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Board Agenda: The Macro Memo
The Macro Memo is an essential briefing for UK corporate leaders, offering timely insights into the geopolitical and macro-economic forces shaping today’s business environment. Produced by Board Agenda, the corporate goverrnance news and intelligence resource, this podcast series is published in association with Forvis Mazars, the global auditing, accounting and advisory business. In each episode, we explore the impact of global trends, from economic policies to political shifts, and how they translate into risks and opportunities for businesses. Stay ahead of the curve with The Macro Memo—your guide to understanding the global factors that drive local business strategy.
Episodes
24 episodes
The Macro Memo - The Macro Memo: Trade Wars & Business Strategy: Planning Through Uncertainty
In this special edition of The Macro Memo, we examine the seismic shifts in global trade policy following dramatic US tariff announcements. With duties briefly imposed on over 90 countries—before being swiftly revised to a flat 10% and...
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36:33
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The Macro Memo - US election, trade wars & the challenges facing European businesses
In a discussion hosted by Gavin Hinks, Mark Kennedy and George Lagarias explore the impact of the US election results, the rise of populism in Europe and the intricate relationship between macroeconomics, geopolitics, and business. They highlig...
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39:17
Europe must invest to stave off economic ‘decline’ & the impact of the UK's Labour budget on business
The EU faces little choice but to act on recommendations from a high level report that it needs to invest €750m to €800m a year to head off economic “decline” in the trading bloc, according to a leading economist.George Lagarias, the...
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44:47
The Macro Memo - Global Trends Briefing for Boards & Directors: How will the result of the US election outcome affect geo politics? Is the Fed on the brink of a rate cut and can Keir Starmer really sooth trade relations with the EU?
How will the result of the US election outcome affect geo politics? Is the Fed on the brink of its first rate cut? How has it got there? What implications does it have for the US economy? What are the implications for the global ec...
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34:31
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The Macro Memo - Global Trends Briefing for Boards & Directors: impact of elections on business and economics, focusing on the European elections, the French election, and the upcoming UK general election.
This episode of the Macro Memo podcast explores the impact of elections on business and economics, focusing on the European elections, the French election, and the upcoming UK general election. Business leaders expect a “volatile” ...
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45:18
The Macro Memo - Global Trends Briefing for Boards & Directors: Why is regulatory oversight from climate to cyber on the rise, and what's the impact on global business?
A great wave of regulation is washing across business: capital rules for banks, cyber security and sustainability reporting mean corporate leaders appear to be in a new age of oversight. What’s driving this rule-making overdrive and how should ...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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41:43
The Macro Memo - Global Trends Briefing for Boards & Directors: Why is Europe's economy in the slow lane?
The global economic landscape appears to be going through a form of fragmentation. There are growing tensions between the US and China over “dumping” of industrial products; the German economy is in “troubled waters”; France has revised down it...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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38:08
The Macro Memo - Global Trends Briefing for Boards & Directors - Looking ahead to 2024 - prospects for inflation & interest rates; risk of trade wars & the global shortage of labour skills.
The Macro Memo podcast looks ahead at prospects for 2024. Some observers think the inflation crisis is close to resolution. But is it? And what are the implications for business and, most importantly, interest rates. Those are som...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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41:30
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The Macro Memo - global trends briefing for boards & directors: COP28 / where next for sustainability? US, Europe & business in China; interest rate predictions for US, UK & Europe
COP 28 is underway in Dubai but what responsibility do business leaders have for beating climate change? How will trade benefit from from US and European efforts to improve relations with China? And can companies in the EU, and elsewhere, e...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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35:42
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The Macro Memo - global trends briefing for boards & directors: predictions for the autumn statement; the impact of conflict & geopolitical uncertainty on global trade; can firms play a role in making sure artificial intelligence is safe?
