Economic Warfare, Sanctions and Corporate Strategy

This module introduces economic warfare as a defining feature of contemporary geopolitics. It examines the evolution of economic warfare, the logic of economic statecraft, and the use of coercive economic tools as alternatives to conventional military or diplomatic power. Participants also explore the relationship between trade wars, protectionism, strategic decoupling, financial power, currencies and payment systems.

The module further considers the role of international institutions and global rules in shaping the use and limits of economic coercion. By the end of this module, participants will have a conceptual understanding of why economic instruments have become central to geopolitical competition and how they reshape the operating environment for global firms.

This module focuses on how sanctions regimes are designed, implemented, monitored and enforced. It covers the main types of sanctions, including trade, financial, sectoral, individual and technological restrictions, while also explaining the difference between primary and secondary sanctions. Participants are introduced to the issue of extraterritoriality and the jurisdictional tensions that arise when sanctions extend beyond national borders.

The module also explores the role of financial institutions and compliance ecosystems in sanctions enforcement, as well as the mechanisms of monitoring, penalties and regulatory pressure. It highlights how sanctions affect not only targeted actors but also third-party firms and wider global value chains.

This module examines how sanctions and economic coercion affect corporate strategy, operations and long-term performance. It explores market access restrictions, forced exits, supply chain disruption, technology denial, financing constraints, currency risk, and the exposure created through partnerships, joint ventures and stakeholder relationships. The module also addresses the reputational and ESG-related implications of operating in sanction-sensitive contexts.

Participants analyse how sanctions create cascading strategic effects across business functions and geographies, influencing everything from sourcing and financing to reputation and stakeholder confidence. This section of the course helps organisations understand that sanctions are not isolated events, but complex shocks with broad strategic consequences.

The final module is action-oriented and focuses on managerial response. It covers the design of sanctions-aware corporate strategies, including risk diversification, structural flexibility, compliance governance, internal controls and scenario planning for sanctions escalation. Participants also consider strategic communication and stakeholder management as part of a broader response framework.

This module encourages participants to align compliance requirements with long-term strategic positioning rather than treating sanctions purely as a defensive constraint. In doing so, it helps organisations prepare for uncertainty, protect strategic options and respond more effectively to geopolitical disruption.