As organizations increase their operations abroad, their supply chain risk also increases. A risk in doing business abroad is the reality that overseas supply chains are increasingly vulnerable to political uncertainties. According to a study reviewed by Zurich® Insurance, supply chain disruptions can cause an average 25 percent reduction in share price over two years. Can your company afford that risk? Other studies show that the stronger a company’s risk management practices, the more robust its growth. Those companies with “emerging risk practices” were less profitable, according to Zurich®. According to the American Quality and Productivity Center in a recent survey of 196 companies, 77 percent of the respondents experienced at least one supply chain glitch in the previous two years. And given companies’ tendency toward lean manufacturing, a chink in the supply chain can drastically hurt production and profits almost immediately.

Switch on the TV and you’d find it difficult NOT to hear about Ebola. The economic damage already done in West Africa tallies in the billions and continues to threaten the local economies. Is your company prepared for the impact of Ebola? Are you taking advantage of the risk management solutions to help protect you?

A constant struggle for the risk manager of an organization is balancing the profitability expectations of its shareholders and maximizing operational efficiency of the risk management team in order to reduce the organization’s Total Cost of Risk (TCoR). Having a clear perspective of the organization's appetite for risk and risk tolerance is a fundamental element needed in order to achieve this balance.

Many companies are crossing national boundaries to exploit new opportunities and minimize any potential threats. Globalization brings both opportunities and risks to multinational enterprises (MNEs) doing business in another country, and requires the MNE to have a system in place to detect and respond to these potential threats and challenges.

There are many challenges a company will face when considering a new business venture. Those challenges multiply exponentially when the business venture is outside the United States. The risks for organizations when doing business abroad can be both significant and many. Having a clear execution plan and due diligence team that is familiar with these types of ventures are an essential hedge against surprises that could impact the company's strategic goals.

Doing Business Abroad: What's Next?

As we have highlighted in Part 1 and Part 2 of Doing Business Abroad, a company's Directors and Officers can be exposed to a large number of risks overseas. One particular area that can often be overlooked is developing and implementing solid policies and procedures for protection from the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act as well as the UK Bribery Act. Directors & Officers Liability policy does provide some mitigation for this risk, however, the cost for violating these laws could cause irreparable harm to your company including paying fines well in excess of coverage that is available in the market place.

How to Design Directors & Officers Program That Protects Company’s Assets both in the United States and Abroad

As we highlighted in Part 1 of doing business abroad, understanding the personal exposures of Directors and Officers is a challenge for today’s multinational companies. This is particularly important when you begin to contemplate company employees’ individual duties, the probability of potential lawsuits and the regulatory landscapes that can vary widely from country to country.

“US Executive Working Abroad Faces Charges Related to Protection Scam and Bribery”

This headline means much more than embarrassment for the American company in its overseas operations. It means exposure to enormous financial liability if the foreign court finds the executive culpable, along with associated defense costs, even if the court finds the executive innocent of the charges.