268 | From Ancient Trade Routes to Modern Supply Chains: Inside Global Wealth, Local Impact with Stephanie Forbes

268 | From Ancient Trade Routes to Modern Supply Chains: Inside Global Wealth, Local Impact with Stephanie Forbes

From Art of Consulting Podcast by Andy Fry, Cat Lam

April 23, 2026 · 31 min · Season 10 · Episode 268

About this episode

Catherine Lam interviews Stephanie Forbes about the historical evolution of supply chains and their impact on local economies.

In this episode, the host Catherine Lam sits down with Stephanie Forbes, founder and CEO of The Forbes Group. Stephanie is an internationally recognized expert in supply chain strategy and operational resilience. To explore her groundbreaking new book, Global Wealth, Local Impact. From the gladiators of the Roman Coliseum to the East India Company, from the Silk Road to the Strait of Hormuz, Stephanie reveals how the invisible machinery of global trade has always shaped local lives, and why understanding that history is the ultimate playbook for navigating today's volatile world economy. This episode is part history, part world affairs, part leadership guide. It will change how you see every product and every business decision. Key Insights You'll Learn · Supply Chains Are as Old as Civilization: From Caesar's gladiator games to the Silk Road to the East India Company, the mechanics of global trade, logistics corridors, currency exchange, quality control, insurance, letters of credit, have been evolving and compounding for over two thousand years. · The East India Company Changed Everything: At its peak, it controlled two-thirds of world trade. It created the modern company…

People in this episode

Host: Catherine Lam

Guest: Stephanie Forbes

Topics covered

  • supply chain strategy
  • global trade
  • operational resilience
  • history of trade
  • world economy
  • leadership

Keywords

  • supply chains
  • global trade
  • operational resilience
  • East India Company
  • Silk Road
  • trust economy
  • history of trade

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Forbes Group, East India Company

Books & works: Global Wealth, Local Impact

Places: Strait of Hormuz

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