TRIUM Connects

The policies in the first 100 days of the Trump administration have resulted in an extraordinary time of uncertainty and change in the way the global economy works and how it will function in the future. The shock at the speed and scope of the undermining of the current system regulating global trade is real. When we feel disorientated by our current experience of chaos, it is often helpful to try to re-anchor ourselves in putting what we are experiencing into a historical context. In this way, United States' actions can be seen as part of a semi-predictable, oscillating pattern of the rise and fall of market forces vis-a-vis assertions of state power. In this episode, my guest is TRIUM's own Robert Falkner, and we discuss his and Barry Buzan's new book, The Market in Global International Society: An English School Approach to International Political Economy. Robert Falkner is Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and is the Academic Dean of the TRIUM Global EMBA. Robert has been a visiting scholar at Harvard University, Simone Veil Fellow at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Associate Fellow of Chatham House. In addition to his role at the LSE, he is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.In their new book, Buzon and Falkner argue that while adopting market rules in the international system creates more wealth and power than any alternative organising principles (e.g. mercantilism), it also necessarily undermines state power and sovereignty, which inevitably leads to a reassertion of power by strong state actors. The book is an amazing combination of original theoretical understandings and a staggeringly detailed and nuanced historical account of the oscillations between market and more statist international systems. In this episode, Robert and I discuss the evidence for this pattern and whether the challenges of climate change and technological developments – particularly AI – may mean that the cycle will end and that we are headed into something unknown and unknowable. Buzon, B. & Falkner, R. (2025) The Market in Global International Society: An English School Approach to International Political Economy. Oxford University PressBassani, Giorgio (2007) The Garden of the Finzi-Continis. Penguin Modern Classics, International Edition. First published in 1962. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are all born, become toddlers, teenagers, adults, mid-aged, late middle aged, and eventually die. Do company's follow this same pattern? If so, can we use that pattern to better predict what they will do and compare that to what they should do at different stages of their life cycles?My guest for this episode is Aswath Damodaran. Aswath is a Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University (Kerschner Family Chair in Finance Education). Aswath is a super star professor, considered both in and out of academia as the ‘Dean of Valuation', and one of the best teachers I have ever had the privilege of working with together. We have been lucky to have him teaching on the TRIUM EMBA for the last 23 years!In this episode we discuss his latest book, The Corporate Life Cycle: Business, investment, and Management Implications.The work is an attempt to provide a unified theory of all of finance (with a bit of strategy, management and leadership). With clear, compelling and concise writing, Aswath views all of corporate finance, valuation, investment philosophy and management/leadership through the construct of the birth, aging and dying of firms. The scope and scale is vast, and in a less gifted writer, it would risk being reductionist and overly simplistic – the opposite of what we have here. I wish I would have read this book 20 years ago because it would have saved me a lot of time and effort! In this conversation we cover the basics of the corporate life cycle and some of its implications. We get into a lively discussion about whether companies should strive to be ‘sustainable', explore the leadership characteristic needed at different stages of a company's life cycle, and outline the reasons why renewal and rebirth for company's near the end of their life cycle is so difficult. It is conversations with the likes of Aswath which make me feel so lucky to do what I do! Citations· Damodaran, Aswath (2024) The Corporate Life Cycle: Business, Investment, and Management Implications. Penguin Random House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest for this episode of Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics where he is the Emirates Professorship in Contemporary Middle East Studies. Fawaz earned his doctorate at Oxford and has taught there, as well as at Harvard and Columbia. He has been a research scholar at Princeton and is the author of 10 books on the Middle East and his articles and editorials have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Guardian, The Baltimore Sun, The Independent (London), Al Hayat (London), Foreign Policy, Newsweek, The National Interest, Democracy: a Journal of Ideas, Middle East Journal, Survival, Al Mustqbal al-Arabi, Middle East Insight, and many others.Gerges has given scores of interviews for various media outlets throughout the world, including ABC, CNN, BBC, PBS, CBS, NPR, CBC, Sky News, Al Jazeera, and LBC. He has been a guest on The Charlie Rose Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC Nightline, World News Tonight, Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC), This Week, Good Morning America and other prominent shows. He was a senior ABC television news analyst from 2000 until 2007.In this episode we first discuss Fawaz's most recent book, What Really Went Wrong: The West and the Failure of Democracy in the Middle East. This is an excellent historical study of the impact of US interventionist foreign policy in the Middle East in the post-WW2 era. It shows how the pursuit of stability, open commodity markets and anti-communism led the US to support and ally with anti-democratic autocrats throughout the region who eliminated legitimate nationalistic (and largely secular and democratic) political leaders. We see the consequences of these interventions in the region today.We then turn to a discussion of the current catastrophe in the Gaza, Israel and Lebanon. Fawaz and I disagree on many issues. For example, he paraphrases towards the end of our conversation a school of thought which has come to see Israel as the last, ‘Settler Colonial' state. I think this way of approaching the situation is an invitation to endless violence and despair. For a history of the evolution of this approach, I recommend On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence and Justice by Adam Kirsch. There are also many things Fawaz says with which I agree. For example, his historical analysis of the monumental failure of US foreign policy seems to be me to be compelling. But my role as the host of this podcast is not to be a judge of other's views. In fact, what I agree with or do not agree with is not relevant. My job is to bring you views which may challenge your own; views which help us to understand the ways in which understandings and beliefs can be fundamentally different. The only way forward is to start with a genuine curiosity of what others think, believe and feel. Just as importantly, curiosity does not imply agreement. Too many times we pretend to attempt to understand something by seeking out others to confirm what we want to, or already believe. It is much better to be challenged by difference. From that starting point, we can, perhaps, begin to be able to predict and influence the future for the better. Fawaz is a thoughtful, careful, prolific and elegant scholar. While I may differ with him in some areas, I have never questioned his fundamental decency and humanity. I always learn and am challenged by our conversations together - which is a great gift. I hope you enjoy our conversation as well!CitationsGerges, F. (2024) What Really Went Wrong: The West and the Failure of Democracy in the Middle East. London: Yale University Press.Kirsch, Adam (2024) On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence and Justice. WV Norton & Co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Across the world, the rise of various forms of authoritarianism and ethno-nationalism seems to be on an ever upward trend. This creates huge uncertainties across multiple dimensions – personal, cultural, political, and not least of which in challenges business leaders face as they attempt to navigate across this uncertainty. All of this turmoil is, according to Larry Kramer - the Vice Chancellor and President of the London School of Economics - to be expected. Neo-liberalism, the once dominant political/economic paradigm, is no longer able to explain or order our understandings of our world. This triggers a search for, and creation of, alternatives. If, or until a different liberal paradigm emerges, we are destined to contend with illiberal, authoritarian and often ethno-national alternatives. In this podcast Larry and I discuss the fall of neo-liberalism and the emerging contours of what may come to replace it. How and when this new paradigm emerges and whether it will successfully defeat the existing alternatives is perhaps the most important question