What does Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement hold for UK business and what will it do for the economy? How is global trade affected by conflict and geopolitical uncertainty? And can companies play a role in making sure artificial intellig...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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43:23
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What’s next for boards in the UK pharma and life sciences industry? Navigating the challenges of innovation, productivity and ESG in a post Covid world.
What’s next for boards in the UK pharma and life sciences industry? Navigating the challenges of innovation, productivity and ESG in a post Covid world. The life science industry is in a dynamic phase of transformation...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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44:03
What's next for boards in the UK auto industry?
An industry of high strategic importance to the economy, the UK auto sector is undergoing rapid change, dealing with clean tech innovation, a shift to electric vehicles, supply chain issues and poor sales. To explore how boards in the industry ...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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33:55
What's next for boards in the new era of consumer retail?
Consumer retail firms are witnessing upheaval. Aside from uncertainty caused by the pandemic, the retail sector is confronted with the climate change agenda, supply chain realignment, cybercrime and data security. It is a dynamic and fast-m...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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36:06
Sir Donald Brydon on audit reform, career NEDs and board relationships
Sir Donald Brydon, one of the most prominent board directors in the UK, is chairman of Tide Holdings, and the former chair of the London Stock Exchange, Sage and Royal Mail. Sir Donald is also the author of a 2019 government commissioned re...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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25:16
Audit reform 2021: implications for board oversight of risk management
As UK government proposals increase responsibilities for directors, our latest podcast discusses the impact on the oversight of risk management by the board, and specifically on the issue of internal controls and the payment of dividends.
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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23:04
Building better boards: Why firms must accelerate diversity in leadership.
The Covid-19 pandemic has helped crystallise the need to renew efforts on boardroom diversity in UK firms, it has thrown a spotlight on the relationship between companies and their stakeholders and this, in turn, has increased the need for corp...
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31:40
The chief executive of the Ethics and Compliance Initiative (ECI), Patricia Harned, on rising unethical behaviour, reporting and retaliation
In this podcast episode of Board Agenda we focus on the issue of ethics in the workplace and discuss the findings of a new global survey which finds that pressure on employees to compromise standards has increased significantly dur...
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27:08
The relevance of corporate purpose: Interview with Kevin Clark, CEO of Aptiv
How strong values and clear communication with the board helped guide one of the “world’s most ethical companies” through the pandemic.
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32:50
Deanna Mulligan: how smart companies can close the skills gap
The world faces a global shortage of technology skills, according to experts, and in our latest interview Deanna Mulligan, former chief executive of Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, reveals how the crisis might be addressed.<...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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22:58
Interview with Sacha Sadan, director of investment stewardship at Legal and General Investment Management,
Legal & General Investment Management has over £1trillion in assets under management, is one of Europe’s largest asset managers & provides investment management services for many of the UK’s biggest corporate pension schemes. We tal...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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26:29
Interview with Dame Alison Carnwath on Non-Executive Directors skillsets & future fit boards
Dame Alison Carnwath discusses the role of the non-executive director, future fit boards & the skillsets now needed by board members to meet the demands of a rapidly transforming business environment. Dame Alison is prese...
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24:27
What does it take to be an effective non-executive director?
What does it take to be an effective non-executive director? The demands on non-execs have grown considerably in recent decades, while the pandemic has added significantly to the pressure confronting organizations. What are businesse...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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34:28
The role of Non-Executive Directors during a time of crisis & uncertainty - Interview with Chairman of Tesco - John Allan
In this episode of Board Agenda, we interview John Allan, the Chairman of Tesco & one of the UK’s foremost corporate leaders to gain his insights about the role of non-executive directors, their responsibilities and priorities at ti...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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19:18
Crisis leadership & the role of the board - an interview with Matt Dalton, Partner at Mazars & Professor Ludo van Der Hayden of the INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre
This episode aims to explore crisis leadership, a pressing issue in boardrooms during the current pandemic. Crises can have diverse origins: natural disasters, cyber-attacks, data breaches and political upheaval.Han...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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27:52