertise back in-house and reveal efficiency opportunities. A regional sourcing approach can also offer a buffer against tariff impacts and increase resiliency.  

The COO Has a New Remit 

Yesterday’s annual strategic plan clearly can't build resilience against today's rapid demand shifts and constant disruptions. This means the COO’s scope of influence is growing, spanning strategy to execution as the lines between supply and demand blur and the pressure to accelerate delivery increases.  

That pressure to accelerate can be partly alleviated by smaller teams empowered to act and working to shorter, 30-90 day timelines. This can foster the agility needed to maintain relevance, leveraging an always-on strategy-to-action cycle. It's also useful to extend strategy beyond drivers like cost reduction or headcount efficiency and instead, considering emerging technologies in the context of a broader definition of ROI. Real stories we heard included one company improving corporate mission effectiveness in line with AI investments.  

Transforming Teams: More of an Imperative Than Ever 

The power of fusion teams, truly empowered and accountable as owners of the outcome, is crucial for the supply chain org of the future. With innovators improving delivery by restructuring teams, it's clear that de-layering organizations and abandoning traditional hierarchies is essential. But the acceleration of agentic AI and agents raises a new question: What does the future of talent look like when AI agents are our teammates?  

Translators – employees who deeply understand operations and can translate business needs into tech requirements – are crucial. But finding them is like “finding diamonds.” Success can be found, though, in building up the Translator role by pairing up digital native new hires with seasoned supply chain experts. This enables cross-training and, in turn, upskilling, a smoother path to AI/human integration, and balanced workflows.

Move Faster Together 

Reflecting on the discussions and takeaways from last week, it was clear that today’s supply chain challenges transcend industry borders. The velocity of change may make you want to stay in your lane to survive. That’s a mistake. Pushing through disruptive headwinds and avoiding blind spots hinges on breaking down silos and engaging with new ideas from around the horn to break through on trade, teams, and leadership.