we will face in the next decade(s). Larry provides a thoughtful and provocative framework in which to understand these macro trends. Prior to being appointed to lead the LSE, Larry was the President of the Willam and Flora Hewlett Foundation for 12 years. With assets of over $14 billion, the Foundation is one of the largest sources of grants in the USA. Prior to his work at the Foundation, Larry was the Dean of the Stanford Law School and is a world expert in US Constitutional law and the role of judicial review within that system.Not wanting to miss the opportunity to discuss recent shifts in the US Supreme Court with such an expert, at the end of our conversation we discuss these developments as an example of the power of a paradigm shift - the rise of ‘originalism' as a reaction to the state-led expansion of individual rights – to take on real world consequences. In this context, we discuss the Dobbs decision, the overturning of the Chevron defence and the emerging presidential immunity doctrine.My discussion with Larry reminded me of how fortunate we are at TRIUM to have the LSE as a partner. The depth of analysis and understanding of the macro trends affecting the environment in which business operates continues to be a unique selling point of our EMBA. Enjoy the show!CitationsOperation Mincemeat by Cummings, D. Hodgson N. and Roberts Z. at the New Diorama Theatre,London.A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and adapted by Kip Williams, with Sarah Snook at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London.Labatut B. (2024) The Maniac. Pushkin Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once in a while you come across a person who embodies, in their thoughts and deeds, a kind of archetype or ideal form of a role – the great artist, the wise philosopher, the genius physicist. Hervé Coyco, for me, is the archetype of the best of business leaders. In our conversation he shares some of the wisdom, humility and practices which have made him such a successful leader and impressive human being.Hervé spent his whole corporate career at Michelin – 30 years - where he started as an entry level engineer and rose to be the President of the Passenger Car Division – at the time, a 60,000 employee, 8 billion Euro/year business unit – before finishing as the President of Michelin Asia-Pacific Operations. In this podcast, Hervé and I discuss what he learned during that time. This includes what he sees as the three styles of leadership needed to succeed in different situations: the jet airplane pilot, the skipper of a boat and the coach. Next we turn to the leadership challenge of hitting short term performance and efficiency goals while simultaneously preparing the organisation for the future. This leads on to a discussion of the role of empowerment and managing failure – when to accept failure, the need to adopt a ‘no surprises' policy with your own boss, and the importance of ethical and value alignment.For the last 15 years, I have had the privilege of working with Hervé in his role as Professor at HEC-Paris. We conclude our conversation here with Hervé 's reflections on what he has learned from his role as a program director of customised executive education at HEC – both about the academy but also about how leaders in some organisations fall short in their roles.I have learned so much from Hervé about ethical and learning based leadership, I wanted to share his insights with you! I hope you enjoy the conversation!CitationsCovey, S.R. & Merrill, A.R. (1994) First Things First. Simon & Schuster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest for this episode is Laurence Lehmann-Ortega. Laurence is one of the world's leading experts on how existing firms can create innovative new business models. In this episode we discuss the newest edition of the her book, Re(Inventing) your Business Model: The Odyssey 3.14 Approach, co-authored with Helene Musikas and Jean March Schoettl. The book has also been adapted into a MOOC by Coursera. Like many of the best business schoolteachers, Laurence started her career in the consulting world before transitioning to academia, first at GSCM Montpellier and from 2010 at HEC Paris. At HEC she teaches strategy and business model innovation in the masters programs, the MBA, EMBA and in customised executive education programs. She has won multiple teaching awards at HEC. Laurence is also the Academic Director of the Masters in Strategic Management and our very own TRIUM EMBA program. In addition, she is the academic director on a number of large and complex programs in HEC's custom executive education portfolio. In this episode we discuss the problems of alignment between business models' value propositions and the existing firm's value architecture; the challenge of trade offs across different values – profit, people and planet – when evaluating the contribution new business models will make to the firm's goals; how to tell if a firm has a healthy innovation culture; the need for proper, scientific testing of innovation, and; the problem of applying ROI to innovation spending. We finish the discussion with a short conversation about the executive education industry. Laurence and I are both in the ‘supply side' of this business. Here, we put ourselves on the ‘buy side' and discuss what we would look for if we were making the decision to spend time and money on learning and development – both for the individual consumer and the corporate client. Laurence is one of the most talented teachers and academic directors I have ever met. I always look forward to our conversations because I walk away feeling like I've learned something. This conversation is no exception. I hope you enjoy!CitationsLaurence Lehmann-Ortega, Hélène Musikas & Jean- Marc Schoettl (2023) (Ré)inventez votre Business Model - 3e éd.: Avec l'approche Odyssée 3.14. English version to be available in June 2024.Gawande, Atul (2010) The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. Picador Paper. Cylien Gibert & Sihem BenMahmoud-Jouini (2020) Créez le prochain Uber et soyez rentables d'ici la fin de l'année : Les managers de labs d'innovation face aux contradictions entre mandat et gouvernance. Revue Française de Gestion.Breaking Boundaries : The Science of Our Planet (2021) Netflix Series. Directed by Jonathan Clay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am delighted to be joined by Suzy Welch for this episode. Suzy has had an amazing career! After graduating from Harvard, she became a crime beat reporter for the Miami Herald but after a short time was re-assigned to the business section – a change which would set the stage for the rest of her career. She then left journalism and went back to Harvard for her MBA. After graduating with honours, Suzy launched into a successful stint at Bain and Company as a consultant working with heavy manufacturing clients in the Midwest of the USA. Suzy left a successful career in consulting to return to journalism with a job at the Harvard Business Review, where she was eventually named editor-in-chief in 2001. At HBR she conceptualised and edited articles on topics as diverse as strategy, operations and organisational behaviour and penned her own on leadership, change and crisis management, the role of boards, the proper functioning of HR and career dynamics. With her late husband, Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, Suzy co-authored two international best-selling books – Winning published in 2005 and The Real-Life MBA in 2015. An interesting little fact, during the promo tour for Winning, I interviewed Jack at the LSE at a TRIUM event! Suzy is also the sole author of the New York Times and Wallstreet Journal bestseller, 10-10-10: A Life-Transforming Idea – which we discuss during this episode. Suzy has also been a regular contributor to the US television network CNBC and the popular program, the Today Show.In addition to her writing and media work, amongst other projects, Suzy serves on the board of ANGI as well as being a senior advisor at the Brunswick Group.And last, but not least, Suzy is currently a professor at NYU Stern School of Business, creating and teaching one of its most popular and impactful classes – ‘Becoming You: Crafting the Authentic Life You Want and Need.' In this episode I talk to Suzy about the reasons she put this course together and the secrets to its success. Suzy Welch is a kind of force of nature with some important things to share which she has learned from a lifetime in leadership and around other leaders. I was delighted when she agreed to be on the show and I hope you enjoy our conversation!CitationsWelch, S. (2009) 10-10-10: 10 Minutes, 10 Months, 10 Years: A Life-Transforming Idea. Scribner.Welch, J. with Welch, S. (2005) Winning: The Ultimate Business How-To Book. HarperCollins.Welch, J. & Welch, S. (2018) The Real-Life MBA: The No-Nonsense Guide to Winning the Game, Building a Team and Growing your Career. Harper Thorsons.Cunk on Earth (2022) Television Show starring Diane Morgon and produced by Charlie Brooker.Succession (2018-2013) Television show produced by HBO Entertainment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Occasionally you read a book that changes the way you think about a topic or a place. The New China Playbook: Beyond Socialism and