The CEO Playbook: Resilience and Cost Leadership in a Fragmented World with John Pearson

As protectionism rises and trade corridors fragment, the next frontier of corporate leadership lies in mastering resilience: sustaining growth, managing costs and leading with purpose in a world of perpetual disruption. At a recent India CEO Forum session in Mumbai, John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express and a Member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Post AG, outlined how global businesses can thrive amid volatility. Drawing on DHL’s presence across 219 countries, he reflected on the principles that have enabled DHL to stay resilient in a fractured economy.

The attached podcast summarises these discussions, but in brief:

• Global trade remains deeply resilient amidst rising tariffs and geopolitical shocks as supply chains re-route rather than retreat.

• Resilience depends on combining strong leadership with empowered teams and a cost mindset built on agility rather than austerity.

• Digitalisation and AI are amplifying efficiency across logistics and commerce with e-Commerce growth sustaining its post-pandemic acceleration.

• India has emerged as a central node in reconfigured trade networks, climbing 14 places on the Logistics Performance Index and attracting strong FDI momentum.

• Sustainability is fast becoming a license to operate, with firms embedding green logistics and sustainable fuels redefining cost leadership for the decade ahead.