In this episode, Alec Russell, Managing Director, Cargo at Gallagher Specialty, and Alex Vile, Associate Consultant, Threat Intelligence at AnotherDay (a Gallagher company), explore how geopolitical crises particularly in the Gulf are reshaping supply chain resilience, risk management and insurance strategy.

They examine how businesses are responding in real time to disruption, and what’s needed to build more resilient, future-proof supply chains in an increasingly volatile global environment.

Key Discussion Points

• Strait of Hormuz and live crisis response: How companies reacted to sudden disruption in a critical global choke point, and the shift from initial shock to adaptive rerouting and alternative logistics solutions.

• Supply chain fragility: Why modern supply chains, that are highly globalised and complex are increasingly exposed to geopolitical shocks, infrastructure constraints and external disruptions.

• Insurance gaps and evolving demand: Where traditional marine cargo cover ends, and how companies are turning to political violence, inland transit and trade disruption solutions to fill emerging risk gaps.

• Role of threat intelligence: How real-time intelligence, scenario planning and misinformation filtering help businesses make informed decisions during fast-moving crises.

• Choke points vs wider risk landscape: Why risks extend beyond major flashpoints to include regional politics, port security issues and localised instability that can still disrupt global trade.

• Globalisation and interdependence: How geographically dispersed supply chains remain politically interconnected, with disruptions in one region triggering cascading global effects.

• Scenario planning and preparedness: The growing shift from reactive crisis management to proactive planning using escalation indicators and structured response frameworks.

• Reshoring and supply chain strategy: Whether trends like reshoring and “friend-shoring” represent long-term structural change or short-term responses to geopolitical pressure.

• Lessons from recent crises: How Covid-19, the Russia–Ukraine war and Middle East tensions have elevated supply chain risk to a strategic, board-level priority.

• What clients need from advisors: The importance of proactive guidance, clear intelligence, comprehensive insurance solutions and reassurance to support decision-making in uncertain environments.

The content of this podcast is for general information purposes only. For more specific advice bespoke to your business, please contact Alec Russell at alec_russell@ajg.com or Alex Vile at alex_vile@ajg.com.