Capitalism by Keyu Jin is just such a book and it was great to have her join me on TRIUM Connects. We discuss the consequences (both intended an unintended) of the one child policy, the combination of strong political centralisation and economic decentralisation, the ‘mayor economy' and the combination of a super powerful yet agile state, able to act much more quickly than more democratically constrained actors. Jin argues that to understand all of this, you need to read China in the original – that is, as much as possible, not through the lens of Western, capitalistic assumptions about economic development but to see it for what it does, within its own terms. Jin is a great guide for this journey – she was born in China, educated in the USA (BA, Masters and PHD from Harvard) and now lives in London. She is an associate professor of economics at the LSE where her research focusses on global trade imbalances, global asset prices and China's economic growth model. Jin has also advised and consulted for the World Bank, the IMF and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The book ends with a discussion of the current challenges facing China. Jin argues that the reforms and policies which created the tremendous economic development over such a comparative short time must now change if China is to avoid its own version of the middle income trap. Whether China is able to do so will, in no small measure, shape the kind of world we will all live in. Jin's background, insight and deep knowledge shine through in the book and in our conversation. I hope you enjoy the conversation! CitationsKeyu Jin (2023) The New China Playbook: Beyond Socialism and Capitalism. Viking Press.Swerling J. and Burrows A. Guys and Dolls – First performed in 1950. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am guessing that most of you have heard about Chinese firms and government's large involvement and investment in Africa. For example, as part of a strategy to secure the resources needed to play a leading role in the economy of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, China has purchased mining rights, mined, and built refineries for rare earth elements in multiple locations in Africa. But did you know that the annual amount of traded goods between China and Latin America, as well as foreign direct investment is about twice as much between China and Latin America as it is between China and Africa? If we look at Chinese development loans, Latin America has received more in loans than Africa.It has been clear for more than a century that to understand Latin America you must understand the involvement and intervention of the United States in the military, economic and social history of the region. It is now impossible to understand Latin American economies and politics without an understanding of the growing role of China. Looked at through the lens of US/China competition and conflict, this is a major development. Historically, the USA has reacted forcefully to what it saw as ‘interference' in the America's by other countries – will that continue or will the recent neglect/disinterest of the US to LA continue, creating more space/opportunity for even greater Chinese influence?To help us understand these issues and others, I am delighted to be joined in this episode by Professor Chris Alden of the London School of Economics (and a regular contributor to TRIUM). Chris is Deputy Head of the International Relations Department, the Director of LSE IDEAS, and a Research Associate with South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Chris's newest book (co-authored with Alvaro Mendez) China and Latin America: Development, Agency and Geopolitics was published earlier this year. Before this book, Chris has written or co-authored of numerous books, including Apartheid's Last Stand – the Rise and Fall of the South African Security State (Palgrave 1996), Mozambique and the Construction of the New African State (Palgrave 2003), China in Africa (Zed Books 2007) Land, Liberation and Compromise in Southern Africa (Palgrave/Macmillan 2009) The South and World Politics (Palgrave 2010),Chris is one of the world's leading experts of Chinese involvement in the global south and it was a real pleasure to sit down with him for a wonderful discussion of his latest work. I hope you enjoy the conversation!Citations:Podcast – China and the Global South hosted by Eric Olander and Cobus van Staden and produced by The China-Global South Project (CGSP).Alden, C. & Mendez, A. (2023) China and Latin America: Development, Agency and Geopolitics. Bloomsbury Academic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2008, at the height of the global financial crisis, 25 US banks failed. Their combined asset value was equal to $526 billion (adjusted for inflation). In the first 5 months of 2023, three banks have failed with a total asset value of $532 billion. Let that sink in – we are in uncharted territory. What is happening and why? Why do we see a kind of slow-motion contagion effect? Will more banks fail? Has the US government practically removed the limit on deposits insured through the FDIC? What does the current situation tell us about the health of the banking sector and the regulatory framework meant to prevent such problems – in the US and around the world? In this episode I'm joined by Jean Edouard Colliard to discuss what the current crisis tells us about how and why regulatory regimes succeed and/or fail. Jean Edouard is Associate Professor of Finance at HEC Paris, which he joined in 2014. Before joining HEC, he worked for two years as an economist in the Research department of the European Central Bank. He is a co-holder of the research chair "Analytics for Future Banking" (HEC Paris - Natixis - Polytechnique).Jean-Edouard is also a member of the Finance Theory Group and a Research Affiliate of CEPR and SUERF. He received the "Best Young Researcher in Finance and Insurance" Award of IEF / Foundation SCOR 2022, the "Young Researcher in Economics" Award of Foundation Banque de France in 2017, the Eurofidai-BEDOFIH Data Award 2017, the "Young Researcher Award" 2015 of AMF (the French Securities Markets Authority), and the 1st SUERF/Unicredit & Universities Foundation Research Prize 2013.I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! CitationsPalmer, A. (2017) Too Like the Lightning: Book 1 of the Terra Ignota Series. Head of Zues Publishing.Calomiris, C.W. & Haber, S.H. (2014) Fragile by Design: The Political Origins of the Banking Crises and Scarce Credit: The Princeton Economic History of the Western World: 50. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Upwards Influence – The Art and Science of Being HeardOver the last several decades, more and more leadership research has highlighted the need for leaders to create an environment where disparate and diverse opinions and approaches are elicited and incorporated into decision making. If leaders can manage that, they can more easily avoid premature consensus and narrative fallacies, thereby improving performance.Much of this research addresses the ‘demand' side of the equation – how can/should leaders create environments whereby people feel that they have a permission structure to contribute to – or even openly question and contradict – a leader's position? However, this leaves the ‘supply side' of the equation open. That is, how do we instil in people the self-belief and confidence to make themselves heard and seen? What behaviours are most likely to increase junior members' impact on decisions? In this episode we discuss the challenges of ‘upwards influence'. That is, what are the challenges we face when we seek to influence people with more power than we have.My guest is Connson Chou Locke – someone who has made these supply side questions a centre piece of her life's work. In 2021, in a distillation of more than 30 years of experience, she wrote a book addressing these issues entitled, Making Your Voice Heard: How to Own Your Space, Access Your Inner Power and Become Influential.Connson is a Professorial Lecturer of Management at the LSE, where she has won multiple teaching awards for her classes on Leadership, Organisational Behaviour, and Negotiation and Decision Making. Prior to entering academia, Connson was a Regional Training and Development Manager for the Boston Consulting Group, responsible for training and development across 10 offices throughout the Asia Pacific region. She has a PhD from Berkley and did her undergraduate work at Harvard. In our conversation we discuss the role of confidence in perceived expertise, how power and influence can only be defined in the context in which they occur, how being influential is often the end point of long and carefully executed preparatory strategy, how women face specific challenges from agentic models of leadership and how to strategically think of cultural lenses when interacting with individuals.I hope you enjoy the conversation! Enders G. (2017) Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Under-Rated Organ. London: Scribe UK. Locke, C.C. (2021) Making your Voice Heard: How to Own Your Space, Access Your Inner Power and Become Influential. London: Endeavor Publishing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Explanations of individual's political affiliations which