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Addressing Energy Market Volatility in the Boardroom

By Noah Kirsch

05/20/2026

Risk Oversight Strategy Member-Only
Key Points
  • Geopolitical instabilities, such as the Iran war and shifts in OPEC membership, are driving severe energy market volatility and necessitating rigorous scenario planning by boards.
  • Energy firm boards should probe management with open-ended questions to uncover nonobvious vulnerabilities, such as the impact of resource competition on material procurement and supply chains.
  • To ensure firms are prepared for the future, energy company directors should prioritize long-term resilience and adaptability over short-term quarterly metrics.

This AI-generated summary, based on content on this page, was reviewed by NACD editors for accuracy.

Energy company directors are grappling with significant geopolitical turbulence caused by tensions in the Middle East.

Global energy prices have soared since the start of the year, driven by an array of geopolitical events. The Iran war, for instance, has complicated access to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical supply route for oil and liquified natural gas. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates announced in April that it was leaving the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, a decision that The New York Times reported may ultimately “contribute to greater volatility” in oil prices by diminishing the organization's influence over global supply. 

Domestically, the Trump administration has sought to rein in rising ...

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Noah Kirsch is a contributing writer for Directorship and Directorship Online. 

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