Resetting the Dial

Entrepreneur

19-05-2025

At the edge of spring and the start of something else, May is more than a marker on the business calendar for Oliver Chapman. It's a moment of clarity—a quiet pivot point when introspection gives way to strategy.
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"At this time of year, it is always good practice to evaluate your business," says Chapman, Group CEO of OCI, the global supply chain partner ranked fastest-growing UK company and listed as the 3rd fastest-growing company in Europe. "Focus on how to fine-tune operations, and determine how to bring your goals closer to reality," he adds.
There's something striking, even elegant, about the way Chapman treats the mid-year: less as a checkpoint, more as a chance to reframe the narrative. This May, he is asking himself sharper questions. "How can our larger transactions be executed more intelligently, more efficiently, and more impactfully?"
These aren't idle thoughts. OCI operates in a sector where the ground is always shifting—and right now, it's being rocked by policy and geopolitics. "We are seeing substantial volatility in the supply chain market since Donald Trump announced American tariffs," he explains. "Companies are unsure as to whether to trade with the US."
The sheer unpredictability of global trade is why Chapman avoids bold pivots too early in the year. "Q1 is always too premature to make meaningful or informed change," he says. "This is the best time to do so, as you don't want to leave it much later. Believe it or not, Christmas is already around the corner, and you run the risk of being behind the magic eight ball if you are not already considering course adjustments."
Rethinking growth in real time
As the UK economy tiptoes toward recovery and global markets continue to uncoil post-Covid, Chapman is moving quickly but with precision. Certain OCI business streams, he says, are constants. But others are heading east - and fast. "We are seeing major demand and activity in Asia, especially Indonesia," he notes. "At present, we see that particular nation as the fastest-growing market—ahead of China and India—which is why we are committing a lot of its time and resources there." Indonesia's ascent as a supply chain hotbed is not just a numbers game. For Chapman, it signals a broader shift - a need to be where the action is becoming, not just where it has traditionally been.
A Shift in Mindset
May is not only about strategy; it's about mindset. "It's a time of year for me to look at how we can change the course of the game dramatically," Chapman reflects. "This is the time to identify something that will really move the dial beyond your everyday bread and butter business." That mindset shift, he adds, is crucial after months spent navigating the internal mechanics of a company like OCI. "It's a chance to zoom out," he says, offering a bird's-eye metaphor for what many CEOs never quite find the time - or courage - to do.
"At the half-year mark, I am now looking at ways that OCI can drive performance and secure business with those corporates and governments coming down the pipeline. I understand that navigating these opportunities will propel and help maintain OCI's standing as a global player in supply chain solutions."
Stepping back to push forward
Even in the midst of all this recalibration, Chapman is carving out time to recharge. It's not idle downtime. It's intentional, even strategic. "I enjoy racing and have a few single-seater events lined up over the summer which I am looking forward to competing in," he says, almost in passing. Then, more personally: "My birthday is also at the end of May and a great chance to spend time with my wife and family, including our little boy, who was born last year."
It's this combination of speed and stillness that seems to power Chapman—steering hard through complexity while never quite losing sight of the bigger road ahead.
"For entrepreneurs, my advice would be that now is the time to get outside, go see nature, sit in a log cabin for a while, and take stock of your situation," he says. "Having the time to think, without distraction, gives you the rare and priceless opportunity to determine how best to move your business forward."
For a man whose world is built on supply chain logic, there's something surprisingly human in his approach to recalibration. Not mechanical, but mindful. Not reactive, but rooted. And perhaps, in a world where volatility is the new norm, that balance between foresight and flexibility is the real competitive advantage.