In an era of growing global brutality, companies are confronted with radical uncertainty. This historic shift marks the end of business as usual, disrupts corporate strategies, and reshapes every core function within organizations.

This turning point also signals the rise of companies so powerful that they have become true geopolitical actors—some even seeking to assume attributes of sovereignty.

The ESSEC Institute for Geopolitics & Business studies how geopolitical disruptions transform economic models and how corporate players are entering the geopolitical arena.

The Institute aims to help design corporate and organizational models that are more vigilant, resilient, and competitive in a world that is increasingly brutal, uncertain, and complex.

At the same time, the Institute explores how market mechanisms themselves are being profoundly reshaped by the geopolitical actions of state-backed corporations—or corporations acting as extensions of state power.

At ESSEC, the Institute for Geopolitics & Business fosters a deep understanding of the major challenges posed by the world’s growing brutalization:

• The accelerating collapse of the multilateral system and the overturning of the international legal order by predatory powers;
• The intensification of geopolitical tensions across the full spectrum of conflict, placing companies directly on the battlefield of an already unfolding hybrid war.

Developing this strategic culture enables us to study the geopolitical disruptions confronting businesses and organizations, as these:

• Profoundly destabilize certain economic or operational models;
• Call for major transformations across all corporate functions—CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, COOs, CTOs are all impacted;
• May even require the creation of a Chief Geopolitical Officer role within executive committees.

This strategic lens also allows us to examine the economic consequences of the transformation of some private actors into fully-fledged geopolitical players:

• State-like companies, particularly those that have secured dominant positions in their markets—such as the major digital platforms;
• Companies, public or private, acting as proxies for predatory state powers.

The Geopolitics & Business nexus explored by the Institute lies at the intersection of:

• Microeconomic adaptation strategies developed by firms and organizations in response to major geopolitical shocks; and
• Geopolitical strategies deployed by these same firms and organizations—strategies that are now actively reshaping economic norms.

The Institute for Geopolitics & Business was established at ESSEC Business School in October 2024 as a flagship initiative of the school’s strategic plan, TRANSCEND 2024–2028. Born of a conviction that geopolitics has become a decisive force in the business world, the Institute embodies ESSEC’s determination to place global power dynamics at the heart of its academic mission.

It reflects a bold ambition: to prepare future leaders not only to understand the complexity of the world, but to act within it—responsibly, strategically, and with foresight. By integrating geopolitical thinking into education, research, and executive training, the Institute reaffirms ESSEC’s pioneering role in shaping business education for an age of disruption and fragmentation.

The Institute for Geopolitics & Business is rooted in the academic excellence and global reach of ESSEC Business School. It draws on the combined strengths of three distinguished centers of expertise, each contributing unique intellectual capital to our mission:

• The IRENE Center for Negotiation and Mediation, founded in 1996 and led by Professor Aurélien COLSON, brings world-renowned expertise in conflict resolution, diplomatic practice, and strategic negotiation.
• The Center for Geopolitics, Defense and Leadership, established in 2023 and co-directed by Professor Aurélien COLSON, Professor Frédéric CHARILLON, and Vice Admiral Loïc FINAZ, explores power dynamics, security paradigms, and leadership in times of global instability.
• The Center for European Law and Economics, created in 2008 under the leadership of Professor Viviane DE BEAUFORT, provides cutting-edge insights into European regulatory frameworks, governance models, and corporate responsibility.

Together, these centers form a multidisciplinary ecosystem at the crossroads of geopolitics, business, law, and leadership—uniquely positioned to equip organizations with the critical intelligence needed to navigate today’s fractured world.