ISM flags geopolitics, AI, cyber risks

Risk mitigation is the dominant theme at ISM World 2026, where procurement leaders are focusing on geopolitics, cybersecurity, tariffs and artificial intelligence. (ismworld.org) The Institute for Supply Management’s annual conference is running April 26-28 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, Colorado. ISM said the discussion on April 27 centered on “the mitigation of risk” across supply chains and supplier networks. (ismworld.org 1) (ismworld.org 2) Mohammed Deria, head of procurement for the Americas at GSK and a member of ISM’s Strategic Sourcing Committee, said companies used to focus on logistics and supply constraints. He said technology, reputational and supplier risks now stack on top of one another. (ismworld.org) John Atasie of JR Global Synergy Group said geopolitical shocks are hitting supply availability, shipping and costs. Johan Gott of Eurasia Group pointed to the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz constraints as risks for crude oil, fertilizers and other materials moving through the Persian Gulf. (ismworld.org) Atasie said rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope has made shipping “very, very expensive.” Collins Oluka of Avery Dennison said procurement teams are using advanced analytics to predict inflation impacts and decide how much cost can be passed through. (ismworld.org) Cyber risk is part of the same discussion, not a separate one. David Weeks of Moody’s said 2025 brought record cyberattacks and heavy cloud disruption, while ISM’s January-February magazine warned that attacks increasingly hit suppliers upstream and downstream, not just the main company. (ismworld.org 1) (ismworld.org 2) Artificial intelligence is showing up as both a tool and a risk. ISM’s conference agenda says Kara Swisher’s keynote will focus on the real-world effect of generative AI on business strategy and the global supply chain, and scheduled sessions include “Building the Next Generation of Talent for the Human-AI Era” and “Where Did My Leverage Go? Rebuilding Negotiation Power in the SaaS + AI Era.” (ismworld.org 1) (ismworld.org 2) That focus matches ISM reporting from earlier this year. A February article on The Hackett Group’s 2026 Procurement Agenda said supply continuity was procurement’s top priority for 2026, spend reduction ranked second and deploying AI-enabled technology ranked third. (ismworld.org) ISM’s January outlook made the same case from another angle. It said China’s tighter export controls, tariff uncertainty, regional tensions and the 2025 cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover pushed resilience to the top of procurement and logistics agendas heading into 2026. (ismworld.org) The conference message is that procurement teams are being asked to buy, model and defend at the same time. ISM’s own framing for ISM World 2026 is a three-day event built around strategies that reduce risk, improve resilience and drive measurable results. (ismworld.org)