The International Risk Podcast discusses the most interesting international security and risk trends from around the world. Each week, our host Dominic Bowen will speak with contemporary and interesting risk specialists from different countries. Whether you are a Board Member, CEO, or senior manager looking to ensure your international risk exposure is better manager, or a risk and compliance manager, or a security specialist deployed overseas, this podcast will be interesting, informative, and a must listen for you every week.
In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Melanie Meimoun discuss how organizations can move beyond static risk registers to leveraging risk intelligence as a true strategic advantage, from decentralizing decision-making to preparing for multiple possible futures rather than trying to predict the next crisis.Find out more about why gold prices have surged to record highs, how central banks are using gold as a geopolitical hedge, and what this reveals about anxiety, sovereignty, and declining trust in global financial systems.The conversation also addresses the K-shaped economy, what it really means to be “on the right side” of it, and the concrete leadership behaviors that separate those who thrive in volatility from those who merely survive -including clarity on risk appetite, forward-looking indicators, and practicing leadership at every level.Finally, they explore memory, justice, and global insecurity — from Srebrenica and the limits of international protection, to the resurgence of extremist violence and the uncomfortable truth about how hatred, fragmentation, and collective fear continue to shape world events.Melanie Meimoun is an International Relations and Communication Specialist working for the International Risk Podcast. Recently graduated from a Master's in International Public Policy at University College London, where she researched forced migration memory through the case of Tunisian Jews, she leverages a background in Politics and Philosophy at three different universities -Paris, London, and Madrid- to assess International Risk, and stay up to date on Global affairs.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.The International Risk Podcast is sponsored by Conducttr, a realistic crisis exercise platform. Visit Conducttr to learn more.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge. Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!Tell us what you liked!
*This episode was recorded in October 2025*This episode with Dr Lev Breydo explores how sovereign debt has evolved into a strategic instrument of power in an era of heightened geopolitical risk. We examine how credit markets, financial infrastructure, and legal design now shape state behaviour, constrain autonomy, and function as tools of coercion below the threshold of open conflict. The discussion looks at political default, sanctions, and the weaponisation of finance, alongside record global debt levels and the growing risks facing emerging and frontier economies. We also unpack the role of the United States at the centre of the global credit system, and how domestic fiscal politics can generate international instability. Finally, the episode considers how artificial intelligence and digital finance may reshape sovereign risk, transparency, and future fault lines in the global financial order.Dr Breydo is a scholar of law, finance, and technology whose research focuses on sovereign debt markets, financial institutions, digital assets, and artificial intelligence. His work examines how legal frameworks and market structures shape power, risk, and governance in the international system, with particular attention to debt distress, sanctions, and the strategic use of financial infrastructure. He engages regularly with policymakers, academics, and market participants on issues at the intersection of geopolitics, financial stability, and emerging technologies.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.The International Risk Podcast is sponsored by Conducttr, a realistic crisis exercise platform. Visit Conducttr to learn more.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
This episode with Romane Dideberg explores responsible mineral sourcing in the context of rising geopolitical risk, with a focus on the Sahel. We examine how insecurity, military coups, and shifting alliances are reshaping control over critical minerals, driving resource nationalism, and complicating governance in fragile and conflict-affected states. Moreover, we also look at corruption, the role of civil society, and the realities of artisanal and small-scale mining. We unpack what traceability can, and cannot, achieve in mineral supply chains, and why responsible sourcing must go beyond tick-box compliance to genuinely improve governance, livelihoods, and long-term stability.Romane Dideberg is a researcher at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London. She works within the institute's Africa Programme, engaging with policymakers, researchers, private sector, and international organisations on key policy challenges across the African continent. Her research focuses on peace and security dynamics and political developments in West Africa and the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, and the Great Lakes region. Her areas of expertise include the political economy of conflict, resource governance, extractive industries, African statehood, and state–society relations. Before joining Chatham House, she worked at LSE IDEAS, the London School of Economics' foreign policy think tank.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.The International Risk Podcast is sponsored by Conducttr, a realistic crisis exercise platform. Visit Conducttr to learn more.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Aidan Hehir discuss the legacy of the Srebrenica genocide, the politics of remembrance, and why, nearly thirty years later, the region continues to struggle with denial, revisionism, and rising ethnic tensions.Find out more about how competing narratives have shaped post-war identities, the role of international courts in establishing the historical record, and the impact of recent political developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Republika Srpska.The conversation also addresses the fragility of peace in the Western Balkans, the limitations of international interventions, the erosion of democratic norms, and the dangers posed by nationalist rhetoric and historical distortion.Finally, they explore what meaningful remembrance should look like, how civil society can counter denial, and whether the international community is equipped or willing to prevent future atrocities in the region.Aidan Hehir is a Professor of International Relations at the University of Westminster, where he has taught since 2007 after positions at the University of Sheffield and the University of Limerick, where he also earned his PhD in 2005. He is Course Leader for the postgraduate programmes in International Relations, International Relations and Security, and International Relations and Democratic Politics, and teaches modules on humanitarian intervention and international security. His research focuses on transitional justice, humanitarian intervention, and statebuilding in Kosovo. He is the author or editor of twelve books, including Kosovo and the Internationals: Hope, Hubris and the End of History (2024) and Hollow Norms and the Responsibility to Protect (2019) - winner of the British International Studies Association's prize for best book on intervention and R2P. His publications include over fifty book chapters and journal articles in leading outlets such as Ethics and International Affairs, and Cooperation and Conflict. He is co-editor of the Routledge Intervention and Statebuilding series, a founding co-convenor of the BISA Working Group on the Responsibility to Protect, and has delivered more than a hundred conference papers worldwide. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.The International Risk Podcast is sponsored by Conducttr, a realistic crisis exercise platform. Visit Conducttr to learn more.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruptTell us what you liked!
2025 wasn't just a year with a few bumps, it really was a live fire activity when it comes to leadership, business models, political systems and geopolitics and I think we've had some amazing guests on the International Risk Podcast this year. I'm Dominic Bowen, host of the International Risk Podcast and as wars are dragging on, new ones are flickering at the edges, we've got supply chains being put under stress, significant gaps between the wealthy and those that are struggling to make ends meet, there is no shortage of international risks for us to be discussing and today I'm joined by one of my colleagues, Melanie Mamoun. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.The International Risk Podcast is sponsored by Conducttr, a realistic crisis exercise platform. Visit Conducttr to learn more.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!
In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Robert Pratten discuss why storytelling is one of the most powerful (and underused) tools in crisis management, which shapes how leaders, their teams, and organisations behave under pressure.Find out more about how immersive, narrative-driven crisis simulations build confidence, reveal real decision-making styles, and change behaviour in ways that traditional plans, policies, and PowerPoint exercises cannot.The conversation also addresses leadership engagement, organisational culture, information warfare, and why awareness and punishment fail to improve crisis readiness without experiential learning.Finally, they explore how open feedback, realistic rehearsal, and story-based training can transform crisis preparedness from a compliance exercise into a true strategic advantage.Robert Pratten is a UK-based transmedia storyteller, entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Conducttr, a crisis-simulation platform used for training, exercises, and information operations simulation. He's also the author of a practical guide on transmedia storytelling and regularly comments on the overlap between story design and simulation. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.The International Risk Podcast is sponsored by Conducttr, a realistic crisis exercise platform. Visit Conducttr to learn more.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Today, Dominic Bowen hosts Dr Andrew Mumford on The International Risk Podcast to examine how grey zone warfare, hybrid tactics and strategic ambiguity are reshaping the contemporary security environment. They explore why sub-threshold activity has become a central feature of modern geopolitics, how states exploit ambiguity and deniability to pursue strategic objectives without triggering open conflict, and why these methods increasingly challenge traditional approaches to deterrence, escalation and international law.The conversation examines how cyber operations, disinformation, sabotage, proxy warfare and infrastructure interference generate cumulative effects that erode resilience, undermine public trust and complicate decision-making for governments, businesses and societies. Together, they discuss why hybrid threats are best understood not as isolated tactics but as part of a broader risk-management approach to conflict, and what this means for democratic resilience, public-private cooperation and the future of indirect warfare.Dr Andrew Mumford is Professor of War Studies at the University of Nottingham. His research focuses on contemporary and historical conflict, with particular expertise in insurgency, counterinsurgency, proxy warfare and military strategy. He is the author of The Counterinsurgency Myth, The British Experience of Irregular Warfare, and The West's War Against ISIS. His work examines how states manage risk, legitimacy and escalation in modern conflict, offering insights that inform policymakers, security practitioners and institutions grappling with the rise of hybrid and grey zone warfare.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and STell us what you liked!
