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 business respond? Mark Kennedy and George Lagarias of Mazars, and Gavin Hinks of Board Agenda—also ask why London is struggling as a centre for IPOs and, with the Paris Olympics just around the corner, we ask whether showpiece events can really boost...

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 its growth; and the UK has sunk into recession (though could emerge quickly). Yet the largest developing world economies continue to do grow at a clip. What’s driving the differential performance? And how should business respond? These are among the big...

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 some of the big questions tackled by The team—Mark Kennedy and George Lagarias of Mazars, and Gavin Hinks of Board Agenda, who also look at the risk of trade wars and whether the EU’s concern with Chinese electric cars reflects bigger issues. Lastly, this episode...

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, expect an interest rate cut for Christmas?   Mark Kennedy, partner and member of Mazar’s group executive board, alongside George Lagarias, Mazars’ chief economist, offer their thoughts on global trends to Board Agenda’s Gavin Hinks in this edition of Macro...

 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 intelligence is safe, or is the world heading for a Terminator-style melt down?  Mark Kennedy, partner and member of Mazars’ group executive board, alongside George Lagarias, Mazars’ chief economist, offer their analysis of global trends to Board Agenda’s Gavin Hinks...

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 which has been rapidly accelerated by the pandemic, with more workforce agility, shortening development and review times, increased speed to market, and greater efficiencies. In response to the pandemic, life sciences companies mobilized impressively to meet the needs of...

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 are tackling these issues, Gavin Hinks interviews Mike Hawes CEO of the SMMT, Dr. Andy Palmer, CEO of Switch Electric, and Louis Burns, Partner and auto sector lead at professional services firm Mazars. 

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-moving set of issues which could spell the end of the road for some retailers if not managed correctly. Some have already had to close their doors.   To explore these issues, Board Agenda has convened a panel of experts for a round table discussion about the...

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 report into audit reform, the recommendations of which are being proposed for new UK corporate governance rules.   This year he was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sunday Times, Non-Executive Director Awards and in this interview Gavin Hinks talks...

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. Experts from Mazars the global auditing and accountancy firm, explain the implications of the reforms in discussion with Gavin Hinks, the editor of Board Agenda.    The proposals come as part of a host of measures set out in a government white paper,...

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 corporates to ensure their boards are diverse.   There is growing pressure on boards to change. Companies can now expect to be challenged more robustly; boards may need to take more nuanced decisions; shareholders will be more forceful and active; customers...

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 during the pandemic, in the US and in 10 other countries around the world, including the UK.  The research is from the Ethics and Compliance Initiative, and we discuss the findings with  chief executive Patricia Harned.  Many firms have been vocal about well-being of...

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.Mulligan speaks...

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 talk to Sacha...

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 presently an independent...

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 businesses looking for from...

 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.Handled badly, a crisis can ruin a...