Radio 4’s Bottom Line and Briefing Room will combine in a special hour-long programme examining the economic and political future of the EU once Britain has left. Evan Davis meets Jean-Claude Trichet – former president of the European Central Bank – and is joined by a panel of business leaders from across the EU. David Aaronovitch will look at the politics of the EU and its future direction. France’s President Macron has outlined a vision of a profoundly transformed and more unified EU. But do a...
Mar 29, 2018•55 min
The tech giant Apple has just spent five billion dollars building a campus in California's Silicon Valley. It's not alone in its architectural ambitions. The new Facebook HQ in London features trees, grass and plants. So what does a corporate headquarters tell us about a business? Is it an opportunity for a company to show off its wealth and attract the best talent or is it folly? Evan Davis and guests explore what the latest trends in corporate architecture reveal about our business leaders. Gu...
Mar 15, 2018•28 min
What is strategy and why do businesses need it? What distinguishes a good strategy from a bad one or a non-strategy? Not to be confused with goals or a company's ambition, strategy is a word that is often mis-used and misapplied. But in reality it can make the difference between success and failure - especially if it's adaptable to changes in the market. Evan Davis looks at where companies have got strategy right and where it's gone badly wrong. GUESTS: Michael Jacobides - Associate Professor of...
Mar 09, 2018•28 min
Are 'ethical' businesses all they're cracked up to be? Evan Davis and guests discuss the newest type of certification in ethical business, the B Corp, and ask if it'll catch on. GUESTS Katie Hill, Executive Director, B Lab UK Wendy Chapple, Associate Professor in Management and member of the Responsible and Sustainable Business Lab, Nottingham Business School Jean-Cristophe Laugee, Vice-President, Nature and Cycle Sustainability, Danone.
Mar 01, 2018•28 min
What has happened to Margaret Thatcher's dream of creating a nation of shareholders? Over the last decade there's been a big increase in the amount of foreign ownership. ONS figures show foreign investors now own over fifty per cent of shares listed on the stock exchange. Evan Davis and guests discuss why this has happened and whether it matters. GUESTS John Dawson, Founding Partner, Statera Gillian Karran-Cumberlege, Founder, Fidelio Partners Gervais Williams, Fund Manager, Miton Group....
Feb 23, 2018•28 min
Evan Davis and guests discuss why some restaurant chains thrive and others fail. Why are so many chains closing down branches now? GUESTS Paul Campbell, Founder, Hill Capital Partners LLP Angela Hartnett, Chef and Owner of Murano, Café Murano and Merchants' Tavern Sarah Willingham, Entrepreneur and Investor.
Feb 15, 2018•28 min
Evan Davis and guests discuss the relationship between three important pillars of modern society: science, business and the consumer. Is the public right to be suspicious of business and the science it's selling? Why do some us fear GM foods, nanotechnology, AI and gene editing? GUESTS Jackie Hunter, Chief Executive, Benevolent Bio Justin King, Vice-Chairman and Head of Portfolio Businesses, Terra Firma Kriti Sharma, Vice-President of Artificial Intelligence, Sage....
Feb 09, 2018•28 min
Civil engineers would argue they are the unsung heroes of the railways, roads and bridges we all take for granted. But building major infrastructure projects is a complicated business. So how do you go about putting up a bridge? Are you limited by engineering or economics? Evan Davis tries to find the answer from three civil engineers. GUESTS Mike Glover, Arup Fellow Louise Hardy, Civil Engineer, Non-Executive Director Sirius Minerals and Ebbsfleet Development Corporation Katy Toms, Senior Engin...
Feb 02, 2018•28 min
In the final programme of the current series Evan Davis will be talking to Sir Terry Leahy, former Tesco CEO, in front of an invited audience at Sir Terry's old school, St. Edward's College, Liverpool.
Nov 23, 2017•28 min
Are you being served? Where do you shop - online, a department store or one of the large shopping centres around the country? Evan Davis looks at the competitive business of running a mixed retail outlet, or department store, and asks can they survive? GUESTS Tony Brown, CEO, Beales Department Stores Stacey Cartwright, CEO, Harvey Nichols, David Fischel, CEO, INTU Shopping Centres.