In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Hesham Youssef discuss the growing tensions between Egypt and Israel, the fragile state of regional diplomacy, and the pressures placed on long-standing agreements such as the Camp David Accords. Find out more about why Egypt views forced displacement from Gaza as an existential red line, how humanitarian access has become a major point of contention, and the shifting political dynamics inside Israel that are influencing regional instability. The conversation also addresses the role of the United States and Europe in shaping (or failing to shape) constructive pathways toward peace, as well as Egypt's mediation efforts across repeated Gaza conflicts. Finally, they explore the broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the future of Palestinian governance, and the personal diplomatic experiences that have shaped Ambassador Youssef's understanding of what is still possible in the Middle East.Hesham Youssef is an Egyptian career diplomat and conflict-resolution expert with over three decades of experience in Middle Eastern diplomacy. He has served in senior roles at the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and as a Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace. Currently a Senior Advisor at the European Institute of Peace, Youssef specializes in humanitarian affairs, Arab-Israeli relations, and institutional reform in the Arab world. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to dialogue, peacebuilding, and multilateral diplomacy across the Islamic world.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge. Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!Tell us what you liked!
Around the world, more and more communities are finding that climate change isn't only about rising temperatures or shifting weather patterns, but for many communities, the first signs of climate change appear in far more everyday pressures: a harvest that doesn't come in, a water source that no longer lasts the season, a job that disappears because the land or sea can no longer sustain it. And where pressures stack up, especially in places where institutions are weak, where inequalities run deep or where people feel excluded, climate pressure can widen fault lines and expose new vulnerabilities and present new risks.Today, we explore how climate stress becomes violence, and why understanding this nexus between violence and climate stress matters for governments, business, communities and for all of us thinking about future security threats.To do that, we are joined by Peter Schwartzstein, an award-winning British-American environmental journalist and researcher. He has reported on the conflict-climate nexus across 30+ countries in the Middle East, Africa, and beyond, writing for National Geographic, The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, BBC, Bloomberg, and Foreign Policy. He is a fellow at the Center for Climate and Security, as well as the Stimson Center's Environmental Security Program.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!
Our conversation today with Felix Neumann traces the shifting landscape of far-left extremism, beginning with the broader global pressures shaping today's political climate. We unpack how certain ideological threads have evolved, splintered, and re-formed, creating a movement that is at once fragmented and unexpectedly resilient. Along the way, we examine the role of foreign influence and funding, and how these forces complicate efforts to distinguish between genuine activism and the kinds of behaviours that cross into extremism.We explore the tactics used by today's far-left extremist actors, as well as their potential to impact systems, institutions, and critical infrastructure. The discussion expands into the programs designed to prevent radicalisation and support disengagement, highlighting what's working, and what remains challenging, in addressing these dynamics. From the spread of conspiracy theories to the emerging trends that may define the next decade, we look ahead to what the future might hold. The result is a wide-ranging, thought-provoking exploration of ideology, vulnerability, and resilience in a rapidly changing world.Felix Neumann has been working at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin since 2022. In this role, he deals with all extremist and violent movements in Germany, Europe, and worldwide. His focus is particularly on online-based movements and conspiracy ideologies. He holds a master's degree in War and Conflict Studies from the University of Potsdam. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
In a world where geopolitical camps are hardening, India continues to play by its own rules on the world stage. It buys oil from Russia, deepens technology and security ties with the US, while trading extensively with China and positions itself as a voice for the Global South – all while tensions simmer across its border, protectionism is on the rise and global power balances shift in an increasingly fractured world. What does strategic autonomy look like in 2025? And can India keep engaging everyone without choosing sides? I'm joined by a familiar voice, Dominic Bowen, the host you are used to listening to on this podcast, to discuss India's multi-alignment strategy and its broader regional and global impacts. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!
In this episode, we journey into the heart of a cultural battleground shaped by war, identity, and resistance with Olha Mukha. Our conversation unpacks how Ukraine's cultural resilience has become a force of national survival, even as attempts at cultural erasure intensify. We explore grassroots efforts to preserve language, art, and memory, alongside the quieter, yet powerful, ways communities refuse to let their heritage be rewritten.The discussion also turns to Russia, where artistic expression faces tightening suppression and where acts of creativity have become acts of rebellion. We trace surprising cultural parallels that surface amid conflict, the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in shaping wartime narratives, and the ways cultural diplomacy and propaganda intertwine on the global stage. Finally, we examine the long history of suppressing Ukrainian culture and look ahead: What might the future hold for Ukrainian society, identity, and artistic life once the war's dust settles? A thoughtful, far-reaching exploration of culture as both a battlefield and a beacon.Olha Mukha, PhD, is a cultural analyst and philosopher, cultural manager, curator and expert on international communication and human rights. Known for her extensive work in cultural diplomacy and human rights. She is Co-Founder and Programme Director of the Ukrainian Association of Cultural Studies - Lviv and Head of Educational and International Department of Memorial Museum “Territory of Terror”. Senior Strategist at strategic communications (IN2). She is an expert in crisis communication, creating participant journeys for sensitive topics, aesthetic perception, and memory studies, including oral history practices. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
What happens when the world's hunger for copper collides with a province where 63% live in poverty, most households lack reliable electricity and water, and dissent is met with disappearance? I'm Dominic Bowen, and this is The International Risk Podcast—where we cut through the noise to examine the risks that leaders have to grapple with every day.Today: Reko Diq—one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits on the planet—touted as Pakistan's ticket to foreign capital and the energy transition. The Western pitch: jobs, growth, “responsible mining.” Local human rights actors have complained about decades of militarisation, enforced disappearances, and communities sidelined from decisions about their land and water.Our guest is Lateef Johar Baloch—human rights researcher, member of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan,In our conversation with Lateef today, we want to look beyond the headlines of Reko Diq as a multi-billion-dollar mining project and dig into what it represents on the ground, who benefits, and what are the risks. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!