do not take non-material into account are fatally flawed. We simply cannot explain or predict people's political behaviour without thinking about how support for individuals/parties are affected by, and shape people's identities, felt exclusion/inclusion, legitimacy, and recognition.However, when it comes to trying to explain how states will behave in the international system, our theories mostly ignore these factors. Traditionally, scholars have focused on how particular actions are driven by states' perceptions of their own material interests (or at least their elites). In that context, if/when a state will undermine, challenge, ignore or support the current international order is simply a matter of exploring the costs/benefits it perceives will flow from a specific action.Using this framework, many scholars and commentators now believe that conflict between the ‘West' and China is inevitable. China, or any ascending power, will increasingly see it in their material interest to exert their increasing power to challenge an international political order – an order which it did not have a hand in creating and that it sees as being purposely designed to entrench the powers of and enrich the founders of the order. The powerful states which benefit from the existing order, will struggle to accommodate the new power into the old structure, leading to an increasing chance of conflict.My guest for this episode is Dr Rohan Mukherjee. Rohan thinks that this type of analysis misses a key factor in determining state behaviour – perceived recognition, increases and decreases in a state's status. Like in domestic politics, explanations which ignore these elements will fail in its predictions. In his excellent new book, Ascending Order: Rising Powers and the Politics of Status in International Institutions, he argues that whether rising powers cooperate with, challenge, or try to reform, an international order depends on the extent to which its core institutions facilitate symbolic equality with the great-power club.Rohan is in the Department of International Relations at the London School of Economics. Prior to joining the LSE, he was an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. He received his PhD from Princeton and holds a Masters in Public Administration from its School of Public and International Affairs. He is also a Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at MIT's Security Studies Program, and a non-resident Visiting Fellow at the UN's University of Tokyo.Rohan is a thoughtful and creative scholar, and it was a great pleasure to explore how his approach can be applied to understand that the behaviour of China, India, the international response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where we should expect cooperation, reform or conflict in the international political order, and many other elements in our world today. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!CitationsEveret, P. (2022) The Trees. Influx Press.The Expanse TV show produced by the Syfy Network (Series 1-3) and Amazon (Series 4-6) based on novels by James CoreyLucy Dacus, musician. See Lucy DacusMukherjee, R. (2022) Ascending Order: Rising Powers and Politics of Status in International Institutions (Cambridge Studies in International Relations). Cambridge University Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Search Amazon for the word ‘innovation' in its ‘Business, Finance & Accounting' book section, and you will find more than 60,000 volumes. The trick is finding stuff worth reading in this deep and wide ocean of material. The new book, Ideaflow: Why Creative Businesses Win, by Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn is just such a book. I welcomed Jeremy to this episode of TRIUM Connects to discuss the book as well as his general views on creativity and innovation. In the book, Jeremy and Perry argue that we shouldn't think of innovation as an event, a workshop, a sprint or a hackathon…but rather as a more general capability that can be learnt and is relevant to everyone. Their core principle is that you need ideas to solve problems – in contrast to completing tasks where you just need to get on with the work. But, instead of obsessing over quality, successful innovators focus on the generation of many ideas. Volume is key. Once you have a sufficient volume, then you run quick and cheap experiments to gather more information, revise and test again. Jeremy knows what he is talking about. He is one of the world's leading experts in innovation. As the Director of Executive Education at Stanford's renowned Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (aka "the d.school"). His courses [K1] have been experienced by nearly a million students of innovation worldwide. He advises corporate leaders on how to embed[K2] the methods and mindsets of design thinking into their organizations, and works with professionals to cultivate a robust personal creative practice. He also co-hosts the "Stanford Masters of Creativity," program where Jeremy shines the spotlight on exemplars of creative practice across disciplinary boundaries.What makes Ideaflow a great book, and what I really enjoyed in my conversation with Jeremy, is the concrete, actionable innovation practices described and the fact that they are backed up by solid research and evidence. I hope you enjoy the conversation!Cited WorkMcKeown, Greg (2015) Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. Virgin Books.Koestler, A. (2014) The Act of Creation. One 70 Press.Lotto, B. (2017) Deviate: The Creative Power of Transforming your Perception. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.Lucas, B.J. & Nordgren, L.F. (2020) ‘The creative cliff illusion,' Psychological and Cognitive Sciences: Volume 117 (33), pp 19830-19836.Mackinnon, D. W. (1962). The personality correlates of creativity: A study of American architects. In G. Nielson (Ed.), Proceedings of the XIV International Congress of Applied Psychology. Vol. 2. Personality research (pp. 11–39). Munksgaard.Randolph, M. (2021) That will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life on an Idea. Endeavour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have all become aware how important data is as everything becomes more digitalised. Data is everywhere – nearly our every moment and movement is recorded and stored. Connected devices offer more and more convenience. Our cars exchange information with our phones, which exchange information with our smart houses, which exchange information with our home computers,… and on and on. Without the digital exchange of information our personal and professional lives have become practically impossible. To be ‘disconnected' is not really an option for most. But, the more connected we are, the more nodes in our network, the more we rely on digital exchanges, the more we are susceptible to cybercrimes.My guest for this episode, to discuss all things cybersecurity, is Todd Wade. Todd is a chief information security officer with over 20 years of experience working with cybersecurity and technology and the author of the recently published book, Cybercrime: Protecting your business, your family and yourself.He has led the information security departments for multiple financial services and technology organisations. He is passionate about championing cyber risk governance and empowering organisations to protect themselves against cybercriminals.Todd has worked with leading information security organisations like the Information Security Forum and Chartered Institute of Information Security and is currently an advisor to several cybersecurity start-ups, including the Cyber Risk Management Group and Scapien. And last, but certainly not least, he is a member of the Class of 2009 of TRIUM!Cited Work:Wade, T. (2022) Cybercrime: Protecting Your Business, Your Family and Yourself. London: BCS Learning and DevelopmentWhite, G. (2022) The Lazarus Heist: Based on the No 1 Hit Podcast. London: Penguin Business Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are at the start of a time when humans will be able to program cells and organisms in analogous ways to which we now program computers. Our technology and understanding of the basic structures of life, augmented by computer simulations driven by AI, are driving breakthrough innovations at an ever-increasing rate.What will this mean for us all? It could mean the end of most diseases and the actual process of aging. I could mean that the current existential risks of climate change and bio-diversity collapse could be removed. It could also mean that our exposure to the existential risks of bioterrorism grows exponentially. I could mean a radical new social class structure based on different access to, and use of human ability enhancements will generate political upheaval and violence. What is inarguably true, is that advances in our understanding and ability to manipulate biological systems will disrupt business, governance, culture and geopolitics in fundamental ways. This may not happen this year, or next, but make no mistake, the challenges are coming.Amy Webb, my guest for this episode, believes we desperately need to start these conversations now, while we still have some time to shape what the future will hold. Amy's, and her co-author Andrew Hessel's