A practical leadership book on value chains, negotiation, resilience, and strategy for leaders responsible for real-world outcomes.
Organizations are operating in an era of compounded disruption. Geopolitical tension, inflation, labour constraints, regulatory pressure, and fragile supplier networks are no longer occasional challenges — they are the operating environment.
This book is designed to help leaders make better decisions under pressure.
What you’ll get inside:
Insights that outline how value chains become an engine for growth
Practical frameworks for sourcing, partners, governance, and performance
Examples from real organizations that show what this looks like in practice
Tools and checklists you can use right away to plan for disruption and lead with more confidence
who’s it for?
Executives
Supply Chain Leaders
Operations Leaders
Boards
Industry Professionals
Stephanie Forbes is an internationally recognized expert in supply chain strategy, procurement governance, and operational resilience. With over two decades of experience spanning energy, manufacturing, construction, and technology sectors, she is known for transforming complex global supply chains into agile, value-driven ecosystems. Stephanie is the Founder and CEO of The Forbes Group, a boutique consultancy focused on helping organizations align people, processes, and systems to build competitive advantage.
Order the book and start moving toward stronger partnerships, smarter negotiations, and lasting competitive advantage.
“Stephanie Forbes writes as I heard her speak for decades – with passion, perspective, and remarkable wit. This is truly a Value Chain Playbook, grounded by historical ways and means invented by: the Roman Empire’s “Appian Way, Sourcing Hungry Sharks & Minting Silver Coins”; the Silk Road, as she argues was the “World’s original LinkedIn” & “First information superhighway”; and those Commodity Trading/ commercial inventions mastered by the East India Company. Stephanie ties past Wonders of the Ancient commercial world with Modern-day Supply Chain challenges, drivers, and advanced intelligence/AI tools. With world-class examples that inspire, she guides the reader in search of new value chains to solve local & global trade disruption. It will re-ignite their careers and help make a difference in their chosen playing field.”
William (Bill) Sykes
Data Everything Advisor @ Cascadia Projects Inc. Retired Partner @ Ernst & Young Consulting, Critical Technologies
“Most business books talk about supply chains from a distance. Global Wealth, Local Impact meets them where they actually live: at the intersection of governance, negotiation, execution, and risk. Stephanie Forbes does not romanticize complexity. She explains it, respects it, and gives leaders and practitioners a clear framework for navigating it. This is a rare book that speaks equally to executives shaping strategy and professionals carrying the weight of delivery. It is smart, grounded, and deeply relevant to how modern organizations function.”
Anton J. Gunn
Chairman, Columbia Metropolitan Airport Commission
“Amid constant disruption, Global Wealth, Local Impact offers the clarity and strategic grounding business leaders urgently need. Stephanie Forbes’ wealth of experience connects the dots between history, global dynamics, and everyday decisions, making this essential reading regardless of your industry or title. It’s rare to find a book with this scope, and it serves as a guide for anyone looking to sharpen their game plan and unlock meaningful growth.”
Catherine Lang-Cline
Award-winning CEO and author of the book, The Rules of the Game for Women in Business
“Global Wealth, Local Impact is a timely and unusually practical contribution to how leaders should think about supply chains in an era defined by volatility and disruption. Stephanie Forbes translates complex global systems into usable insight without oversimplification, grounding modern strategy in historical perspective while remaining firmly oriented toward execution. By weaving together history, governance, negotiation, and risk, the book makes clear that resilience is not accidental—it is designed. Its relevance spans industries and roles, offering value to senior decision-makers shaping strategy as well as professionals “in the trenches” responsible for making partnerships work day to day. This is not a theoretical treatise, but a clear-eyed guide for anyone tasked with building systems that must endure uncertainty, complexity, and consequence.”
Dr. Chika C. Daniels, PhD., MRAIC, NOMA, RIBA
President & Chief Visionary, WTAL Canada
Executive Council, Office of The Premier of Alberta
“This book is a powerful reminder that supply chains are not just operational systems, they are strategic levers that shape businesses, economies, and communities. Stephanie Forbes brings clarity, depth, and real-world wisdom to a complex topic every modern leader must understand.”
AJ Vaden, CEO & Co-Founder, Brand Builders Group
New York Times Bestselling Author of Wealthy and Well-Known
“Stephanie Forbes masterfully connects history to modern execution, capturing my attention from Romans and sharks through to managing global events and chaos. This book cuts through theory and offers practical insight for leaders and practitioners working across complex, global value chains.”
Brian Lanier
The Leaders Circle – President
Former Starbucks Coffee – Regional Vice-President
“Stephanie Forbes has written a timely and highly practical guide for anyone working within today’s complex value chains. Global Wealth, Local Impact translates complexity into clear, usable insight, bridging strategy and on-the-ground execution in a way that benefits both senior leaders and professionals in the trenches. This is a book that will resonate across industries and geographies.”
Catherine Brownlee
President of CBI Business Solutions
“Wow! Once I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it back down. A practical guide to supply-chain leadership and management, from strategy to tactics, and considers a broad range of disciplines across the network. I found this book insightful, informative, and so very timely given the ever-growing complexity of todays value chain. Using both historical examples and todays modern-day realities & challenges, this book is an excellent guide as we look towards optimizing a truly global supply chain network.”
