Caribbean businesses must redesign for future of constant disruption, experts warn at MSBM seminar

Caribbean businesses and public institutions are being urged to fundamentally rethink how they operate as economic volatility, climate threats, and shifting global markets make disruption a permanent feature of the region’s business environment.

That was the central message emerging from the Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM) Strategic Insights Seminar Series, where regional leaders and development professionals were advised to redesign organisational systems to prioritise resilience, sustainability, and long-term competitiveness.

Speaking at the seminar, Diane Edwards, director of the Professional Services Unit at MSBM, said the Caribbean is entering a period where traditional models of recovery and risk management are no longer sufficient.

“Businesses are navigating an environment defined by economic volatility, climate-related disruptions, supply chain fragility and rapidly shifting global markets,” Edwards said. “These forces are not episodic, they are structural, and they are redefining how we must think about risk, value creation and long-term competitiveness.”

Edwards noted that for small island developing states such as those in the Caribbean, resilience must go beyond rebuilding after crises. Instead, organisations must rethink how institutions and economic systems are designed to respond to uncertainty.

“Resilience cannot simply mean recovering from shocks,” she said. “It requires building systems that are adaptive, accountable and capable of sustaining growth in an increasingly unpredictable world.”

The seminar, themed 'Strategic Resilience: Embedding Sustainability in Post-Crisis Recovery', formed part of MSBM’s Strategic Insights Seminar Series, an initiative designed to strengthen dialogue among academia, industry and policymakers on the region’s most pressing economic and organisational challenges.

The keynote session was led by Professor Judy Muthuri, professor of sustainability and development at MSBM and president of the Africa Academy of Management. She emphasised that organisational resilience begins with leadership and the systems that guide decision-making.

“Resilience begins with the systems we put in place — the governance structures, processes and organisational cultures that determine how institutions respond to uncertainty,” Muthuri said. “It is about creating a foundation that enables leaders to think critically about their role in building sustainable institutions.”

Participants engaged in interactive discussions examining vulnerabilities within their own organisations and exploring strategies to integrate sustainability into corporate governance, strategic planning and operational frameworks.

Professionals representing sectors such as risk management, corporate leadership, development planning and public administration participated in breakout discussions focused on practical approaches to strengthening resilience across Caribbean institutions.

The Strategic Insights Seminar Series forms part of MSBM’s broader effort to position the school as a hub for thought leadership and executive dialogue, while equipping leaders with the tools needed to navigate increasingly complex global and regional environments.

The seminar concluded with a networking session that allowed participants to exchange perspectives and strengthen cross-sector collaboration as Caribbean institutions work to build more resilient and sustainable futures.