book, The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Ague of Synthetic Biology, is a wonderful, guided tour of synthetic biology's past, present, and likely future. It is also a catalyst to the discussion about how we balance the risks and amazing promise of these innovations. As Amy says, the best way to understand this technology is that it gives us options which we have never had – how we choose amongst those options is what we need to think about now.Amy is a quantitative futurist and is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the New York University Stern School of Business. Her research focuses on strategic foresight and using data to model probable, plausible and possible scenarios for the future. She was named to the Thinkers50 Radar list of the 30 management thinkers most likely to shape the future of how organizations are managed and won the prestigious 2017 Thinkers50 RADAR Award for her research and work in strategic foresight. She is also the CEO and founder of the Future Today Institute, a leading strategic foresight and future forecasting firm that researches emerging technology on behalf of Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies, government agencies and financial institutions around the world. In addition to being a best-selling author of multiple books, Amy's future forecasting work has been featured in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review and more.It was an absolute pleasure to discuss with Amy the issues raised in her book. It is unsurprising that so many people and organisations turn to her when they want a view of what our possible futures may be! Her knowledge is deep and her ability to communicate is exceptional – I hope you enjoy the conversation! Citations Bostrom, N. (2019) ‘The Vulnerable World Hypothesis,' Global Policy 10:4.The Boys. Developed the Amazon Prime Video by Eric Kripke, based on a comic book of the same name, written by Garth Ennis and Darick Roberson.Huxley, A. (1932) Brave New World. Chatto and Windus.Niccol, A.(Director) (1998) Gattaca. Columbia Pictures and Jersey Films.Severance. Created by Dan Erickson, Apple TV+Webb, A. (2019) The Big Nine: How Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity. New York: Public Affairs.Webb, A. (2022) The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology. New York: Public Affairs. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does being a fabulously successful, early stage VC investor have in common with being a world class CEO? The answer, according to Jihoon Rim, my guest for this episode, is the ability to select the right people and then, largely get out of their way and let them do their jobs.Jihoon, after a stint at Softbank, founded his own VC firm – Kcube Ventures – in 2012 with an initial fund of USD 10M. In 2021, when the fund was liquidated, it returned more than USD 1B. In 2015, Jihoon was appointed the CEO of Kakao. In the 2.5 years of his leadership, Kakao's revenues and operating profits more than doubled (from USD 932M to USD 1.972B and USD 88M to USD 165M, respectively). Such successes led to Jihoon being recognised in 2017 Korea's number 1 CEO (by Insight Korea), and in 2018 as one of Korea's Top Ten Heros (by Maeil Broadcasting Network).He joined NYU's Stern School of Business as an Adjunct Professor in 2019 where he teaches some of the most highly regarded elective courses in the entire School. Between 2018 and 2022, he completed his Doctorate degree. This was all completed before he turned 43 years old.In this episode we discuss what Jihoon looked for when investing in founders and how he took the lessons from that world and applied them in his role as CEO of Kakao. We also discuss how people routinely misunderstand the nature and scope of tech companies' powers – which he believes is too great, and how transparency will play a crucial role if we ever want to do something about this problem. Finally, we explore why Korean content has been so successful on the international entertainment stage.Jihoon is smart, articulate, highly accomplished and wonderfully humble. His candour and honesty in our discussion was refreshing. He is proof that wisdom does not need to rely on age. This episode is, in my mind, an exemplar of how a good leader sees the world and their role in it. Enjoy the conversation!CitationsFrans Johansson (2014) The Click Moment: Seizing Opportunity in an Unpredictable World. Penguin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Over the last 10-20 years we have seen the rise and rise of populist and nationalist movements in democracies across the world. This, in part, reflects a growing dissatisfaction with the state of our democratic institutions. Many people just don't believe that democracy delivers for them.My guest for this episode is Professor Alberto Alemanno. To combat the ever-increasing attraction of illiberal political movements, Alberto believes we need to work towards creating a more even playing field between companies and citizens in our civil society. If we could do that, so the argument goes, we would have a healthier polity and more effective democratic institutions.A specific step toward these goals would be to expect private firms to make public all of their political activity – adding a ‘P' for politics – to their existing ESG reporting requirements. As part of this, firms would need to report their support and membership of trade associations and the policies those associations work for and against. Like holding firms responsible for the ESG of companies in their supply chains, this type of political reporting would hold firms responsible for the interventions in the political system made on their behalf by others. Alberto argues that this would stop companies from playing a double game of supporting one policy publicly while simultaneously working to stop that policy through their support of other organisations and associations. The idea is a fascinating one, and Albertos knowledge and passion of the issues it raises shine through in our conversation.Alberto is the Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law & Policy at HEC Paris. He is also the founder of the civic startup, The Good Lobby, whose mission is to equalize access to power by strengthening the advocacy capacity of civil society and making corporate political influence more accountable and sustainable. He sits on the board of several civil society organizations, such as Friends of Europe, European Alternatives, VoxEurop, Access Info Europe, as well as the citizens' campaigning movement We Move, which operates transnationally. I hope you enjoy the episode!CitationsAlemanno, A. (2017) Lobbying for Change: Find Your Voice to Create a Better Society. Icon Books.Heimans, J. & Timms, H. (2019) New Power: Why Outsiders are Winning, Institutions are Failing, and How the Rest of Us Can Keep Up in the Age of Mass Participation. Picador.The Good Lobby (www.thegoodlobby.eu)Mancur Olson (1974) The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups. Harvard University Press (revised edition). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I am joined in this episode by Professor Mick Cox of the LSE to discuss the unfolding tragic war in Ukraine. How do we possibly make sense of what is happening? What kind of end can we imagine when losing is not an option for anyone? What does winning or losing even mean in this situation? Is this the end the age of international order, growing prosperity, and relative peace created by a rules-based international system? If so, what will take its place? Will China play the role of the peacemaker in the interests of maintaining global stability, or will its alliance with Russia start a new age of ‘big power' spheres of influence and a cold war…or even a ‘hot' war? Mick and I address these questions and more. Our thoughts and sympathies go out to all who are suffering in this epic tragedy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I am joined in this episode by Professor Vasant Dhar where we talk about why social media platforms should be regulated and how we would go about doing so. Vasant argues that we have failed to install any rules of the game when it comes to holding platforms responsible for their demonstratable contribution to social ills. This, according to Vasant, leads to some truly egregious gaps in our ability to avoid negative outcomes and hold those responsible liable for their actions. For example, in our current settings, a social platform could be shown to be responsible for tens of thousands cases of depression, leading to hundreds of suicides but still to have not violated any rule or law and be completely free of liability. Vasant brings more than 30 years of study and research in this area to the table.Vasant is a professor at NYU's Stern School of Business and the Center for Data Science. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of the journal Big Data and the founder of SCT Capital, one of the first machine-learning-based hedge funds in New York City in the 90s. His research focuses on building scalable decision making systems from large sources of data using techniques and principles from the disciplines of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.CitationsBail, Chris (2021) Breaking the Social Media Prism: How to Make Our Platforms Less Polarizing. Princeton University Press.Dhar, Vasant – Brave New World Podcast. See bravenewpodcast.com.Haidt, Jonathan (2021) ‘The dangerous experiment on teen girls,' The Atlantic, November 21.Kramer, D., Guillory, J.E., and Hancock, J.T. (2014) ‘Emotional contagion through social networks,' Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: 111(24), pp. 8788-8790. