Uncertainty makes even the strongest businesses hesitate. When markets shift, leaders need more than forecasts; they need clarity, context and a plan. This session will help business leaders understand what is coming next, how it will affect their industry and where to focus when conditions change. Inflation, interest rate changes and margin pressures can derail existing plans. Having a broad view of business-cycle changes and sector-level drivers will help you identify risks and opportunities, aligning strategy, budgeting and investments with forward-looking economic insight.
While many markets improved this year, others experienced only muted growth and are at risk of hard landings in 2027. This session will examine the key macroeconomic drivers that will take hold next year or carry over from 2026. We will focus especially on the top economic drivers affecting your business, such as inflation, interest rates, labor and geopolitical uncertainty, and their implications for overall cost structure, workforce strategy, the risk of profitless prosperity and the timing of resource allocation across an organization.
ITR Economics has a long track record of helping organizations anticipate market shifts and prepare their strategies and tactics accordingly. ITR Economics' forecasting expertise equips decision-makers with the knowledge needed to navigate often turbulent markets. By leveraging these insights, business leaders can help ensure their organizations remain resilient and thrive in an ever-changing market environment.
About Connor Lokar
Connor Lokar brings a strategist’s discipline to economic forecasting, helping executives turn business cycle intelligence into clearer decisions about growth, profitability, investment and risk. As senior forecaster and keynote manager at ITR Economics, Connor specializes in advising businesses across industries on how to grow revenue and remain profitable through changing economic conditions. Known for delivering “practical economic intelligence with charm and candor,” he helps leadership teams move beyond reacting to headlines and instead align strategy, resources and timing with what the data is signaling.
Since joining ITR Economics in 2014, Connor has delivered economic keynotes, workshops and webinars across North America, earning recognition for presenting with “authority, accuracy and humor” in settings ranging from executive retreats to standing-room-only keynotes. His work focuses on the decisions that matter most to business leaders: pricing, capacity, capital investment, labor, construction demand, industrial activity, inflation, interest rates and long-term planning. Whether guiding industry leaders through next year’s outlook, helping companies plan amid tariffs and sticky interest rates, or translating leading indicators into strategic action, Connor gives executives the clarity to act before the cycle changes around them.
He has been featured by AMT Online, NTD and The Epoch Times, among others.