This Planning Aces episode we explore how finance leaders navigate volatility without drifting into political cross‑currents like tariffs. Prologis CFO Tim Arndt explains why e‑commerce triples warehouse demand and how real‑estate strategies must adapt. Genworth CFO Jerome Upton shows how disciplined leverage and balanced product exposure turn rate uncertainty into opportunity while guarding against inflationary claim spikes. Flexport CFO Stuart Leung reveals the weekly two‑hour operating cadence and scenario drills that keep freight flows nimble amid strikes, conflicts, and policy swings. Co‑host Brett Knowles connects the dots, urging planners to pair AI “agents” with dynamic rhythms that detect risk sooner and react faster.
Brett’s Key Takeaways
Brett Knowles distills three imperatives. 1️⃣ Sensor grid expansion: deploy AI agents to scan data 24/7 and flag shocks—tariffs, strikes—before humans blink. 2️⃣ Cadence compression: meet as often as needed to fix issues pre‑damage, then relax when turbulence eases. 3️⃣ Balanced resilience: couple agile pre‑emptive moves with capital buffers and portfolio hedges that soak up residual hits. Bottom line: stop forecasting the unknowable; engineer organizations that can quickly out‑react competitors when the environment lurches.
CFO Stuart Leung | Flexport
Stuart’s antidote to nonstop trade shocks is a two‑hour Wednesday review that interrogates live metrics across every segment, surfaces risks, and triggers same‑day adjustments. Weekly cadence—reinforced by monthly “big‑rocks” reviews—feeds constant scenario planning for port strikes, Red Sea conflict, tariff pivots, and customs changes. The operating rhythm embeds agility and shared accountability, proving finance can lead strategy when real‑time data and rapid decisions converge.
CFO Tim Arndt | Prologis
Tim frames logistics real estate as a durable, cash‑yielding asset class riding powerful secular tailwinds. E‑commerce requires three times the warehouse space of brick‑and‑mortar, intensifying demand for infill facilities even as land and zoning tighten. His “atoms, not electrons” mantra dismisses fears that digital disruption bypasses physical distribution. Finance teams, he argues, must model non‑linear capacity multipliers, regulatory constraints, and financing decisions to protect margins and seize long‑term returns.
Jerome Upton | Genworth
Jerome views uncertainty through a hedged‑portfolio lens. Comfortable leverage and disciplined capital allocation give Genworth room to maneuver. Higher rates squeeze new mortgage‑insurance volume yet simultaneously lift investment yields in life‑insurance reserves. Inflation threatens long‑term‑care claims, so he monitors care‑cost trends while funding CareScout’s growth. His message: stress‑test indirect exposures, pair offense with liquidity, and design balance sheets that profit from rate asymmetries rather than fear them.