Today, Dominic Bowen hosts Dr Tim Stevens on The International Risk Podcast to examine how hybrid threats, cyber operations and infrastructure vulnerabilities are reshaping Europe's security environment. They discuss how adversaries exploit the interdependence of digital, physical and informational systems, why hybrid activity sits deliberately below the threshold of open conflict, and how these pressures are redefining strategic risk for governments, businesses and critical-infrastructure operators across Europe. Together they explore how cyber intrusions, sabotage, supply-chain exposure and targeted information operations generate cumulative effects that undermine resilience, erode trust and complicate decision-making.Dr Tim Stevens is Reader in International Security at King's College London and co-director of its Cyber Security Research Group. His work analyses the politics of cybersecurity, hybrid threats, cyber risk and the global contest over technological infrastructures. He is the author of several leading publications in the field, including Research Handbook on Cyberwarfare (2024) and What Is Cybersecurity For? (2023). His research examines how cyber operations intersect with societal vulnerabilities, strategic signalling and governance capacity, offering perspectives that inform policymakers, security professionals and institutions responding to the rapidly evolving cyber-hybrid threat landscape.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Today, Dominic Bowen hosts Dr Florian Krampe on The International Risk Podcast to examine how climate insecurity is reshaping conflict dynamics, governance pressures, and Europe's expanding risk perimeter. They discuss how environmental stress interacts with fragility, why climate impacts compound existing vulnerabilities, and how these pressures influence patterns of violence, mobility, and institutional strain across regions from the Sahel and the Horn of Africa to South Asia and Europe. Together they explore how climate change acts as a risk multiplier, deepening livelihood insecurity, affecting the legitimacy of state institutions, and altering the operational landscape for policymakers and businesses.Dr Krampe outlines the pathways through which climate variability translates into insecurity, explaining how deteriorating livelihoods, internal displacement, armed actor behaviour, and resource exploitation shape conflict environments. The conversation highlights the challenges facing regional and European institutions as they attempt to incorporate climate-security into policy and operational planning, including issues of institutional fragmentation, competing priorities, and the diversion of resources. Dr Krampe also discusses the implications for Europe's strategic posture, supply chains, and the growing need to understand climate impacts not only as external pressures but as domestic security concerns.Dr Florian Krampe is the Director of Studies, Peace and Development at the SIPRI and the Acting Director of SIPRI's Climate Change and Risk Programme. His work examines the intersection of climate change, environmental stress, fragility, and security, providing analysis that informs international organisations, governments, and regional actors. His research focuses on how climate impacts interact with governance capacity, peacebuilding processes, and long-term resilience, and he has contributed to some of SIPRI's leading frameworks for understanding climate-related security risks.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Tell us what you liked!
In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Susannah Streeter discuss France's increasing fiscal challenges, recent credit downgrades, and the political gridlock complicating meaningful political reform. Find out more about how markets are reacting to rising public debt, the renewed debate over wealth taxes, and the risk of broader European contagion. The conversation also addresses the growing economic divergence between the US and Europe, alongside shifting investor sentiment. Finally, they explore key geopolitical flashpoints -from China–Taiwan tensions to Arctic competition- and their implications for global risk.Susannah Streeter is a renowned financial commentator, international broadcaster, and former BBC business anchor known for translating complex global trends into clear, actionable insights. She has led money and markets analysis for the UK's largest retail investment platform and appears widely across outlets such as the BBC, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and CNBC. Fluent in English and French, Susannah is a sought-after keynote speaker and conference chair who moderates high-level discussions on economics, geopolitics, climate policy, and technological disruption at events worldwide—from the World Green Economy Summit and Arctic Frontiers to major OECD and Paris Club forums. A former RAF Squadron Leader, she brings a deep understanding of defence and strategic issues, complementing her expertise in financial markets, AI, and macroeconomics. She also hosts leading investment and technology podcasts, writes columns for The Evening Standard and City AM, and has received multiple Headlinemoney Awards for her impactful financial analysis.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge. Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!Tell us what you liked!
Dive into a high-stakes conversation with geopolitical strategist John Sitilides as he unpacks global risks! From shifting tariff strategies and corporate resilience to supply-chain de-risking, digital decoupling, sanctions, energy markets, and the future of the U.S. dollar. A must-listen for leaders navigating an increasingly divided world.John Sitilides is a professional keynote speaker on geopolitics at corporate, investor, and industry conferences, and before government, military and intelligence community audiences, on geopolitical risk management and the business impacts of international security policies, John Sitilides is Principal at Trilogy Advisors LLC in Washington, D.C., and is Senior Fellow for National Security at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Delivering exclusive geopolitical risk reports, webcasts, and related products and services to institutional capital market and retail clients, he explores the complex geopolitical and geo-economic decisions that impact markets in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and worldwide, helping corporate executives, investment managers and civic audiences better understand, anticipate, and mitigate risk in a disrupted international financial and security environment. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Human trafficking isn't a single story, it's a global web of exploitation that takes many forms. In this episode with Dr. Ludmila Bogdan, we explore the different types of human trafficking and the challenges in accurately estimating its scope. We dive into the contrasts between sex trafficking and labour trafficking, uncover operational constraints and data biases, and examine how systemic differences in victim identification and gender stereotypes distort our understanding of who is affected.We also discuss the urgent need to reeducate the public, the role of the shadow economy and legitimate businesses, and how media narratives shape perceptions of trafficking. Finally, we look at how armed conflicts exacerbate international risks, and what it will take to confront this crisis with clarity and compassion.Dr. Ludmila Bogdan is an independent researcher and policy consultant specialising in human trafficking, labour migration, and international security. Trained in diplomacy and political science, she combines rigorous academic research with hands-on policy work to bridge the gap between scholarship and real-world impact. Her research focuses on labour exploitation, migration governance, and human rights, offering evidence-based insights that inform both policy and practice.Ludmila has held research and teaching positions at Harvard University, the University of Copenhagen, Stanford University, and Georgetown University, as well as policy roles with the United Nations. Her work has guided criminal justice and migration reforms, strengthened anti-trafficking responses, and advanced women's rights and migrant integration. She is the author of a forthcoming book on human traffickers, to be published by Routledge, and continues to advise international organisations and governments on labour exploitation, migration policy, and human rights.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Today, Dominic Bowen hosts Tuana Yazici and Steven Adler on The International Risk Podcast to examine the challenge of verifiable maritime intelligence in an era of shadow fleets, uneven enforcement, and rapidly advancing remote sensing technologies.They discuss how traditional surveillance struggles to track unregistered or deliberately obscured vessels, and how satellite imagery, SAR, radiofrequency detection, and AIS data can be combined to identify evasive behaviour at sea. Yet, evidence from these technologies remains inconsistently admissible in legal or regulatory settings. The conversation highlights both the potential and limits of space-enabled monitoring, the legal uncertainties of geospatial evidence, and the institutional gaps that hinder coordinated enforcement against sanctions evasion and illicit trade.The guests also explore technical vulnerabilities in satellite sensing, standards for reliability and authenticity, and the need for frameworks integrating ocean-domain intelligence, space-derived data, and clear legal pathways for verification. They consider incentives, jurisdictional constraints, and governance barriers shaping responses to shadow fleets, reflecting on what credible, scalable maritime intelligence will require in the years ahead.Tuana is the Founder, Chair and CEO of Tuana Group, its subsidiaries AeroAI Voyages and AeroAI DesignLab, and the nonprofit AeroAI Global Solutions, an observer organisation to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS). Across these entities, she works at the intersection of space technologies, artificial intelligence and governance, developing applied solutions that use advanced sensing and AI systems to improve global living conditions.Steven is the former Chief Data Strategist at IBM Watson and founder of the Ocean Data Alliance. He is a leading voice in open data governance, ocean information policy, and the development of trusted, interoperable data systems for governments, multilateral bodies, and industry, focusing on infrastructures needed for effective maritime oversight.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners and senior decision-makers who shape how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you are a board member, policymaker or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and one of Europe's leading experts on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at a major risk consulting firm, he advises CEOs, boards and senior executives on preparing for uncertainty and acting with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure and ability to turn volatility into strategic advantage. He equips leaders with the insight and confidence needed to navigate disruption and deliver long-term resilience.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn.Tell us what you liked!
