📣 The Tariffs Are Back. What Now?
President Trump’s April 2 announcement of broad-based tariffs—10% on all imports, with targeted surcharges as high as 54%—has immediate implications for transformation leaders in financial services and PE-backed firms alike. A 25% tariff on all imported vehicles is also now in effect.
These aren’t just economic headlines—they’re strategic inflection points.
If you’re mid-flight on a major change program, leading a post-deal value creation plan, or building the next-generation tech stack for insurance, banking, or wealth management—this is a moment to reassess.
Whether you’re modernizing core underwriting platforms, building a digital onboarding journey, or re-platforming wealth infrastructure, many transformation programs are already underway and tightly scoped. Tariffs now force an honest reevaluation:
✅ Action: Convene a rapid-impact checkpoint with change and delivery teams. Look at TCO projections, vendor exposure, and upcoming procurement milestones. Small adjustments now can protect long-term program credibility.
Capital allocation strategies are already being rethought in boardrooms this week. That doesn’t mean “cut everything.” It means invest with sharper intent:
✅ Action: Refine investment cases around flexibility, modularity, and long-term adaptability—not just technical novelty. Ask: “Will this still make sense if tariffs hold for 12–18 months?”
For recently closed or ongoing FS M&A deals, the stakes just rose.
✅ Action: PE operating partners and integration leads should initiate a post-close resilience review. Pressure-test key milestones, rebalance sequencing, and protect the original deal thesis through measured adjustments—not wholesale redesign.
Across the industry, one theme is clear: control beats complexity.
Tariffs are a reminder that modernization isn’t a luxury—it’s a hedge. Not because it’s fashionable, but because it gives institutions better command over how they operate, scale, and comply.
✅ Action: Don’t pause modernization—tighten it. Prioritize programs that shorten time-to-change, enhance visibility, or insulate operations from external volatility.
Change has always been complex. Now it’s geopolitical.
The role of the change leader, CIO, or PE value creation expert isn’t just to hit milestones—it’s to navigate disruption without losing momentum. And this week’s news is exactly the kind of event that separates reactive orgs from adaptive ones.
If you need a second set of eyes on your roadmap, post-close plan, or funding case—we’re here. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s durability.
Tom C. Schapira
Founder and CEO
Imagine Capital Group
E: tom@imaginecapitalgroup.com
Website http://www.imaginecapitalgroup.com