David Kinder
President & Chief Executive Officer Big Rock Brewery
“Global Wealth, Local Impact is a masterclass in turning complexity into clarity. Stephanie Forbes blends history, strategy, and actionable insights to show how supply chains aren’t just operational necessities, they’re engines of resilience, innovation, and global prosperity. This book is essential reading for leaders who want to future-proof their organizations and create value that lasts.”
Hon. Leela Sharon Aheer ECA
Former Minister, Deputy Leader & MLA Founder & CEO Slam Industries Inc.
“As the founder of Resilient New Media Inc., I spend my days helping thought – leaders and entrepreneurs build systems that can actually support growth, not just creativity. Global Wealth, Local Impact is one of those rare books that changes how you see your business from the inside out. Stephanie Forbes makes it clear that success isn’t just about having a great product or service, it’s about understanding the entire value chain that supports it. For a small agency, this book is a wake-up call and a roadmap. It shows how partnerships, negotiations, operations, and even contingency planning are not “big company problems,” but essential disciplines for any business that wants to scale sustainably.”
Kim Hayden
Founder, Resilient New Media Inc.
“Global Wealth, Local Impact is a practical and timely supply chain management playbook for leaders navigating an increasingly volatile and interconnected world. Stephanie Forbes translates complex global supply chain dynamics into clear, actionable strategy, guiding readers through historical insight, operational discipline, and real-world application.
With a strong focus on building resilient supply chains, mastering negotiation, and driving cooperative growth through partnerships and alliances, Forbes addresses inflationary pressure and economic uncertainty with agility and precision. She brings clarity to what truly matters in modern supply chains, what to measure, how to govern, and how to prepare for global events that test resilience equipping leaders to shape future value chains and deliver durable results in a rapidly shifting global landscape.”
Desiree Bombenon, MBA, ICD.D
Purpose Driven Social Entrepreneur
Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal recipient
Top 100 Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame leader, and
CEO aspiHer Women’s Business Club
“Global Wealth, Local Impact speaks to the realities of work today: complexity, constraint, and constant change. Stephanie Forbes offers an accessible, experience-based framework for understanding how value chains create outcomes, not just movement. Her focus on strategy, governance, negotiation, partnerships, risk, and performance measurement makes this a valuable resource for both emerging professionals and seasoned practitioners. We have trusted Stephanie to help us develop high-quality programs that stand up in the real world, and this book reflects the same discipline, experience, and clarity. I highly recommend it.”
Tim Ogilvie
Vice President and Dean, MCG Career College
Chair, Alberta Association of Career Colleges, Canada
“Global Wealth Local Impact is a timely and practical guide for supply chain professionals charged with the accountability for navigating the complex world of global sourcing and operations. Resiliency, visibility, and risk management are key to successful twenty-first century supply chain management, and Stephanie Forbes brings the theory of the concepts to life with practical applications.”
Patrick Etokudo
Managing Partner, ANKANVCM
“This book proves how the secret to a business’ success lies in its ability to work magic in its supply chain management. Stephanie cleverly gets to the underbelly of what makes or breaks an organization through its ability to manage its value chain. A highly entertaining read steeped in history and practicality, Stephanie illustrates that while we may encounter never before circumstances with changes in geo-politics and tech advancements, success leaves clues. We can and should lean on lessons from the most successful organizations in history.”
Catherine Lam, CPA, CMA
Managing Partner & COO Blue Sky Consulting
“Stephanie Forbes brings clarity and heart to one of the most complex topics in modern business. This is a masterclass in how to add extraordinary value while creating iron-clad risk management in today’s turbulent supply chain ecosystem.”
Laurie Kenley
Founder of Silica Intelligence
“There are books that inform, and then there are books that reposition how you see the world. Global Wealth, Local Impact is the latter. Stephanie Forbes doesn’t write from theory or trend. She writes from the trenches, from lived experience, earned wisdom, and a deep respect for the people who quietly hold the global economy together.
This book honors the unseen architects of value while challenging leaders to think bigger, act braver, and lead more responsibly.
Scharrell Jackson
International Keynote Speaker | Global Executive Coach | Author
Founder & CEO, Leadership in Heels
Whether you’re in the trenches of procurement, making boardroom decisions, or just starting your career, this book gives you the frameworks, language, and tools you need to:
This leadership manual is for anyone who wants to transform their value with clarity and impact.
Chapter 1: The Great Trade Routes
Chapter 2: Tactical Mastery
Chapter 3: Strategic Vision
Chapter 4: The Art of Negotiation
Chapter 5: Negotiation Playbook
Chapter 6: Partnerships and Alliances
Chapter 7: Inflation and Economic Pressures
Chapter 8: What to Measure
Chapter 9: Global Events
Chapter 10: The Future of Value Chains
I wrote this book for the people who are so often overlooked, the planners, schedulers, buyers, and major project teams who quietly hold the world together. Every day, you’re asked to solve problems most people don’t even see, yet there’s never been a single place that pulls together what you truly need to know. Current curriculums aren’t preparing you, and the resources out there don’t capture both the immediacy and the bigger picture.
This book is my attempt to change that. It’s about giving you timeless frameworks and real-world insights that not only help you stay current, but also help you lead with confidence no matter the disruption. At the end of the day, this is for the world’s problem-solvers, the people who turn chaos into continuity and keep companies, communities, and countries moving forward.