In this episode we explore the evolving political landscape of Kosovo with Serbeze Haxhiaj. We discuss the questions of ethnic identity, economic opportunity, and minority integration and their continuation to shape Kosovo's future. Find out more about how media narratives influence public perception, the positive role of civil society, and the challenges facing EU-brokered negotiations. From frozen conflicts and international risks to the growing frustration of Kosovo's younger generation, this episode sheds light on the hopes and hurdles defining one of Europe's most complex regions.Serbeze Haxhiaj has been working as an investigative journalist and news editor in Kosovo and for international media for over 19 years, dealing mainly with the most pressing issues such as corruption, human rights, security issues, religious extremism, terrorism and war crimes.Haxhiaj is currently an editor at Radio Television of Kosovo and a journalist of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN). She has previously worked for the daily newspapers Rilindja, Zeri, Lajm and Koha ditore, was the correspondent in Pristina of the French Courrier des Balkans, and worked for 5 years as a specialised researcher for the Navanti Group, an American research and analysis institute.For reporting on war crimes, organised crime, corruption, human rights and violence against women, Haxhiaj has been awarded 12 twelve times by various local and international organisations. She holds master degree in International Law.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Today, Dominic Bowen hosts Dr. Amgad Fareid Eltayeb on The International Risk Podcast to examine Sudan's engineered famine, the influence of foreign backers, and the struggle of civilians caught between paramilitary violence and geopolitical ambition. They discuss how starvation, siege tactics, and external intervention have become central features of the war, driving one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises. Together they explore how regional power competition, gold extraction networks, and control of strategic corridors have shaped Sudan's collapse and undermined efforts to restore democratic governance.Dr. Eltayeb explains why the crisis in Sudan cannot be understood without acknowledging the role of external sponsors, how disinformation has distorted the narrative surrounding the war, and why famine is being used deliberately as a weapon against besieged populations. The conversation highlights the erosion of state institutions, the fragmentation of sovereignty, and the urgent need to centre civilian agency in any future political settlement.Dr. Eltayeb is a Sudanese politician, researcher, writer, and activist. He combines academic rigour with moral urgency. Lifelong commitment to truth-telling in the face of authoritarian violence, belief in citizen agency, and refusal to separate humanitarian imperatives from politics and power have defined his career. His training as a medical doctor was supplemented by postgraduate training in public health and research methods. He was one of the leading Sudanese revolutionaries that brought the December 2018 revolution to a triumph in toppling the Islamist regime of Omer Elbashir (1989 - 2019). After that, he worked as Assistant Chief of Staff to the Sudanese Prime Minister (2019–2021), where he helped the fragile democratic transition after decades of authoritarianism. Later, he worked as a political advisor to the UN political mission to Sudan (UNITAMS) following the October 2021 military takeover. Currently he is the executive director of Fikra for Studies and Development, a non-partisan Sudanese think tank.Since the recording of this episode, El Fasher has been seized, marking a grave and deeply consequential shift in the conflict, with far reaching humanitarian and political repercussions that sharpen the gravity of what Dr. Eltayeb describes.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Today, Dominic Bowen hosts Sabrina Alam on The International Risk Podcast to explore the intersection of Earth observation, ESG verification, and the geopolitics of space-based data. They discuss how satellites have become central to sustainability reporting, climate monitoring, and economic decision-making, while also forming part of critical infrastructure and geopolitical competition. Together they examine how ownership, access, and governance of orbital data are shaping transparency, sovereignty, and resilience across global markets.Sabrina Alam explains why Earth observation is now integral to environmental accountability, how fragmented standards threaten the credibility of ESG frameworks, and what international cooperation is needed to ensure equitable access to space-derived information. The conversation highlights the dual-use nature of satellite technology, the rise of commercial constellations, and the urgent need for interoperability between sustainability and space governance.Sabrina Alam is Director in Sustainability Advisory and EU Space Lead at KPMG Luxembourg. She advises governments, institutions, and private-sector partners on the integration of space-based data into sustainability strategies, ESG reporting, and resilience planning.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for our updates!Tell us what you liked!
The Sahel stands at a crossroad, it is torn by crisis, instability, and shifting power. Join Dr. Jessica Moody and Dominic Bowen as they dive deep into the region's unfolding humanitarian emergency. What does ECOWAS's withdrawal mean for the people? How is Russian influence rewriting the rules? And why are jihadist groups gaining ground? From Bamako's frontlines to the corridors of power, this is your inside look at the struggles shaping the Sahel's future!Dr. Jessica Moody is a political risk, due diligence and peacebuilding consultant in West Africa. She conducts open source and on the ground research into political, economic and security developments in West Africa and provides timely forecasts as well as scenario planning to clients, enabling them to better plan their operations. She also provides detailed insights into key personalities across West Africa, to enable businesses to understand power structures and who they should prioritise engagement with.Jessica has worked in and on West Africa for more than a decade, during which she has consulted for an array of organisations ranging from S&P Global to Horizon Engage to the United States Institute of Peace. Having spent time living and working in Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire and Mali, she has an extensive range of local contacts in government and the private sector across the region. Jessica has a BA hons degree in History from the University of Nottingham, an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a PhD in War Studies, focusing on Cote d'Ivoire from King's College London. She is the author of Life After War: Lessons in Human Centered Peacebuilding from Cote d'Ivoire (London, Bloomsbury) – forthcoming in May 2026.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Today, our host Dominic Bowen joins live from Ukraine on The International Risk Podcast for a special episode examining resilience, leadership, and hybrid warfare in the heart of Europe's most critical conflict. In conversation with one of our international relations specialist, Dominic reflects on daily life in Kyiv amid the largest drone and missile attacks since the full-scale invasion began, the extraordinary resolve of Ukrainian society, and the lessons this holds for governments and businesses navigating instability. Together, they explore how Russia's partnerships with China, Iran, and North Korea are reshaping global security, how hybrid attacks and disinformation are redefining modern warfare, and what Europe must do to strengthen deterrence, protect infrastructure, and sustain democratic resilience. Dominic also shares practical insights from his work with companies across Europe, highlighting how Ukraine's example of transparent leadership, preparedness, and unity offers critical lessons for organisations facing uncertainty in an increasingly volatile world.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
In this episode, Dominic Bowen hosts Vjosa Musliu to analyse the growing wave of protests and dissent across Serbia. Together, they examine the EU's influence, the controversial lithium extraction agreement, and the role of media bias in shaping public opinion. From political repression to Serbia–Kosovo tensions, they trace how civil rights and democracy are being tested in one of Europe's most complex regions.Vjosa Musliu is an Associate Professor of International Relations at the VUB. Her research interests include international and European interventions, conflicts and international political economy. Her area of focus is primarily the Balkans and post-Soviet space. She is a co-editor of the Routledge Series of Studies in Intervention and Statebuilding and co-founder of Yugoslawomen+ Collective, a collective of six academics from the post-Yugoslav space working in ‘Global North' academia She is also a board director at the Youth Initiative for Human Rights Kosovo. She is the author of three books and dozens of journal articles in the field of international relations. Before entering academia, she worked as a journalist in Kosovo. Vjosa is based between Belgium and Kosovo.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
I am Dominic Bowen, and I am the host of the International Risk Podcast.At 7am on the 15th of August, after ten days of marathon sessions and a final overtime session that stretched more than 24 hours, the Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution formally adjourned INC-5.2. What was meant to be the final round of talks on a global plastic treaty ended not with a breakthrough but with collapse. Despite two draft texts, delegates left Geneva without a consensus on a legally binding agreement. The deadlock revealed stark fault lines: on one side, a majority of countries demanding binding rules to tackle plastics across their full lifecycle — turning off the tap at the source. On the other hand, a minority of petrochemical and oil-producing states are pushing for a nationally determined approach, focused narrowly on recycling and waste management after production. The result? Paralysis by consensus: a process where the need for unanimity allowed a small group of obstructionists to stall the world's response to a rapidly escalating crisis.Today, we're joined first by Christina Dixon, Ocean Campaign Leader at the Environmental Investigation Agency. For several years, Christina and her team at EIA have been pushing for a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution and she was present at the UN Environment Assembly in 2002 when nations adopted the resolution to begin negotiations on a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution. Christina has more than 15 years of experience driving change through policy and strategic communication, including her previous role as Global Campaign Lead at World Animal Protection, and holds degrees in both Broadcast Journalism and Media and Communications. Alongside Christina, we are joined by Alexandra Harrington, an international law scholar and practitioner specialising in international organisations, environmental and sustainable development law, corporate social responsibility, transitional justice and treaty regimes. She is Chair of the Plastic Pollution Task Force at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). She has published extensively, with recent books inlcuding International Law and Global Governance: Treaty Regimes and Sustainable Development Goals Interpretation. She holds a doctoral degree in civil law, in addition to a JD and LLM.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!