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Increasingly, company boards are expected to incorporate environmental, social and governance issues into their strategic choices and performance criteria. How, exactly, should they do this? One approach is to integrate the entire costs/benefits of the firm's activities, including those which are currently unpaid-for externalities, into its balance sheet. But is that really possible? Or, even desirable?In this episode I discuss this issue – and others! – with my guest, Helle Bank Jorgensen. Helle is an internationally recognized expert on sustainable business practices, with a 30-year record of turning environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks into innovative and profitable business opportunities. She is the founder and chief executive of Competent Boards, which offers online climate and ESG programs that draw on the experience of over 150 renowned board members, executives, and investors.Helle is also the author of the newly published book, Stewards of The Future: A Guide for Competent Boards. This book shows boards must have the insight and foresight to ask the right questions of management on complex issues such as climate change, ESG, corruption, cybersecurity, human trafficking and supply-chain resilience to realize long-term profits and sustainability. CitationsJorgensen, Helle Bank (2022) Stewards of The Future: A Guide for Competent Boards. Barlow Publishing.Cornell, Bradford and Damodaran, Aswath (2020), Valuing ESG: Doing Good or Sounding Good? (March 20, 2020). NYU Stern School of Business, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3557432 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3557432 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How should we view the current crisis in our supply chains? Did the external shock of COVID create severe, but relatively temporary problems? If so, then we should, slowly but surely, see a return to how things were before, with ‘just in time' principles driving supply chain design and execution. Or, has the crisis revealed fundamental structural weaknesses in our pre-COVID practices? If so, we should expect significant changes in supply chain designs in a post-COVID world. Which do you predict?Professor Michel Fender of HEC Paris, one of the world's experts on supply chain management, joins me in this episode to talk about this question and a number of other related issues. The general theme of the discussion is on how supply chain management, once seen through a logistics lens as merely a support function, has evolved into one of the most important strategic factors determining success in competition and, ultimately, value creation for all stakeholders. I hope you enjoy the conversation!CitationsFender, M. (2020) Next Generation Supply Chains: The Guide for Business Leaders. London: Choir Press.Read, L. (1958), ‘I Pencil: My Family Tree as Told to Leornard E. Read,' The Freeman. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How and when should we decide today what areas of future public policy we are not prepared to trust our future selves to make wisely? In other words, when should we voluntarily constrain our future democratic choices by privileging our current democratic choices? This is the theme of my discussion in this episode with Professor Andrés Velasco, the Dean of the School of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and the former Finance Minister of Chile.While somewhat common in monetary economic policy (think independent central banks immune to short term democratic pressures), Andrés and I explore how/whether this self-restraint framework can/should be applied to areas like quantitative easing, fiscal and environmental policy.Andrés not only has the intellectual firepower, matched by world class academic credentials, to address these questions. As the former Finance Minister of Chile, he was responsible for the creation of two special sovereign funds which attempted to stabilize Chilean governmental spending at a long-term sustainable level. His mixture of practical political experience and academic skill make him the ideal guest to discuss these issues. I hope you enjoy the conversation!As mentioned in the podcast:Henrich, J. (2020) The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous. Allen Lane.Haidt, J. (2013) The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion. Penquin.Greene, J. (2014) Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason and the Gap Between Us and Them. Atlantic Books. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are we at the start of a new and glorious age of space tourism led by private investment? Is this the first step to a potentially massive space-based economy to support humans in earth's orbit with colonies on the Moon and Mars? Will all of this be built and financed through private, mega-companies? My guest for this episode is Dr Andrew Aldrin (TRIUM Class of 2005). Andy is currently the Director of the Aldrin Family Foundation and has literally an entire lifetime's experience working at the interface between private and public involvement in the creation of a space economy. In our conversation here, Andy helps to demystify and debunk many of the more grandiose claims and hype created by various billionaires' recent vanity projects. The picture of the future of space-based activity which Andy sketches is both more interesting and more realistic. Enjoy the show!CitationsAldrin Family Foundation at Home - Aldrin Family Foundation (aldrinfoundation.org)Aldrin Space Institute Aldrin Space Institute > Aldrin Space Institute | Florida Tech (fit.edu)Adams, Douglas, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Pan, Main Market edition, 2020. First published in 1979.Sarang, Mehak & Weinzierl, Matt, The Commercial Space Age is Here. Harvard Business Review, 2021. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest this episode is Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede (TRIUM Class of 2016). Aig is a world class finance and social entrepreneur. In 2002 he acquired (with his friend and colleague Herbert Wigwe) a struggling Nigerian bank for around US$10 million. After 11 years of his leadership as the CEO, the bank had a market capitalisation of around US$1.3 billion and had become one of the most important banks, not only in Nigeria, but across Africa. He tells the story of the acquisition, turnaround and rapid scaling of Access Bank in his new book, Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa. In this episode we discuss this fascinating story of success. It is one of the best examples of the power of process innovation, values, and vision, as drivers of business success, that I have ever come across. Aig's true genius is his ability to engineer opportunity from what others would see as almost unsurmountable obstacles to success.In addition to business lessons to be learned from his experience, Aig is one of the most thoughtful and careful commentators on African development challenges and opportunities you will find. From discussions on the consequences of corruption, to the proper role of civic institutions and regulatory bodies, to the role and responsibility of the private sector for economic development, Aig's insights and knowledge are unmatched.This is one of my favourite episodes yet – don't miss it!Citations:93 Days (2016). Directed and co-produced by Steve Gukas. Written by Paul RowlstonAig-Imoukhuede, Aigboje (2021) Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa. Red Door Press.Okonjo-Iweala, Ngozi (2018) Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines. MIT Press.Host: Matt Mulford | Guest: Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest this episode is Chris Burggraeve. Chris is a practitioner scholar of the art and science of marketing. His corporate marketing career culminated as the Chief Marketing Officer for AB Inbev from 2007-2012. In 2013 he founded Vicomte, a marketing advisory and micro-ventures firm. He is also a former Capstone Project Director for the TRIUM Global EMBA.In this episode, we discuss his latest book, Marketing is not a Blackhole. For Chris, if you have a business model based on a branded product or service, then marketing is at the heart of everything you do as a company – or at least should be. Great marketing gives a firm the ability to consistently raise prices without losing market share (pricing power). Pricing power, in turn, is a key to long-term profitability and growth. If you could effectively rank the marketing excellence of the firm, then you could use this as a predictive tool of the future profitability of the firm. Chris has created just such a marketing excellence rating – αM 2.0. He hopes/dreams that this rating will be as useful and used as other, more established ratings (think Moody's, Fitch, FICO scores, Altman's Z score, ESG ratings, …etc.) when analysts are valuing a