Nov 16, 2017•28 min
What makes the UK an attractive place for foreign companies to invest in? Britain has tended to enjoy high levels of inward investment thanks to its open economy. How might this change when the UK leaves the EU? Evan Davis and guests explore the topic. Joining Evan Davis are: Ian Robertson, Global Head of BMW sales and marketing Vera Wei, Chief Executive of Sloan Education David Landsman, Executive Director of Tata Limited.
Nov 10, 2017•28 min
In the UK we spend £4.5 billion a year on domestic pets. Where does the money go? Evan Davis and guests discuss the business of keeping pets. GUESTS Lynne Hill, Chief Executive of Linnaeus Group of veterinary practices Dean Richmond, Managing Director of retailing chain, Pets Corner Ashley Gray, Managing Director of Vetsure Pet Insurance.
Nov 09, 2017•28 min
This week the programme looks at the business of agents. What exactly do they do and are they adding value to their clients' careers? Evan Davis discusses their role with three agents from the worlds of show business, football and books. GUESTS Professor Jonathan Shalit, Chairman, InterTalent Rights Group Anna Davis, Literary Agent. Founder and Creator of Curtis Brown Creative Writing course. Curtis Brown Group James Featherstone, Founder and Owner, OmniSports Producer: Julie Ball....
Oct 26, 2017•28 min
What is the business case for having a diverse workforce? Evan Davis and guests debate whether a mix of talents in the workplace leads to better companies and translates into more profits. Joining the programme: Ruby McGregor-Smith, former Chief Executive of MITIE, and author of a government commissioned review: Race in the Workplace. Jane Farrell, group Chief Executive of Equality Works Scott Page, author of The Diversity Bonus.
Oct 20, 2017•24 min
What's behind the recent collapse of airlines such as Monarch, Alitalia and Air Berlin? Is it a case of supply outstripping demand or is there a larger crisis looming? Will Ryanair's cancellation of thousands of flights do the company permanent damage? What's really happening to Europe's airline industry? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS John Strickland, Aviation consultant Peter Duffy, Chief Commercial Officer, EasyJet And Roger Flynn, Chairman, Loveholidays.com....
Oct 12, 2017•28 min
Is battery technology the key to decarbonising energy and reinventing transport? If so, can the current technology, Lithium-Ion batteries, evolve quickly enough to meet growing demand. If capacity is the problem, is Lithium-ion the answer and what are the alternatives? Can we expect to fly in battery powered aeroplanes in the near future? Join Evan Davis and his guests as they discuss the future of the power of batteries. GUESTS Huw Hampson-Jones, CEO Oxis Energy Cyrille Brisson, Vice-President,...
Oct 05, 2017•28 min
There's no business like show business. Evans Davis and guests explore the success story that is UK theatre. From splashy musicals, and classic revivals to cutting edge new dramas the sector makes more than a billion pounds in ticket sales a year. But there's trouble on the horizon. Public subsidies for theatres are being cut back. Can corporate giving and donations from philanthropists continue to plug the shortfall? Guests Brenna Hobson, National Theatre of Scotland Kate Varah, the Old Vic, Lo...
Jul 27, 2017•28 min
What is the best way of cutting costs and transforming a business? Bosses often have to prune their operations - either to reinvest the cash to grow the business in other directions or because costs have got out of control. But can cuts go too far and damage an organisation? It was reported that British Airways' computer meltdown earlier this year was caused in part because the company had moved too quickly to make efficiency savings. It now faces paying its customers millions of pounds in compe...
Jul 20, 2017•28 min
Evan Davis discusses the reasons why some companies have multiple brands. Is it to bamboozle or does it help consumers navigate the wide variety of choices? Can there be too many? When does product proliferation make sense? Evan talks to three guests: a brand consultant, a marketing executive from drinks company Diageo and a representative from Johnson & Johnson about how we can better understand the world of brands. GUESTS Robert Jones - Brand consultant at Wolf Olins and a visiting profess...