In this episode, Dominic Bowen is joined by César Muñoz Acebes to examine the deepening crisis in the Amazon. They unpack the role of organized crime in environmental destruction, the links to drug trafficking and illegal economies, and the devastating consequences for local communities and global stability. A critical look at how crime, politics, and the environment intersect in one of the world's most vital regions.César Muñoz Acebes is the Brazil director at Human Rights Watch, where he supervises research, advocates for foreign and domestic policies that promote human rights, and leads fundraising efforts in Brazil. Before his current role, he served as America's senior researcher and later associate director. In those capacities, he researched and wrote reports and articles, produced videos, and conducted advocacy on human rights abuses linked to illegal deforestation, police abuses, inhumane prison conditions, political persecution, and unchecked domestic violence, among other issues, in several Latin American and Caribbean countries. César has appeared as a human rights expert on many different broadcasters, and he has published opinion articles in The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, amongst others.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Today, Dominic Bowen hosts Dr. Michele Mosca on The International Risk Podcast to explore the global urgency surrounding post-quantum cryptography and the risks quantum computing poses to modern infrastructure. They discuss how the question is no longer if but when quantum computers will break today's encryption, the implications for global finance and critical systems, and what governments, businesses, and institutions must do now to prepare. Together they examine the pace of quantum innovation, the widening gap between technological capability and policy readiness, and the geopolitical competition shaping quantum research and security standards.Dominic and Dr. Mosca also delve into the technical, economic, and diplomatic stakes of the quantum transition, from the “harvest-now, decrypt-later” threat to the cost and complexity of retrofitting global encryption systems. They explore how coordinated international governance, investment in post-quantum standards, and stronger public-private partnerships can build digital resilience before vulnerabilities are exploited.Dr. Michele Mosca is Co-Founder and CEO of evolutionQ, a company providing quantum-safe cybersecurity solutions, and Co-Founder of the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo. He is also a founding member of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute and a leading authority on quantum-safe cryptography and risk management. His research and advisory work have helped shape international strategies for quantum readiness across finance, government, and global infrastructure sectors.Drawing on decades of research and policy engagement, Dr. Mosca explains why societies must act now to secure their data and systems, how the transition to post-quantum cryptography can be managed effectively, and why this emerging field will define the resilience and trust of the digital age.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Tell us what you liked!
In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Dr. Moshe Lander (put link to guest profile) discuss the recent spike in gold prices in $ per ounce, which is unprecedented. Find out more about what pushes gold trends, from uncertain geopolitical trends to Trump's threats on tariffs, and an overall mistrust in governments and institutions worldwide. The conversation also addresses the psychological aspect of the trust in gold as a secure investment coming from humanity's social and economic history, and central banks' reserves, although Dominic and Moshe examine the risks of such high trust in limited goods whose value depends on demand and decision-makers. Dr. Moshe Lander is a Canadian economist and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics at Concordia University, where he has taught since 2013, and a sessional instructor at Dalhousie University. Before joining academia full-time, he served as Senior Economist with the Government of Alberta from 2003 to 2007. His fields of expertise include public economics, international trade and finance, economic policy, and the economics of sports, gaming, and gambling. Beyond academia, Dr. Lander is a well-known media commentator who frequently appears across Canadian television, radio, print, and online platforms to discuss economic, business, and policy developments. Renowned for his engaging and accessible style, he has been recognized multiple times as Concordia's Newsmaker of the Month, most recently in March 2025, for his sharp analysis of issues such as anti-tariff campaigns and the fiscal impact of carbon tax reforms.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge. Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!Tell us what you liked!
On 19 July 2025, China began construction on a 60,000-megawatt hydropower project at Medog, with three times the output of Three Gorges and roughly the UK's entire annual power production. This is a 1.2-trillion-yuan investment (USD 170 B) that Beijing frames as clean energy and development. It is located in southeast Tibert, and only 30km upstream of India. Delhi hears strategic risk. Tibetans see cultural erasure. And over 100 million people downstream are wondering who controls their tomorrow.Today, we are joined by Brian Eyler and Palmo Tenzin. Brian is the Director of the Stimson Center's Southeast Asia and Energy, Water and Sustainability programs. He is widely recognised as a leading voice and expert on transboundary water-energy-food nexus security issues in the Mekong River basin, having spent more than 15 years living and working in China. He is the co-lead on the Mekong Dam Monitor, an award-winning open-source platform providing near-real-time monitoring of dams and environmental impacts along the Mekong.Palmo is an Advocacy Officer and Senior Researcher for the International Campaign for Tibet. Her research specialises in Chinese politics and contemporary Tibet, Sino-Tibetan relations and Asia-Pacific security. Before working at the ICT, Palmo held a position working in the Australian government and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. She is the author of the report published in December 2024 titled, ‘Chinese Hydropower: Damning Tibet's Culture, Community and Environment', which she has presented at the UN Human Rights Council in March, the European Parliament in May and most recently at World Water Week in Sweden.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!
Dive into the ongoing war with Cormac Smith today. Dominic and Cormac discuss Mariupol, whether the war can be considered genocide, the disinformation war, the reality of Russian aggression, war crimes, hybrid warfare, the need for unity, and more!Today we are joined by Cormac Smith. Cormac works at the intersection of authentic leadership & effective communication. He travelled to Ukraine in 2016 to take up a special appointment as the ‘Strategic Communication Advisor' to Pavlo Klimkin, the then Foreign Minister of Ukraine. Cormac was attached to the British Embassy in Kyiv but was embedded in Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the first foreigner to hold such a position. There he worked for the cabinet ministers of Health, Education and the Deputy Prime Minister. In addition, he worked with The National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine and the NATO mission to the country. In 2018, Cormac joined the National Security Communication Team in the Cabinet Office, specifically to advise on Russian Disinformation / Hybrid Warfare tactics, in the wake of the Skripal poisoning in Salisbury. In addition, Cormac is a communication coach & charity leader & Bobsleigh veteran!The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
In this episode, Dominic Bowen and Dr. Arian Sharifi discuss the events leading to the fall of Kabul in August 2021 and the rise of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan. Find out more about what the Taliban have implemented in the country, how they managed to secure most of the territory from terrorism, and set a record of complete control of the territory in 50 years since the departure of the US military forces from the country.The conversation also addresses acute human rights violations against the Afghan population and the expected fall of the economy following the ban on opium production. Dominic and Arian also examine the security risks in the region emanating from different terrorist groups (especially the TTP, IS-El-K ) and the ongoing historical fight for dominion over Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Dr Sharifi assesses the way to a sustainable state through negotiations and Hibatullah Akhundzada's change of heart regarding necessary reforms.Dr. Arian Sharifi is an American-Afghan national security professional with two decades of high-level policy and academic experience. While serving as Assistant National Security Advisor for President Ghani of Afghanistan, he advised senior leaders on foreign and security affairs, led the development of over 20 national-level policies and strategies – including the National Security Policy and Counter-terrorism Strategy – and implemented numerous operations, programs, and projects in the security and intelligence sectors. Dr. Sharifi has taught graduate school at Princeton University, conducted specialized research for major organizations, and advised leading institutions including the UN, NATO, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, and others. Sharifi holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in International Security Studies from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, a Master's in Public Affairs (MPA) from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs, and a Bachelor's (BA) in Political Science from Wesleyan University. He has published widely in academic and policy journals, and is a frequent commentator on strategic and security issues in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive adTell us what you liked!