firm. Join us to find out more!Citations Burggraeve, Chris (2021) Marketing is not a black hole. Great Britain: Amazon. Damodaran, Aswath (2017) Narrative and Numbers: The Value of Stories in Business. Columbia Business Press.Hadfield, Chris (2015) An astronaut's guide to life. Pan, Main Market Edition.Host: Matt Mulford | Guest: Chris Burggraeve | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Oliver Gottschalg. Oliver is the Academic Dean of the TRIUM Global EMBA program and an Associate Professor of Strategy and Business Policy at HEC-Paris. Oliver is a world renowned expert in the strategic logic and the performance determinants of private equity investments. He straddles both the academic and practitioner worlds of these topics as both a scholar and the founder of firm which provides information on private equity funds’ manager performance to both limited and general partners. Perhaps no other asset class invokes as many strong opinions as private equity and yet too many only have a rather vague idea of how the industry works. Oliver describes himself as either a friendly critic or a critical friend of the private equity industry and in this episode he guides us through the complex dynamics of the industry. Your opinion about this particular form of capitalism may not change after listening to this episode, but I hope that – at the least – you will be a little better informed about the issues and debates which swirl around this key part of the business world.Host: Matt Mulford | Guest: Oliver Gottschalg | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Baroness Minouche Shafik. Minouche is the Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science and one of the most important thought leaders in the world. She has a glittering career in academics and as a global civil servant. Before becoming the leader of the LSE, Minouche was a Vice-President at the World Bank, a Permanent Secretary for the UK’s Department for International Development, a Deputy Managing Director at the IMF, and a Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. In this episode Minouche and I discuss her new and hugely influential book, What We Owe Each Other: A New Social Contract. In this work, she sets out to do no less than to provide a framework for a new relationship between the state and individual based on the idea of what we owe to each other as fellow citizens. The book has been praised by a multitude of Noble Prize winners, Heads of State, renown economists and philosophers, and…well, just about everyone who has read the book! I hope you find our conversation as inspiring and interesting as I did. As I hope you can tell, this is a very special guest for a very special episode. In September of this year, we will mark the 20th anniversary of the launch of the TRIUM Global EMBA. This episode starts the celebration! I can think of no better guest or theme to reflect the belief on which TRIUM was formed: to succeed as a global business leader, you must be able to situate yourself and your organisation into the web of interdependencies which constitute life in a global age. Citations:Shafik, Minouche (2021) What We Owe Each Other: A New Social Contract. London: The Bodley Head.Host: Matt Mulford | Guest: Minouche Shafik | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Joost Van Dreunen. Joost is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Stern School of Business at New York University. In this podcast we discuss the dynamics of the video games industry and his new book, One Up: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games. In 2020, across the segments of PC, console-based, and mobile games, the industry had revenues of somewhere between $160-170 billion and an annual overall growth rate of around 25%. In addition to its sheer size and speed of growth, the intersection between technological, process and creative innovation makes the industry a fascinating case study for anyone interested in the future of business in a digital world. I can think of no better guide to this world than Joost Van Dreunen. I hope you enjoy our conversation!Citations:Van Dreunen (2020) One Up: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games. New York: Columbia University Press. Sedaris, D. (2019) Calypso. London, Little Brown. A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019) from Asobo Studio & Focus Home Entertainment.Host: Matt Mulford | Guest: Joost Van Dreunen | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Marcello Damiani (TRIUM Class of 2015). Marcello is the Chief Digital and Operational Excellence Officer at Moderna. In this episode we discuss what it was like to be part of the historic success of developing and delivering a vaccine, in the face of a global pandemic, in record time at an efficacy rate that we hardly dared dreamed possible. We discuss what Moderna’s story tells us about the modern bio-tech industry and how its success might be repeated. Next, we talk about how the success of the ‘mRNA platform’ approach to the COVID-19 vaccine may be just the beginning of what the technology promises. Finally, we chat about what we have all learned from this amazing journey. Marcello offers an insider’s view to one of the most exciting science stories of all time. Because there has been plenty to be depressed about in recent times, it is great to highlight a reason to be optimistic about the future. Enjoy the conversation! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Aswath Damodaran. Aswath is a Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University (Kerschner Family Chair in Finance Education). Calling Aswath a Professor is a bit like calling the Sistine Chapel a church. He is a star in his field and one of the most influential business professors in the world. He has taught on the TRIUM program from its start and is consistently rated as one of its top professors. In this episode we discus his most recent book, Narrative and Numbers: The Value of Stories in Business. Aswath argues that, “Stories without numbers are just fairy tales and numbers without stories to back them up are exercises in financial modelling.” To value a business accurately, Aswath argues, you must understand and value a business’s narrative and tie that story to the relevant underlying value drivers. Do this, and you can start to judge whether firm’s value and equity price are realistic or just fairy tales. Citations:-- Book discussed: Damodaran, Aswath (2017), Narrative and Numbers: The Value of Stories in Business. Columbia Business Press.-- Article mentioned: Cornell, Bradford and Damodaran, Aswath (2020), Valuing ESG: Doing Good or Sounding Good? (March 20, 2020). NYU Stern School of Business, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3557432 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3557432Host: Matt Mulford | Guest: Aswath Damodaran | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Robert Falkner. Robert is a TRIUM Academic Director, an Associate Professor of International Relations and the Director of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics. Before his time at the LSE, Robert held academic positions at the Universities of Oxford, Kent and Essex, as well as a visiting scholar position at Harvard. In this episode we discuss how moral reasoning and more narrowly defined state self-interest have both impacted the design and implementation of international agreements on climate. We also speculate on what a re-engaged USA, and a newly engaged China may mean for the future of such agreements. Using the same normative/self-interest framework, we explore the likely future role of private enterprise in implementing and driving sustainability. We eventually agree that normative and self-interested rationales will likely have to be – and hopeful will be – aligned for consequential change to occur. Whether this occurs in time to avoid disaster, is the critical question.Related Material:-- Robert's latest book: Falkner, Robert (2019), ‘The Unavoidability of Justice - and Order - in International Climate Politics: From Kyoto to Paris and Beyond’, in: British Journal of Politics and International Relations, (21) 2: 270-78. https://www.robertfalkner.org/s/Falkner-2019-Unavoidability-of-Justice-and-Order-in-International-Climate-Politics.pdf -- Robert's forthcoming book: Falkner, Robert (2021) Environmentalism and Global International Society (Cambridge Studies in International Relations, vol. 156). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/environmentalism-and-global-international-society/8185AA689F106BAEEAD7E2EE0A4A233E-- Robert's recommended book: Oreskes, N. & Conway, E. M. (2012), Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming, Bloomsbury.