Q&A with featured speaker: Economist Rebecca Patterson

2025 has been a pivotal year for procurement and supply chain leaders, with tariffs, policy shifts, and AI innovation all top of mind. To help you stay ahead, we’ve invited economist Rebecca Patterson back to the Amazon Business Reshape stage for the third year running.

Rebecca is a globally recognized investor and macroeconomic researcher with more than 25 years’ experience studying how politics and policy intersect with economic trends to drive financial markets.

We reached out to Rebecca to get her take on the most urgent economic challenges impacting procurement today. This Q&A previews the types of insights she’ll share live at Amazon Business Reshape—and why you won’t want to miss our conference in November.

Here are a few questions we were excited to ask Rebecca as Amazon Business Reshape 2025 gets closer:

Question 1: What macroeconomic forces are you watching most closely in 2025, and how do you see them impacting procurement and supply chain strategies?

Rebecca Patterson: Tariffs and related policies like export controls and counter-vailing duties are clearly the big issue this year for supply chains, with added challenges for business given the uncertainty around levels, exemptions, and implementation. Prices will go higher–the question is not if, but exactly when and by how much.

Given changing cost dynamics, companies are searching for efficiency gains and other ways to manage budgets–this increasingly includes using artificial intelligence (AI) as a way to reduce needed headcount.

Question 2: From your perspective, what are the most significant trends and challenges shaping the role of procurement leaders today?

Rebecca Patterson: At the start of this year, the focus was on securing supplies before tariffs kicked in. Now that we have made it to September, we have a better idea of the tariff landscape.

Still, we have an uncomfortable number of questions that create risk for procurement leaders: What if America’s national economic emergency tariffs are deemed illegal? What countries are most at risk of seeing tariff levels changed or delayed again? What additional risks are still ahead of us, including national security-related Section 232 tariffs?

Without knowing exactly how the narrative will evolve, the best approach may be to try to avoid where possible the “known risk areas” (both specific goods and countries in the White House’s crosshairs) but then stick to business as usual, purchasing what’s needed.

Question 3: For organizations looking to strengthen resilience and manage risk, what economic indicators are most important to pay attention to?

Rebecca Patterson: I’m increasingly seeing evidence that companies faced with rising input and AI-investment costs, along with an uncertain economy, are planning to scale back headcount going into 2026.

Given the importance of the consumer for the broader U.S. economy, fewer jobs would mean less spending. That would flow through not just the U.S., but also the global economy in terms of broader demand trends. With all that in mind, I’m focused on an array of labor-market indicators heading into the fall.

Question 4:  What excites you most about returning to Amazon Business Reshape, and what key takeaways do you hope attendees will leave with from your session this year?

Rebecca Patterson: I’m very flattered to be coming back for Amazon Business Reshape. It’s a unique gathering of important business leaders, and at a truly historic moment for the global economy. I’m excited to talk to attendees on the sidelines and learn what’s on their minds.

Of course, I also hope my talk can help educate participants on what could be ahead for the U.S. and global economy and markets going into 2026 and beyond, as well as what economic, market, and policy markers to watch—and what could surprise us.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear more from Rebecca when Amazon Business Reshape comes to Seattle, November 12-13. As one of our most highly attended sessions, this conversation is always a standout.

You can connect with Rebecca and other industry leaders in person, too. Register now.