Today Dominic Bowen hosts Professor Adam Chalmers on The International Risk Podcast to explore the global race for leadership in artificial intelligence. They discuss the United States' AI Action Plan and China's AI Plus Plan, how these competing strategies reveal different models of governance, regulation, and ideology, and what this competition means for innovation, global influence, and risk. Together they examine how the U.S. approach emphasizes open innovation and technological dominance, how China's plan embeds ideology and state control, and how the European Union's AI Act represents a third path prioritizing human-centric regulation.Dominic and Adam also dive into the economic and geopolitical stakes of the AI race, from workforce disruption and re-skilling to public trust, data sovereignty, and the challenge of building safe and transparent AI systems. They explore how governments can manage risk while fostering innovation, how universities and industries must adapt to rapid change, and what it means for democracy and international stability as artificial intelligence becomes a driver of both progress and power.Professor Adam Chalmers is an Associate Professor of Politics at the University of Edinburgh, the CEO and Founder of Resonate AI, and a leading voice on the intersection of political economy, technology, and governance. He has advised governments and organizations on AI strategy and risk, and his work bridges academic research with practical solutions for emerging technologies.Drawing on his research and field experience, Adam explains how AI is reshaping global politics, why public trust and ethical frameworks will define its future, and how democracies can respond to the rapidly evolving risks of the digital age.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Pakistan is once again underwater.In the country's north—specifically the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—torrential monsoon rains dropped 150 millimeters in under an hour. That's six inches of rain, fast enough to overwhelm any drainage system. But here, it didn't just flood streets—it destroyed entire communities. At least 700 people are dead. Over 100 are missing. And in Bishnoi village, 50% of all homes are gone—flattened or washed away.This isn't just bad weather. It's a lethal convergence of natural vulnerability and systemic fragility: hilly terrain, deforestation, poor infrastructure, and collapsing governance capacity. Add climate change, and Pakistan—already one of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations—is facing a catastrophe that's becoming alarmingly routine.On today's episode of The International Risk Podcast, we're not just discussing weather patterns. We're talking about how extreme climate events are redrawing the map of risk—impacting state stability, migration flows, food security, and the future of regional cooperation.Today, we are joined by Dr. Erum Sattar, LLB, LLM, SJD, a Pakistani legal scholar specialising in water law amidst global environmental and institutional challenges. She is a lecturer and former Program Director of the Sustainable Water Management Program at Tufts University in Boston. She holds degrees from Harvard Law School, Queen Mary University and the University of London. Dr Sattar is a Member of the Bar of England and Wales, as well as The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn. Her interdisciplinary research examines the impact of water governance and transboundary water sharing on food production, livelihoods and migration, highlighting the legal and institutional adaptation structures required at a global level. She has an upcoming chapter on International Water Law and its history, application and future in Pakistan and is also co-editor of the upcoming The Cambridge Handbook of Islam and Environmental Law. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!
Today Dominic Bowen hosts Doug Livermore on the podcast to discuss the rise of authoritarian alliances. They dive into the growing cooperation between China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and their proxies, the economic and military dependencies that underpin these relationships, how authoritarian regimes leverage propaganda and “unrestricted warfare,” the role of countries like Venezuela, Sudan, and the Houthis in this expanding network, lessons from Ukraine as a testing ground for irregular tactics and advanced technology, the risks this poses to democratic societies, and much more!Doug is Senior Vice President at CenCore Group and a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Special Operations Command. He has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Mali, and the Congo, and previously directed sensitive activities and irregular warfare at the Office of the Secretary of the Navy. He has also served as Senior Operations Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. A decorated officer, Doug has received the Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star, and multiple Army Commendation Medals, including one for valor, and he holds both the Ranger and Special Forces tabs.Doug brings deep expertise on special operations, irregular warfare, and national security, combining frontline military experience with high-level strategic advisory roles in Washington. His insights draw on years of work at the intersection of defense, geopolitics, and the private sector, helping audiences understand how authoritarian regimes are reshaping the global order and how democracies can respond.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Today Dominic Bowen hosts Broderick McDonald on the podcast to discuss the future of Syria. They dive into the different external actors and their interests, the challenges that the new government of Syria is facing, the fine line of institutional reform and unity, the need for inclusion of the minority groups, what the impact is of sanctions relief, lessons from Syria for global conflict, and much more!Broderick McDonald is a Research Fellow at Kings College London's XCEPT Research Programme and a Research Associate the Oxford Emerging Threats Group. Prior to this, he served as an Advisor to the Government of Canada and was a Fellow with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). Broderick's writing and commentary has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Globe and Mail amongst others. Alongside his research, Broderick provides expert analysis for a range of international news broadcasters, including ABC News, BBC News, BBC America, CBC News, Good Morning America, France24, and Al Jazeera News.Broderick currently serves on the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism's (GIFCT) Independent Advisory Committee and the GLOCA Board of Advisors. He previously lived in the Middle East and has conducted extensive fieldwork with combatants from ISIS, HTS, and other armed groups. Alongside his research, Broderick has advised governments, NGOs, law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies, international prosecutors, parliamentarians, AI Safety Institutes, frontier AI labs, and social media companies on security threats and emerging technologies.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
In this episode Dominic Bowen speaks with Shayan Talabany, Senior Analyst and Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, about shifting U.S. strategies in the Middle East and what they mean for governance, security, and economic opportunity across the region. They explore how the U.S. retreat from interventionism is reshaping regional power balances, whether self-reliance can bring stability, and how countries like Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon are navigating enormous economic and political pressures.Listeners will learn about the risks posed by fragile social contracts and youth unemployment, the uncertain futures of nationalism and populism in the region, how Gaza is influencing both leadership and public opinion in Arab capitals, and the opportunities for businesses as regional governments seek deeper economic integration. Shayan also shares her on-the-ground experiences traveling through Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, providing rare insights into the realities citizens face and the optimism that still exists despite immense challengesShayan Talabany is a Senior Analyst and Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where she focuses on regional politics, security, and conflict dynamics across the Middle East, with particular expertise on Iraq and Syria. She holds degrees from SOAS, University of London, and the London School of Economics, and also serves as a faculty member with the Aspen Institute in the UK. At the Tony Blair Institute, she leads projects on governance reform, regional integration, and youth engagement, and she has traveled extensively across the Middle East conducting research and advising policymakers.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
When we think about flashpoints between India and Pakistan, most people picture borders, bombs, or Kashmir. But the most strategic weapon in South Asia today may not be nuclear—it's water.The Indus Water Treaty has been called one of the world's most successful peace agreements, surviving wars, nuclear standoffs, and decades of political hostility. But in April this year, India suspended the treaty after a terrorist attack in Kashmir, effectively threatening to choke off the lifeline of Pakistan's agriculture and economy. For the first time in 65 years, the Indus—an ancient river system that sustains over 250 million people—has been turned into a tool of coercion.This is more than a regional spat. It's a live experiment in how climate stress, nationalism, and security fears can dismantle one of the last bastions of cooperation between nuclear rivals. And if water becomes a weapon here, what does it mean for other fragile river basins—the Nile, the Mekong, the Jordan—where upstream states already hold the cards?Today, I'm joined by Professor Ashok Swain, UNESCO Chair on International Water Cooperation and Head of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University. He has authored and edited 20 books and more than 150 journal articles, and he is also the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal Environment and Security, published by Sage. He has also served as a consultant on environmental and development issues, advising various international organisations, including UN agencies, OCSE, NATO, EU, IISS, the Arab League and Oxfam, as well as the governments of Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Singapore. Few people understand more about how rivers can both unite and divide nations. His work spans transboundary water politics, climate security, and conflict dynamics, and he has been one of the most vocal critics of India's suspension of the Indus Water Treaty.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!