Jul 06, 2017•28 min
Evan Davis presents the business magazine.
Jun 29, 2017•28 min
Are white collar workers under threat from the new robotic workforce? Manufacturing companies have been replacing production line workers with robots for years, but as the technology becomes more advanced, they are being increasingly used in healthcare, law firms and HR departments. So is the white collar worker under threat? Evan Davis talks to three guests, a roboticist, an Artificial Intelligence consultancy worker and the CEO of a hotel chain who is already using robots in his business. GUES...
Jun 22, 2017•28 min
Corporate theft has played a big part in business history from Porcelain and Tea from China, to the French attempting to get their hands on the blueprint for the Spinning Jenny. In this week's programme Evan Davis and guests discuss more modern copyright infringement and how to protect against it. GUESTS Chris Morgan-Jones, Crime fiction author and Consultant, K2 Intelligence Vicki Salmon, Lawyer and Patent Attorney, IP Asset Partnership, Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attor...
Jun 15, 2017•28 min
What's the future for UK Farming? Evan Davis meets three food producers from across the country to talk about the daily challenges of farming in Britain today. Guests include one of the biggest carrot producers in the country, a Wiltshire Beef farmer and Deputy President of the National Farmers Union and a lowland sheep farmer whose herd shares the land with cadets from the Ministry of Defence in Kent. GUESTS Guy Poskitt, Managing Director, M H Poskitt Ltd Marie Prebble, Lowland Sheep farmer Min...
Jun 08, 2017•24 min
Business and its place in society is a prominent issue at the moment. Zero hours contracts, executive pay, tax avoidance are all issues where opinion has shifted dramatically. Has Shareholder driven capitalism finally gone too far? In a special programme recorded at the Royal Academy of Engineering in front of a live audience, Evan Davis talks to the former BP CEO, Lord John Browne on his thoughts about big business as it relates to society. And asks whether it's now time to trust big business?...
Jun 02, 2017•57 min
Britain's multi-billion pound nuclear dream. EDF is building the country's first new nuclear power station in decades at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. But that's just the start. Two other companies also have dreams of bringing nuclear to sites in Cumbria and on Anglesey. But the financing and logistics of these projects are tough. Power stations cost billions to build and investors won't see returns for more than five years. Critics of the nuclear option argue that renewables - wind and solar pow...
Mar 30, 2017•29 min
Migrant entrepreneurs create one in seven businesses in the UK. This week Evan Davis talks to three entrepreneurs who all arrived from overseas with very little and then went on to create a successful business. GUESTS Tony Kitous, Founder, Comptoir Libanais Razan Alsous, Yorkshire Dama Cheese Surinder Arora, Founder and Chairman, Arora Group.
Mar 23, 2017•42 min
The UK is a world leader in financial services technology, otherwise known as fintech. Presenter Evan Davis asks how Britain has beaten Silicon Valley and what challenges fintech poses to traditional banking? Guests: Antony Jenkins, Founder and Executive Chairman, 10x Future Technologies Ishaan Malhi, Founder, Trussle.com Eileen Burbidge, Co-founder, Passion Capital Producer: Julie Ball.
Mar 16, 2017•28 min
From budget airline seats to insurance, Evan Davis discovers the secrets of pricing.
Mar 09, 2017•28 min
How does a can of Italian tomatoes reach the supermarket shelf and a car manufacturer receives its parts in time? Evan Davis finds out about the hidden transport networks that bring goods from around the world to our high street shops and factory floors. Joining Evan to discuss the business of logistics are: Paul Dyer, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Maggie Simpson, Executive Director of the Rail Freight Group , the representative body for rail freight in the UK Oliver Treneman, Park Development Directo...
Mar 02, 2017•29 min
The UK space industry is growing faster than the wider economy. Its application is broad - from manufacturing satellites, earth observation projects, to advanced research and design for space exploration. The government aims to capitalise on all this activity and wants the UK to have its own space port for commercial flights and satellite missions. The programme will hear from the country's top small satellite manufacturer and from a firm developing a revolutionary hypersonic propulsion engine. ...
Feb 23, 2017•28 min
