Episode 141 – It Takes a Village - Risk Management in a Time of Crisis

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Jayee Koffey, Chief Global Affairs Officer at BNY, to discuss how firms are balancing global efficiency with mounting pressure to localize, de‑risk, and align more closely with national priorities, particularly in strategic sectors such as energy, technology, and finance. The conversation focuses on how companies are embedding geopolitical awareness into everyday decision‑making, rather than treating it as a one‑off crisis response. Clay and Jayee also examine the growing importance - and vulnerability - of financial plumbing, including payments, settlement systems, and market infrastructure, which are increasingly entangled with sanctions policy, national security concerns, and cross‑border fragmentation. Finally, they turn to the rapid buildout of digital and physical infrastructure, from payments modernization and tokenization to AI‑driven data centers. Jayee offers her perspective on what governments can do to remain attractive destinations for long‑term private capital, and whether firms should be concerned that today’s infrastructure boom could create new financial, political, or social fault lines down the road. This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.