With the Zapad Military exercises occurring again near the Polish border, Dominic Bowen has Antoine Renaux on the podcast. They analyse the challenges of NATO, Russia's probing operations, NATO's response, and more importantly, NATO's preparedness. Find out more about Article 5 and the potential scenarios, why hybrid warfare and cyber attacks are the future and the geopolitical risks we are facing. Antoine Renaux is an Economic Intelligence & Geopolitics Analyst, his expertise lies in defence and security policy, economic intelligence, and geopolitical risk analysis. His career spans strategic intelligence, public affairs, and policy analysis roles across both public and private sectors, giving him a nuanced, operational understanding of complex international dynamics.His key areas of expertise lie in:OSINT & competitive intelligence in the defense industry.Policy & geopolitical analysis, including diplomatic reporting at the French Embassy's Military Representation in Austria.Event & project management, including contributions to high-profile initiatives such as the Warsaw Security Forum.His approach combines precision, strategic insight, and actionable analysis to support decision-making in high-stakes environments. Motivated by a passion for strategy and security, I aim to contribute where analytical rigour, geopolitical awareness, and clear communication can make a decisive impact.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
The student-led protests in Serbia have been going on for months. Today we have Saša Dobrijević on the podcast to discuss:The government response to the protestsThe current situation in BelgradeWhat the Drivers are behind the ProtestGovernment ManipulationMedia InfluenceInternational InfluenceInternational RelationsAnd much more!Saša Dobrijević is an international journalist and reporter based in Belgrade. He is a seasoned journalist with experience in Munich in Berlin and Luxembourg, across geopolitics, social movements, and the green-energy transition. He's covered protests up close, interviewed decision-makers, and understands how narratives harden, and how they break.Saša is a Diplomatic Press Passport holder, an award-winning journalist, an International Journalist, and a public speaking coach. He started his career as a radio host at the state radio station, trained by experienced editors and journalists who graduated from the University of Political Sciences in Belgrade. Then he moved on to researching the TV industry. Where he found out that he is passionate about video production, interviews, TV packages, and live reporting.His international career began in Munich, mostly reporting about geopolitical and social topics, and interviewing politicians and experts in various fields. He covered environmental and climate change topics, and innovations in green energy. Gained a unique experience, through reporting from protests in Munich, Bonn, Berlin, and Luxembourg.Finally, Saša is the Co-Founder of Pulse Theatre, Society of free artists, and of the media portal Straight to the center.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
In this episode Dominic Bowen and Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan explore antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a geopolitical flashpoint. Find out more about how drug resistance has already crossed the red line with untreatable infections, why AMR is not a future threat but a present crisis claiming 1.3 million lives annually, and how the erosion of antibiotic effectiveness undermines cancer care, surgery, and modern medicine. The conversation examines the political and economic reasons governments have been slow to act, the fragile economics of antibiotic development, and the risks of over-reliance on a handful of pharmaceutical firms. It also addresses the spread of multi-drug resistant infections in conflict zones such as Ukraine and Gaza, the importance of prevention through vaccines and sanitation, and the broader international risks as nationalism rises and global cooperation weakens.Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan is the Founder and President of the One Health Trust and a Senior Research Scholar at Princeton University. He is also an Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington, a Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde, and a Senior Associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Laxminarayan chairs the board of GARD-P, a global product development partnership created by the World Health Organization to develop and deliver new treatments for drug-resistant infections. He is also the founder and board chair of HealthCubed, which works to improve access to healthcare and diagnostics worldwide. Since 1995, he has been a leading global voice on antimicrobial resistance, bringing the issue to the United Nations General Assembly in 2016 and shaping health policy across Asia and Africa through the Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
In this episode Dominic Bowen and Professor Kimberly Clausing examine the return of tariffs to the centre of U.S. economic strategy and the risks this shift creates for the global economy. Find out more about how protectionism and populism are reshaping U.S. trade policy, why tariffs act as a hidden tax on consumers and small businesses, the political dynamics driving short-term wins over long-term stability, the impact on supply chains and export industries such as higher education, tourism, and technology, the risks of corruption and rent-seeking in tariff exemptions, and how international trust in the United States is being tested as allies confront unpredictable economic behaviour, and more.Professor Kimberly Clausing holds the Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law. Professor Clausing is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. During the first part of the Biden Administration, Clausing was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis in the US Department of the Treasury, serving as the lead economist in the Office of Tax Policy. Professor Clausing has published widely on taxation, climate policy, and international trade, and is the author of Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital (Harvard University Press, 2019). International Monetary Fund, the Hamilton Project, the Brookings Institution, the Tax Policy Center, and the Center for American Progress and has testified before the U.S. Congress on multiple occasions. She has received two Fulbright Research Awards, and her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Smith Richardson Foundation, the International Centre for Tax and Development, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
In this episode Dominic Bowen and Dr. Jamie Shea unpack NATO at a moment of historic change. Find out more about how fear has re-emerged as a unifying force within the Alliance, the political and economic challenges of reaching unprecedented defence spending levels, industrial bottlenecks and Ukraine's role as a partner in innovation and supply, the rising threat of hybrid warfare from cyberattacks to sabotage and disinformation, the volatility of United States diplomacy and the implications of a “big three” world dominated by Washington, Moscow, and Beijing, the long-term challenge of sustaining support for Ukraine, NATO's expanding ties with the Asia-Pacific, and the future of medium powers seeking autonomy in an era of great power competition, and more.Dr. Jamie Shea CMG is Professor at the College of Europe Natolin, Senior Fellow for security and defence at Friends of Europe, and Senior Advisor at the European Policy Centre in Brussels. He is also Senior Counsel to the Founder and CEO of Fanack/The Chronicle and Fanack Water. Previously, Dr. Shea was Professor of Strategy and Security at the University of Exeter, and for 38 years he served as a member of NATO's International Staff, holding senior positions including Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges, Director of Policy Planning, and NATO Spokesman. He has also taught at institutions including the College of Europe in Bruges, the University of Sussex, and the American University in Washington DC, and is a Senior Transatlantic Fellow of the German Marshall Fund and Associate Fellow at Chatham House.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Today Dominic Bowen hosts David Dunn back on the podcast. They discuss the recent Alaskan Summit and its global implications. Find out more about the symbolic wins for Putin, and which ones they are exactly. The American unpreparedness and what its implications are, what the result is for Ukraine, how the EU decided to respond, transatlantic relations and how they are going to change, and much more!David Dunn is Professor of International Politics and Director of Internationalisation for the College of Social Science at the University of Birmingham. David holds a MSc in International Studies and has a PhD in War Studies. He has diverse research interests that fit largely within the areas of US foreign and security policy, strategic and security studies, and diplomacy and statecraft. He has written extensively on the use of force, transatlantic relations and summit diplomacy. He has also published on the security impact of drone technology. His most recent book, co-authored with Nicholas J. Wheeler is: Drones, Force and Law: European Perspectives (Elements in International Relations) and came out in Jan 2024. Finally, David writes articles for the Conversation. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Dive into the intricacies of the Houthis with Nadwa Al-Dawsari! Nadwa and Dominic discuss the background of the Houthis, where they come from, what their ideology is, what influence they have, economical and geopolitical implications both for Yemen and the world, how they currently govern Norther Yemen, what the international response should be to the Houthis, and much more!Nadwa Al-Dawsari is a veteran researcher, conflict analyst, and policy advisor with 20 years of field experience in Yemen and the broader Middle East. Currently, she serves as an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI) and a fellow at the Center on Armed Groups. She has provided advisory services to policymakers, US and European donors, regional actors, UN agencies, and humanitarian organizations. Nadwa is regularly featured as a guest speaker on panel discussions about Yemen and the broader Middle East and her work has been widely published by the top think tanks in the United States and Europe.In her previous roles, Nadwa served as a senior conflict advisor to the World Food Program, a Yemen country director at the Center for Civilians in Conflict, the founding director at Partners Yemen, a MENA advisor at Partners Global, and a senior program manager at the National Democratic Institute.Nadwa's research focuses on conflict in Yemen, drawing connections to broader geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East. She examines the impact of US foreign policy, internationally-led peace efforts, counterterrorism, and aid on stability and security amid the rise of non-state armed actors and the evolving proxy warfare landscape in the region.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