-- Work mentioned: Shue, H. (1992). The unavoidability of justice. In: The international politics of the environment: Actors, Interests, and Institutions. Edited by A. Hurrell and B. Kingsbury. Oxford, Clarendon Press: 373-397. Host: Matt Mulford | Guest: Robert Falkner | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Andrew Walter. Andrew and I were the first TRIUM co-Academic Directors for the London School of Economics and he has taught political economy for TRIUM every year since its start. He is super smart, very wise and a great friend of TRIUM and myself. He is currently Professor of International Relations in the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Melbourne. He was formally a Reader in International Relations at the LSE and a Fellow and University lecturer at Oxford University. Prior to joining academia, he worked for JP Morgan’s investment banking division. In this episode we discuss his award winning newest book (co-authored with Jefferey Chwieroth) entitled, The Wealth Effect. The book documents the massive rise in both the wealth of the middle classes, how that wealth has become highly leveraged and explores the political implications of this new cleavage in society – those with wealth and those without. Specifically we discuss what happens in democracies when the middle class has highly leveraged housing assets and pensions tied to stock market performance, while at the same time there is greater and greater demand to privately fund health care, education and elder care? A quick spoiler – the consequences are not pretty. Related Material:-- Andrew's new book: Chwieroth, J.M. & Walter, A. (2019) The Wealth Effect: How the great expectations of the middles class have changed the politics of banking crises. Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/wealth-effect/373A70D5D070528F2E38EE12CC42CCF5 -- Andrew's recommended book: Enos R.D. (2017) The Space Between Us: Social geography and politics. Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/space-between-us/EA1109A01102D4EF2C71A3125AD07B41-- Work mentioned: Rosas, R. (2010) Curbing Bailouts: Bank crises and democratic accountability in comparative perspective. University of Michigan Press. https://www.press.umich.edu/1050729/curbing_bailouts See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Randy White. Randy is the co-Chair of the leadership stream for the EMBA at HEC (Qatar) and a long-time professor of leadership for TRIUM. He is an international thought leader in leadership training and executive coaching with more than 30 years’ experience from all over the world. His is also a member of the Board of the American Psychological Association. A new edition of his (co-written with Philip Hodgson) excellent book, Relax its Only Uncertainty will be released later this month. In this episode, Randy and I discuss the leadership challenges in a world where the nature of the uncertainty we face is changing. How does a leader effectively and confidently lead other people when s/he cannot be sure what is the best path forward? Randy’s wisdom and decency shine through in our talk – enjoy!Related Material:-- Randy's new book: Hodgson, P. & White, R. (2020) Relax, It’s Only Uncertainty: Lead the way when the way is changing. The Executive Development Group. https://www.amazon.com/Relax-Its-Only-Uncertainty-Changing-dp-0578713535/dp/0578713535/ref=dp_ob_title_bk#customerReviews-- Randy's recommended book: Ou, A. Y., Waldman, D. A. & Peterson, S. J. (2015), ‘Do Humble CEOs Matter? An Examination of CEO Humility and Firm Outcomes,’ Journal of Management (20:10, pp. 1-27). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283950957_Do_Humble_CEOs_Matter_An_Examination_of_CEO_Humility_and_Firm_Outcomes-- Works mentioned: Bahcall, S. (2020) Loonshots: How to nuture the craxy ideas that win wars, cure diseases, and transform industries. St. Martins Press. https://www.amazon.com/Loonshots-Nurture-Diseases-Transform-Industries/dp/1250185963 Cosmides, L & Tooby, J. (1992).’Cognitive Adaptions for Social Exchange,’ in Barkow, J.; Cosmides, L, & Tooby, J. (eds.). The Adapted Mind: Evolutionary psychology and the generation of culture. Oxford University Press. pp. 163–228. https://www.cep.ucsb.edu/papers/Cogadapt.pdfWason, P. C. (1968), ‘Reasoning about a rule,’ Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (20:3, pp. 273–281). http://web.mit.edu/curhan/www/docs/Articles/biases/20_Quarterly_J_Experimental_Psychology_273_(Wason).pdfHost: Matt Mulford | Guest: Randy White | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Thomas Pillippon, the Max L. Heine Professor of Finance at New York University, Stern School of Business. In this podcast we discuss his influential and provocative new book, The Great Reversal: How America Gave Up on Free Markets. In the book, Thomas shows how over the last 20 years, US markets have become less competitive. This has led to poorer service quality, higher consumer prices, lower investment, and higher inequality. At the same time, the reverse has been happening within the EU. How and why this has happened are the subjects of our conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!Related material:-- Thomas' new book: The Great Reversal: How America Gave Up on Free Markets (2019). https://www.amazon.com/Great-Reversal-America-Gave-Markets/dp/0674237544-- Thomas' recommended book: Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the Surveillance State, by Barton Gellman (2020). https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Mirror-Snowden-American-Surveillance-ebook/dp/B017SCQKE2 -- Other works mentioned: Government's End: Why Washington Stopped Working (a revised and updated version of Demosclerosis), by Jonathan Rauch (1999) https://www.amazon.com/Governments-End-Washington-Stopped-Working/dp/1891620495; Why we're polarized, by Ezra Klein (2020) https://www.amazon.com/Why-Were-Polarized-Ezra-Klein/dp/147670032XHost: Matt Mulford | Guest: Thomas Philippon | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Tensie Whelan, Clinical Professor for Business and Society and the Director of NYU Stern’s Center for Sustainable Business. We start with an examination of the importance of monetizing the benefits of sustainability efforts to successfully embed the practices into the heart of the firms’ strategy and measure of economic performance. We then have a lively discussion on the promises and perils of relying on consumer demand to encourage firms to act in responsible ways. We wrap up with a discussion of the role of the state versus the firm in setting the rules of competitive markets. I hope you enjoy the conversation!Related material:-- Tensie's book: Nature Tourism, Managing for the Environment (1991). https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Tourism-Environment-Tensie-Whelan/dp/1559630361-- NYU Stern's Center For Sustainable Business: https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/about/departments-centers-initiatives/centers-of-research/center-sustainable-business-- Tensie's recommended book: Thinking in Systems: A Primer, by Donella H. Meadows (2008). https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-Meadows/dp/1603580557 -- Matt's recommended book: The Overstory, by Richard Power (2018). http://www.richardpowers.net/the-overstory/ Host: Matt Mulford | Guest: Tensie Whelan | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My guest for this episode is Michael Cox, Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the LSE. We start with a discussion of John Maynard Keynes’ book entitled “The Economic Consequences of the Peace” (1919) which has a surprising resonance with current events. We also get Mick’s take on today’s political and governance crisis in the US, what he sees as the future of globalisation and whether the current conflict between the US and China is likely to get better or worse. I hope you enjoy the conversation!Related material:-- Michael's Think Tank: LSE Ideas. https://www.lse.ac.uk/ideas-- Michael's recommended series: Babylon-Berlin series about Weimar Germany, available on Netflix https://www.babylon-berlin.com/en/-- J. M. Keynes' Book: The Economic Consequences of the Peace, with a new introduction by Michael Cox (2019). https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030047580-- J. M. Keynes' Secret Society: The Cambridge Apostles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Apostles-- Federal Reserve Bank of NY article mentioned by Matt: Blickle, K. (2020) Pandemics Change Cities: Municipal Spending and Voter Extremism in Germany, 1918-1933. Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports. https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/staff_reports/sr921.pdfHost: Matt Mulford | Guest: Michael Cox | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My first guest is Olivier Sibony. Olivier is one of the world’s top scholars in the field of behavioural strategy and strategic decision making. What better topics for a time where we are all making choices while trying to work our way through radical uncertainty. I hope you enjoy the conversation!Related material-- Olivier’s new book: You're about to make a terrible mistake https://www.amazon.com/Youre-About-Make-Terrible-Mistake/dp/0316494984 -- Olivier's webinar: Cognitive Biases and Decision-Making in the Covid-19 Crisis - in English (https://youtu.be/RhAKzmpwpzw?t=286) - en Français (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6IAOM3Ei2o)-- HBR article co-authored by Olivier: The Big Idea: Before You Make That Big Decision… https://hbr.org/2011/06/the-big-idea-before-you-make-that-big-decision-- Olivier’s recommended book: Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07D2BKVQR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0Host: Matt Mulford | Guest: Olivier Sibony | Editor: Théophile Letort See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.