In this episode Dominic Bowen and Yaroslav Lissovolik dive into the challenges and opportunities of BRICS! Find out more about the economic Asymmetries and power dynamics, consensus and decision-making, future strategies, BRICS' role in global governance, Russia's position, future cooperation, BRICS plus, international risks and opportunities, and more!Yaroslav Lissovolik worked in the International Monetary Fund, in Washington, where he was Advisor to the Executive Director for the Russian Federation (2001–2004). In 2004 he joined Deutsche Bank as Chief Economist and became Head of Company Research in Russia in 2009, and then a member of the Management Board of Deutsche Bank in Russia in 2011. In 2015–2018 Yaroslav Lissovolik was Chief Economist and subsequently Managing Director of Research and Member of the Management Board at the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). From 2018 to 2022 he has been Senior Managing Director — Head of Research at Sberbank Investment Research (CIB). In 2023 he founded BRICS+ Analytics to conduct in-depth research on the future trajectories of BRICS+ development. Yaroslav Lissovolik graduated from Harvard University (magna cum laude) with a BA degree in Economics, and received an MSc in Economics degree from the London School of Economics (LSE). He also received his PhD degree in Economics from the Moscow State Institute for International Relations (MGIMO, red diploma) and a Doctorate in Economics from the Diplomatic Academy. Yaroslav Lissovolik is also a member of Bretton Woods Committee. He has published several books and numerous papers on Russia's entry into the WTO, BRICS and other economic policy issues.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
In this episode Dominic Bowen and Dr. Audrye Wong dive into how Beijing is recalibrating power and influence in a turbulent world. Find out more about China's two-pronged response to US decoupling, sharpened economic coercion and rare-earth export controls, charm offensives across the Global South, Belt and Road's “small yet beautiful” recalibration, BRICS and BRICS Plus positioning, propaganda and strategic narrative, domestic headwinds from slower growth and EV overcapacity, Taiwan deterrence and non-kinetic pressure, multilateral influence and institution-building, technology ties with the Global North amid export controls, shifting perceptions of economic power, and the risks ahead for the international order, and more.Audrye Wong is Jeane Kirkpatrick Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and assistant professor of political science and international relations at the University of Southern California. Her research covers China's economic statecraft, including a book forthcoming with Oxford University Press, as well as China's foreign influence activities and propaganda campaigns. Her work has been supported by the Smith Richardson Foundation and the U.S. Department of Defense, among others. Audrye received a PhD in Security Studies from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow. She has held affiliations with the Wilson Center, Brookings Institution, Harvard's Belfer Center, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
Dive into the intricacies of Iranian Nuclear Power with Kenneth Katzman. Find out more about whether Iran has nuclear bombs, what Russia's role is and whether Russia even plays a role, what Iran's strategic motivations could be, the implications and consequences of the US and Israel's military actions, whether there are Iranian opposition groups, and more!Dr. Katzman is a Senior Advisor at the Soufan Group and a Senior Fellow at the Soufan Center, positions he assumed after retiring in late 2022 from his longtime position as a Senior Middle East Analyst at the Congressional Research Service (CRS). He is also a Senior Research Advisor at the Global Insights Group's Strategic Analysis and Situational Awareness Group. During his CRS career specialising on Iran, U.S. sanctions on Iran, the Arab Gulf states, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran-backed regional armed groups, Katzman provided analysis and advice to members of Congress through tailored reports and briefings. On about a dozen occasions, he has testified before various Committees and Subcommittees of Congress. He also participated in numerous congressional delegations to the region at the Member and staff level. During 1996 and again during July 2001 - March 2002, he was assigned to the majority staff of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to work on Middle East issues, organizing hearings and helping to draft legislation such as the Iran Sanctions Act (1996).As a well-known expert on the region, Dr. Katzman has delivered numerous presentations and briefings at conferences and meetings in Washington as well as throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South and Central Asia. In 1998, he wrote expert working papers on the ballistic missile capabilities of Iran and Iraq for the Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States ("Rumsfeld Commission"). In late 1999, and again in 2010, the Atlantic Council published his detailed monographs on U.S. sanctions on Iran. During his CRS career and since retiring, Katzman has been quoted frequently on the region and appeared in many regional media, including Al Jazeera, Al Hurra, Al Arabiya, Asharq News, Al Arabiy, and Al Ghad TV. He has authored articles for organizations including The Atlantic Council, the Gulf International Forum, the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, and the Arab Center D.C. He has served on several think-tank working groups and been a consultant to several corporations.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updatesTell us what you liked!
A difficult topic, one that we keep seemingly talking about without our governments doing anything - The ongoing genocide in Gaza. Dominic and Assem Dandashly discuss the paradox of aid and conflict, the reality on the ground in Gaza, the Western (and international) hypocrisy and what the inevitable consequences are of this hypocrisy, the role of Western democracies, the full erosion of International Law and Human Rights, and more...Assem Dandashly is an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science at Maastricht University. He is an expert on the EU-MENA relations. Prior to joining Maastricht University in September 2012, Assem was a Research Fellow at the Kolleg-Forschergruppe “The Transformative Power of Europe” Freie Universität Berlin. Assem holds a PhD in Political Science (2012) from the University of Victoria, BC Canada.Prior to moving to Berlin, Assem was a Research Associate at the Centre for Competition policy at the University of East Anglia. He was also a research assistant and sessional instructor at the University of Victoria. In 2008-2009, Assem was a visiting researcher at the Economic University of Krakow in Poland and the Central European University in Budapest. Before moving to Victoria, Assem was a Fulbright Graduate Student at Marquette University, Wisconsin-USA.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and a partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our great updates!Tell us what you liked!
A different episode today where Dominic hosts one of his colleagues Elisa Garbil on the Podcast! They dive into Elisa's top 5 International Risks and debate why these are so important. Listen to the episode to find out which risks she finds important, what Dominic finds of them, and what their argumentation is towards why this is an important top 5.They discuss the episodes of: Mauro Lubrano, Rik Peels, Sander van der Linden, Dr. Allysa Czerwinsky, and Aaron Winter. Dominic Bowen is an experienced business leader and corporate advisor at Europe's leading risk management consultancy. Dominic supports business leaders, boards, and executives make informed management decisions. With 20 years' experience specialising in strategy development, organisational resilience, risk management, business continuity, and crisis response he leads and manages global risk-remediation across various industries and sectors. He has helped teams around the world plan for and respond to high-impact events, including cross-border crises, change management, natural disasters, and geopolitical turmoil. He has supported organisations design and implement operational resilience programs and enterprise risk management frameworks.Moreover, Dominic is the host and CEO of The International Risk Podcast. He has a Diploma in Public Safety, a Diploma in Security and Risk Management, a Diploma of Management, a Master's Degree in International Relations, and currently finalising a Master of International Law.Elisa Garbil is the Podcast Producer and Investigative Research Lead at The International Risk Podcast, where she leads on strategic editorial direction, in-depth research, and high-level stakeholder engagement. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates!Tell us what you liked!
In this week's episode, Dominic Bowen speaks with Dr. Bruce Jones about the shifting balance of power in the South China Sea and the future of maritime strategy. Dr. Jones, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of To Rule the Waves, joins the International Risk Podcast to discuss China's escalating naval activity, gray zone tactics, and the growing risk of conflict in the Indo-Pacific. Together, they explore how China's military drills have evolved into potential launchpads for rapid escalation, the vulnerability of Taiwan, and the strategic calculus behind Beijing's posture.Dr. Jones is a Senior Fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology and the Center for Asia Policy Studies at The Brookings Institution. His research focuses on U.S. strategy, international order, and great power relations, and he has extensive experience in international security policy. Dr. Jones has significant expertise in intervention and crisis management. He served in the United Nations' operation in Kosovo and was special assistant to the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and a partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today's business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our great updates!Tell us what you liked!
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